Medal Standings by population ...

[blankall]

Originally Posted by HOOT

If an athlete can barely afford the food they need to survive and be an athlete with the money given to them it isn't enough. I just hate how much pressure the people, government and COC put on these athletes to win yet we can't even give them enough money so they can afford to live. People on IE are making just as much, if not more, than these people we put on the world stage.

I agree they shouldn't be driving around BMW's, living in 5000sqft homes and travelling first class to events but $350/week is a bit of a slap in the face IMHO.

To be fair, they should still have a job. The 1500 is meant to allow them to work less so they can concentrate on their training.

[Phanuthier]

Isn't the point of the Olympics that its an amateur and they're not supposed to be paid for what they do?

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

1500/month is enough to live very frugally if you're just supporting yourself and practicing your sport. I think your friends issue is the wife and kids.

I'd love to see someone survive on $1500 in Victoria. I guess it could happen but when you are to eat X number of calories and have to eat healthy that money is gone quickly. We aren't talking about a student who can live on KD and Mr Noodles he has to eat healthy and eat a lot. He figures he would have about $300 left for spending, rent, etc. after food.

Originally Posted by blankall

To be fair, they should still have a job. The 1500 is meant to allow them to work less so they can concentrate on their training.

That's the problem though. We want our athletes to compete with others who don't have to work at Home Depot just to survive. I just find it unfair that we expect so much from these people while they struggle to live and have to work a part time job while training. And sometimes they have to even pay their own way to events which hurts them even more.

Just for the record I'm not really complaining about the money they get or lack there of but it has more to do with expectations vs investment. We want to "own the podium" while supplying our athletes with very little compared to other countries. I bet you 100% of the people that work for the COC make more than the athletes that compete for them.

[Table 5]

The athletes are supposed to live in poverty like martyrs to give the games their wholesome image, while everyone else, from the IOC to the advertisers, rake in the millions. It's not unlike the NCAA.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Just for the record I'm not really complaining about the money they get or lack there of but it has more to do with expectations vs investment. We want to "own the podium" while supplying our athletes with very little compared to other countries. I bet you 100% of the people that work for the COC make more than the athletes that compete for them.

I'd say lower expectations then

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I'd say lower expectations then

Really? No #### hey! I'm not talking about me I understand how they treat the athletes as most of them live in my city. I'm talking about the rest of Canada and governing body who started the "own the podium" campaign. Now when Canada doesn't have a gold and is sitting 11th in the standings people act suprised or disappointed.

And Table 5 has it right, the IOC and many others could make it easier on these top athletes to compete but that would hurt their bottom line so it will never happen. Why the IOC doesn't have to give more back to these athletes is beyond me. But as long as countries continue to spend billions on these games to host it will never stop.

[Table 5]

I'd be willing for my taxes to go up by $10 bucks if it goes to athlete development. 30 million x $10 bucks is a lot of money to work with. On your tax forms, they should have an optional section, where you can give some money to certain causes. Some things I'm willing to chip in more than my share. As long as none of it goes to the IOC. Or hockey for that matter (I'd rather they gave other sports a boost).

I'm actually surprised there aren't any charity drives or public fundraisers to help these athletes out. You think people would be willing to help that cause.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Now when Canada doesn't have a gold and is sitting 11th in the standings people act suprised or disappointed.

Didn't they used to rank the standings with gold count first, then silver, etc rather than this "total number of medals regardless of color" business?

[ken0042]

^^ I think it used to be something like 5 points for a gold, 3 for a silver and 1 point for a bronze. So a country with 2 golds would be ahead of another with a silver and 5 bronze.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'd be willing for my taxes to go up by $10 bucks if it goes to athlete development. 30 million x $10 bucks is a lot of money to work with. On your tax forms, they should have an optional section, where you can give some money to certain causes. Some things I'm willing to chip in more than my share. As long as none of it goes to the IOC. Or hockey for that matter (I'd rather they gave other sports a boost).

I'm actually surprised there aren't any charity drives or public fundraisers to help these athletes out. You think people would be willing to help that cause.

I for one would definitely support an imitative like this. I am actually surprised something like this doesn't already exist in some form. Just make it completely optional whether you'd like to donate or not. Even if only 1/6 of the population donates money that is still well over 50 million dollars.

I know there are already charity drives and fundraisers out there to support our athletes, but who knows how to seek those out or even where the money actually goes. But, if this type of fundraising was run by the government I would be more than willing to donate every year. This is a far greater cause then some of the other things we are taxed for on a yearly basis.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Didn't they used to rank the standings with gold count first, then silver, etc rather than this "total number of medals regardless of color" business?

People will use whichever ranking favours their country.

In Vancouver, there was a big debate because CTV was showing the rankings as total gold (which put Canada at #1), and NBC was showing total medals (which put the USA at #1).

The official rankings put number of gold first (and this is what CTV argued was the correct way to display the results two years ago): http://www.london2012.com/medals/medal-count/

Now, in London, CTV is showing the rankings based on total medals, which moves Canada from 29th to 12th: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/medals/overall/index.html

[sun]

Originally Posted by HOOT

I'd love to see someone survive on $1500 in Victoria. I guess it could happen but when you are to eat X number of calories and have to eat healthy that money is gone quickly. We aren't talking about a student who can live on KD and Mr Noodles he has to eat healthy and eat a lot. He figures he would have about $300 left for spending, rent, etc. after food.

Canadian shotputter had a little interview on TV today and said he's spending $150/day in order to eat 9000 calories. Insane.

Originally Posted by getbak

People will use whichever ranking favours their country.

In Vancouver, there was a big debate because CTV was showing the rankings as total gold (which put Canada at #1), and NBC was showing total medals (which put the USA at #1).

The official rankings put number of gold first (and this is what CTV argued was the correct way to display the results two years ago): http://www.london2012.com/medals/medal-count/

Now, in London, CTV is showing the rankings based on total medals, which moves Canada from 29th to 12th: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/medals/overall/index.html

I actually remember the Canadian media displaying the rankings based on number of medals in 2010, not number of golds. Don Cherry (I think it was) took umbrage with this and showed an Australian paper that had us at #1, and said that's the way it should be. I'm 99% sure of this. Unless the policy changed as the games went on.

[trackercowe]

^ Which puts Canada is 29th place, even behind 4 countries who have only one gold medal apiece. We could end up with 15 medals as expected, but still be behind Georgia because they won one medal in Judo.

They should think of ranking it based on a points system or something where a gold is worth 3 points, silver 2 points, and bronze 1 point. I know it sounds absolutely stupid, but that's how they could settle the two different tallies.

[Clarkey]

I think 'the struggle' is an important aspect of being an elite athlete. Because of this I suspect cutting the $1500/month back to $500 a month and 1 side of beef, 30 gallons of homo milk, and 15 sacks of puffed wheat a month.

[saskflames69]

I too would be in favor of an extra $10 increase on my taxes just to support our athletes.

Thing is, I don't pay taxes!

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by saskflames96

I too would be in favor of an extra $10 increase on my taxes just to support our athletes.

Thing is, I don't pay taxes!

Is that you, Jose Canseco?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by sun

I actually remember the Canadian media displaying the rankings based on number of medals in 2010, not number of golds. Don Cherry (I think it was) took umbrage with this and showed an Australian paper that had us at #1, and said that's the way it should be. I'm 99% sure of this. Unless the policy changed as the games went on.

Maybe that's what it was. I know there was some controversy.

[Deegee]

Originally Posted by saskflames96

I too would be in favor of an extra $10 increase on my taxes just to support our athletes.

Thing is, I don't pay taxes!

Not me. What about corporate sponsors?

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by sun

I actually remember the Canadian media displaying the rankings based on number of medals in 2010, not number of golds. Don Cherry (I think it was) took umbrage with this and showed an Australian paper that had us at #1, and said that's the way it should be. I'm 99% sure of this. Unless the policy changed as the games went on.

If Don Cherry is right, I'm OK being wrong.

[Bingo]

did the list with all medal winners ...

1. New Zealand
2. Slovenia
3. Denmark
4. Australia
5. Slovakia
6. Mongolia
7. Qatar
8. Belarus
9. Hungary
10. Cuba
11. Great Britain
12. Norway
13. Czech Republic
14. Romania
15. Netherlands
16. France
17. South Korea
18. Sweden
19. Lithuania
20. Moldova

Canada 22nd
USA 34th
China 45th
India last