Fool's Gold?

[vernonk]

People are starting to question how Team GB are doing so well at the Olympics when, not long ago, we struggled to get even one Gold medal. Do you also have your doubts or do you think/believe "Brits don't cheat"?

[murraymints]

the testing will be uber strict now...perhaps we are doing well because the other cheats are being caught allowing us in

[waterboatman]

British athletics are now funded so that athletes can train full time. It make a huge difference, as you can see.

[murraymints]

I am Olympic hope for weeding !! lol

[Hopkirk]

Outside the Olympics, Team Sky give the very best professional training and support.

[murraymints]

what's that Hoppy ?

[waterboatman]

In cycling certainly hoppy. Very good they are too.

[waterboatman]

Bath University train a lot of our athletes, in all manner of disciplines.For the winter Olympics too.

[vernonk]

Important to realise all other participants benefit when cheats are banned, not just British ones

[Maydup]

We struggled to get even one gold in the days when the games were dominated by cheats. Not just a few cheats, but teams/nations of cheats. Only other cheats could compete with that but we kept going, and now that its cleaner we can compete properly. Go Team GB!

[waterboatman]

Quite right maydup and vernonk.

[Khandro]

Brits don't cheat, it's all thanks to Brexit.

[Gromit]

British competitors were under funded for generations. Since the arrival of the lottery 25 years ago, we have had state if the art facilities and infrastructure. The Commonwealth Games 2002 and the Olympics in 2012 were a great boost in terms of infra structure and Governmental cooperation.

In a nutshell, we are now doing everything right to win medals after decades of neglect.

[mikey4444]

No, I have no doubts whatsoever. Our huge success is all down to Lottery funding, together with a high skill level.

We should ignore these moaning minnies, although I haven't seen any great surge in doubting.

[mikey4444]

A much more interesting question is why China isn't doing better ?

China has a population of several squillions, but only sends about 403 ( ? ) athletes to Rio. China must have unlimited funds available, so you would have thought that they would would have the wherewithal to do better.

I know that they have only been completing in the Olympics since 1984, but 30 years should be long enough to do rather better than they are.

[mikey4444]

I have just looked at the medal table for Cycling.

We are at the very top ! 12 medals, and the nearest anybody can get to that is that famous flat country, the Netherlands, with 5 !

France, with perhaps the worlds most famous cycling race, only have 1 medal, and that was a Bronze.

Whichever way you look at it, Britain and Northern Ireland are stonkingly good !

[Mohne]

If China, USA or Russia had not only dominated the cycling, but "wiped the floor" with team GB, then would we question the legality?
Yes........I think that there would be doubts.

I think (hope) that team GB are legit.

[Gromit]

A comparison spells it out starkly.

The National Lottery was introduced in 1994. The Olympics immediately prior to that, Team GB won twenty medals, five gold, three silver and twelve bronze. We finished in 13th place. We got just 1 cycling medal in a road race.

The National velodrome opened the same year as the lottery started, and now we are winning loads of medals in indoor cycling. So far we have won 50 medals, including 12 in cycling alone. We are currently in 2nd place.

[mikey4444]

Gromit....Perhaps other countries should divert some of their lottery funds into sports as well ?

[Gromit]

Mikey,
Do you know that they don't?

[Berniecuddles2]

/People are starting to question how Team GB are doing so well/
what people??