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Post by herbiedumplings on Aug 19, 2024 18:02:32 GMT
The rewards for getting a medal as a representative of an Oil State might have something to do with it for somebody that way inclined. Joining Team GB with its notoriously stingy rewards package is a head scratcher, though. I can understand the skateboarding fella’s motivation because he’s an elder statesman of the sport, and it’s the Olympics dude. But for someone who’s supposedly a genuine medal contender, it’s a baffling choice. Unless based on the men’s track team’s underperformance, he reckons he’s got a better chance of being selected for us than them? Wouldn’t say we under performed, we got three more medals than any other country with most of our team under 25. The likes of Lavreyson, Valente etc will be retiring soon with an impact on their countries performance similar to how losing Kenny, Trott, Clancy etc has had on ours. Reckon we’ll be well on top again come LA. All relative, I suppose - not the clean sweep Laura Kenny predicted!
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Post by orkneyhatter on Aug 20, 2024 8:54:15 GMT
I just wish these sportspeople would decide and stick to one country to represent. Some seem to just chop and change for convenience, sponsorship, or just because they have a better chance of getting into someone else's national team. I get that some people have dual nationality, were born abroad but lived the majority of their childhood in another country, but when it comes to "qualifying " for a country after x years, getting nationality of another country for sponsorship like it appears some of the "Bahrain" athletes may have done, it makes a mockery of the whole thing, especially when a person has already represented a nation previously. Surely its an honour to represent your country, why would you do that and then suddenly decide to represent another nation x years later?. Agree with that for certain athletes, especially where you see it in track and field loads, but I think he has good reason to move. He was born and lived in the uk until he was 9, then emigrated to Aus. His girlfriend is Welsh and tipped to be a massive track star over the next 8 years. So if they’re going to make a go of it, and he has dual nationality it makes perfect sense for him to move to the uk. Situations like this one where this type of rule makes sense and is the right thing to do. I can see your logic but what's stopping him still representing Aus while residing in the UK? Surely he would be able to access training facilities here? Sportspeople quite often go abroad to train, look at the number of GBNI athletes that live/train in the states. My gripe is that once you have represented a country (IMO the one where you were born and spend your life or most of your formative years) you shouldn't be able to change that for your convenience. Remember that Slovenian tennis player who became British, then a few years later decided to go back to representing Slovenia? Also many footballers who have represented one country at underage football then a completely different nation at senior level. And as for the residential qualifications in some sports ie rugby. I have no problem with players from eg Fiji, Samoa plying their trade in another country;after all its their profession, but struggle to understand why they would not want to represent the country of their birth and upbringing.
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Post by timberwolf on Aug 20, 2024 9:05:56 GMT
I just wish these sportspeople would decide and stick to one country to represent. Some seem to just chop and change for convenience, sponsorship, or just because they have a better chance of getting into someone else's national team. I get that some people have dual nationality, were born abroad but lived the majority of their childhood in another country, but when it comes to "qualifying " for a country after x years, getting nationality of another country for sponsorship like it appears some of the "Bahrain" athletes may have done, it makes a mockery of the whole thing, especially when a person has already represented a nation previously. Surely its an honour to represent your country, why would you do that and then suddenly decide to represent another nation x years later?. Even those with duel nationality should decide once at senior level which country they represent in every single sport about. Once a decision is made then that should be it.
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Post by dunkerrrrr on Aug 20, 2024 9:31:34 GMT
Agree with that for certain athletes, especially where you see it in track and field loads, but I think he has good reason to move. He was born and lived in the uk until he was 9, then emigrated to Aus. His girlfriend is Welsh and tipped to be a massive track star over the next 8 years. So if they’re going to make a go of it, and he has dual nationality it makes perfect sense for him to move to the uk. Situations like this one where this type of rule makes sense and is the right thing to do. I can see your logic but what's stopping him still representing Aus while residing in the UK? Surely he would be able to access training facilities here? Sportspeople quite often go abroad to train, look at the number of GBNI athletes that live/train in the states. My gripe is that once you have represented a country (IMO the one where you were born and spend your life or most of your formative years) you shouldn't be able to change that for your convenience. Remember that Slovenian tennis player who became British, then a few years later decided to go back to representing Slovenia? Also many footballers who have represented one country at underage football then a completely different nation at senior level. And as for the residential qualifications in some sports ie rugby. I have no problem with players from eg Fiji, Samoa plying their trade in another country;after all its their profession, but struggle to understand why they would not want to represent the country of their birth and upbringing. I’d be guessing at what his specific reasons are, but with him only competing on the track he needs to be in competition year round, including worlds, nationals, and even the league. As all of those completions are based on nationality, and the need to train with your own national team is part and parcel of that, I presume it comes down to logistics - he wants to live with his lass and continue to compete, and he can’t travel to Aus for training with his team / compete in their versions of the completions our lot use to prepare through each Olympic cycle. Agree on your point across other sports though, especially where you have professional regional teams like in rugby etc.
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Post by gatleyhatter on Sept 5, 2024 6:21:06 GMT
NFL season back tomorrow. Love it. Nice alternative on a County free weekend.
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Post by palmersears on Sept 5, 2024 7:16:52 GMT
As a Pats fan I can't say I'm looking forward to the new season. Tough schedule early doors, Brissett has no weapons to work with and the defense isn't going to keep bailing us out all the time. Wouldn't surprise me if we see Maye step in at QB once the schedule eases a bit in week 7 and then just use the remaining games to work out what we need to draft next season. Wouldn't be at all surprised if we ended up with a top three pick again.
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