Quote:
Originally Posted by octothorp
I really don't understand all the anger over the swim results. Did you or anyone else really have different expectations? I thought they had an outside shot at one medal, most likely Hayden. But it seems like people have an expectation that the Canadians should have earned a fistful of medals at this point, which is completely unrealistic. Maybe the fault is on the media who, in their typical Canadian optimism, made it sound like all of our athletes are world-beaters.
After the debacle at the Athens Olympics, Swim Canada pretty much rebuilt from the ground up. High-level coaches were fired, athletes retired, and there was a real lack of young swimmers being developed, so the entire developmental system had to be restocked. It's not that the Canadian coaches don't care about medals, it's that medals at Beijing were simply unlikely; they've been fairly clear that they're trying to rebuild the program for London in 2012, and they've set firm medal expectations for that year. Results this year are vastly improved over Athens (not in terms of Canadian records and personal bests (which are meaningless in the context of the new swimsuits and fast pool), but in terms of where Canada ranks overall as a swimming nation when looking at a compilation of all individual results). I'm not happy about the results, but they're honestly pretty much exactly what I expected (if not slightly better).
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I am not ticked off at the swimmers at all, I just can't stand it when CBC and the swim coach (CBC especially) have to mention this so-and-so broke the Canadian record or beat the personal best. I don't know how good are the Canadian swimmers therefore I don't have any expectations. There are times that it is easier to watch the American cable channel when it comes to swimming competition. At least, they don't mention that freaking national or personal best record for Canadians.
Then for a coach to say the same thing, of course I am not happy. It's just like telling your athletes, hey I am not worry about you not winning the medals as long as you beat your personal best. It's like Mike Keenan telling the Calgary Flames players, don't worry about making the playoffs as long as you beat your personal best in goals, assists or goal against.
Maybe you are right the Canadian swimmers are not good enough.