[419]

(Original post by Formerly Helpful_C)
We have the most athletes at these games.

GB - 541
USA - 530
Russia - 436
Australia - 410
Germany - 392
China - 380

A significant number of those are just your average joe recruited from the streets so that GB can have a team representing them in every events.

[Formerly Helpful_C]

(Original post by 419)
A significant number of those are just your average joe recruited from the streets so that GB can have a team representing them in every events.

I know, but they still count.

Obviously, we won't do well in the handball, water polo, basketball and similar sports.

[Rarrgh]

(Original post by callum9999)
A wake-up call for what exactly? That countries with bigger budgets and more people can produce more Olympians than we can? I don't think that was ever really in question...

Though to predict the outcome of it based on the first few days is incredibly moronic anyway (it's blatantly obvious that GB will finish far higher than we are currently placed, and it's blatantly obvious that the likes of North Korea will tumble down the table!) - and where were the Olympics held last year? Must have missed that one!

It's not a matter of budget really, the money helps yes, but GB still has a large sum of money. It's more to get more people interested in sports at a younger age. All the schools I know of personally in my area have only every properly promoted football and nothing else. Don't expect to win medals when you aren't trying to get more kids interested in any other sport than football.

And yes the initial spread of the medals certainly doesn't indicate what will happen but if china don't come above 3rd in the medal rankings I would be highly surprised.

[Loat]

(Original post by Formerly Helpful_C)
I know, but they still count.

Obviously, we won't do well in the handball, water polo, basketball and similar sports.

The host nation enters athletes for every event, even if they wouldn't normally qualify so you'd expect us to have the most competitors at these games. If we're looking at numbers of athletes for the UK its better to look at Beijing/Athens and, irrelevantly for this debate, Rio.

[Cannotbelieveit]

Well this thread was made a bit prematurely.

[Historophilia]

Just seen that on this day at the Beijing Olympics we had 7 medals.

We currently have 15.

[Birdman1234567]

Now into 4th, I reckon that's where we will probably finish, and that would be a decent result. Obvious 3rd would be ideal

[pinkmeerkat]

(Original post by Formerly Helpful_C)
We have the most athletes at these games.

GB - 541
USA - 530
Russia - 436
Australia - 410
Germany - 392
China - 380

We may have more athletes at the games but China and the US do have a much bigger pool to recruit from and thus more likely to pick out those with clear natural talent. Both also have the money to train them all as well.

I'm really pleased with how we're doing, I thought we were trailing at bit at first, but we've really steeped it up, and I couldn't believe it when I read we only had 7 at thie begining of day six last year and we started today with 15. Lots more cycling, sailing to come, and hopefully a fair few athletics too.

[Four Queue]

3rd now. I have a feeling this topic will become very quiet.

[Simran Mars Foster]

Tumbleweed*


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App.

[pinkmeerkat]

Would be great if we could keep a 3rd place! Since realistically that is pretty much first place for us as there is no hope of anyone really catching US or China!

[419]

3rd should be gotten easily.

Where did Greece/ Australian come when they hosted?

[megan.c]

Would have probably been wise to wait until more than 2 days into the 2 week event before whining about team GB being crap...

[Squidgyness]

4th now thanks to SKor medal in fencing, but more still to come! Plenty of medals now!

[FlirtyKitty]

it would be nice to win a whole host of medals and top the table of course but in the end it really isn't all that important to me how many medals GB win. I like to see them trying their hardest and giving it their all. If they get beat by someone that is better then there is no shame in that.

I'm proud of all of the competitors wherever they finish so long as they try.

[desijut]

(Original post by 419)
3rd should be gotten easily.

Where did Greece/ Australian come when they hosted?

Historically, Russia are a big force, i dont know where they get the golds but before the emergence of china, it was russia vs USA, now it's been a three way race with Russia slowly falling off untill now it's China vs USA, so expect Russia to somehow gain some ground.

Sydney 2000 Medals Table
Athens 2004 Medals Table
Beijing 2008 Medals Table

[KingMessi]

(Original post by Four Queue)
3rd now. I have a feeling this topic will become very quiet.

Aside from the smug self-satisfaction of those who didn't overreact.

[geraldbean]

(Original post by kingsholmmad)
Not to the athletes you haven't. Go ahead; tweet Tom Daley or Beth Tweddle that they're not trying and that you're embarrassed by them. I dare you.

And just to prove that you're not trolling, just promise me that you'll come back on this thread one week from today and tell me again how useless we are.

If you've got the bottle.

Are you threatening me? You're useless

[drummer]

I wonder if Team GB's medal haul will surpass London at Rio. Realistically GB should be able to secure the Beijing number at most.

[KingMessi]

(Original post by drummer)
I wonder if Team GB's medal haul will surpass London at Rio. Realistically GB should be able to secure the Beijing number at most.

I doubt it, but it'd be wonderful to equal or surpass Beijing.