England's success in olympics...national lottery?

Question

apart from great talent and sheer hardwork and from our englishmen/women do you think that the national lottery money has played a major part in there successful.we sure have won more medals than previous olympics

Answer 1

Yes. Sports have received lots more money than it ever did and now we're reaping the rewards. And doesn't it feel good? And yes, its not England, its Great Britain.

Answer 2

Great Britain. The name is legacy. Technically Great Britain is just the Island on which England Scotland and Wales are situated, the Great Britain team actually represents the UK (GB+NI) and all dependencies of Britain that do not have their own National Olympic Committee (like the Isle of Man and Scilly isles etc which are not part of the UK).

It was actually in 1996 when GBR won just the one gold medal (and 15 other medals). They came 36th then. It was a kick-up the backside for British sport. However in 2006 UK Athletics had it worst performance in the European Athletics Championship in 20 years. So maybe nothing has actually changed in what most people think of as the core sports of the Olympics.

Answer 3

i remember a while back when one of our competitors couldnt train in his home town due to lack of facilities so he had to travel 100 miles or more to train. to do this he couldnt work so claimed unemployment benefit. no help was available for his finances so he had to claim. when he arrived at the olympic stadium his benefits were stopped because he was not available for work.  i dont remember who he was but im sure someone can confirm this.

these sort of things happened a lot. our athletes had to do it alone with no help from anywhere. there was a young girl too, being taken 100 miles or so by her dad at 3 am most days to train for swimming because her local pool wouldnt allow her to train before school.after her drive and her training, dad drove back and she then went to school at 9am. that was england before lottery funding. see the difference now.

Answer 4

Lottery money paid for our world class Australian Cycling coaches and with 8 Gold medals, THAT is some result.

Britain had to fund our athletes thru scratch cards - how bad is that LOL

Answer 5

not for track and field as we still suck at that but probably with the sailing and cycling as we rule at that.

Answer 6

excuse me...Great Britain  

Answer 7

do u mean english or british?in either case, lottery money is a major factor but spending it correctly is the real challenge.

Answer 8

Great Britain  

Answer 9

ENGLAND?????????????????????????????????...

Answer 10

I dont think they would be as successfull cometing as individual nations. I just thinks its unfair competition to other countires. I like competeing against 4 nations instead of the one.

as for your question, the uk is one of the hihest funded athlete in the world so obviously it will relfect in the results.

They should start diverting those funds into thier cricket, football and rugby teams by the way they compete the world stage.

Answer 11

pardon.... England?? I believe you meant to say Great Britain.

I'm American and even I know what's wrong with this one.

Now that that's all done. Well yes lottery money does play a key role in Britain's success in these games but there are other factors as well.

You should be proud.

Answer 12

So no Scottish then.........

Answer 13

I think you will find that it is the disunited kingdom that is competeing at the olympics

Answer 14

As soon as I read that I thought, you're going to get loads of Scottish people going lol.

I just think Britain is a more proud nation over all now. I mean we're not that bad. We escaped world recessions in the last 10 years.

The only problem I had with our country was stupid football and the wags taking the game over, but luckily we didn't get into Europe with the overpaid chav football players and decent sports are more in the limelight.

Answer 15

A good result in the Olympics is a result of:

a) Dedication

b) Hard work

c) A good and strong support to sports in high school and in universities

d) A little luck

Great Britain did wonderfully in the Olympics. Britons should be proud!

Answer 16

Well, I hope the success of team GB will filter down through the ranks a make sport a chance for children to succeed. Our Curriculum is so bogged down in Literacy and Numeracy and 'targets' and SATs based revision that school is no longer the fun place it used to be.

Well done Team GB.  

Answer 17

Yes, funding from the National Lottery has helped enormously, John Major’s Conservative Government introduced National Lottery funding for athletes in the mid 1990s.after the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 when Team GB finished in 36th position in the medal rankings.

http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/bi...

It has gone a long way toward providing facilities, top coaches etc., but this Government needs to provide more than "lip service" if all the participating sports are to improve, sports must be re-introduced, in a big way, to all schools, despite promises in the past to stop the selling off of sports fields, it still goes on !  The Government must not be allowed to take credit for our athletes successes, that is entirely, as you say, down to initial talent and incredibly hard training schedules.

Edit:  Specifically for 'elsie55'

The National Lottery was established by Parliament to raise money for worthwhile causes. The five good causes - arts, SPORTS, charities, heritage and celebrating the millennium -were chosen by Parliament.

For Sports:

More Funds

More Facilities

More Opportunities

Sport is a good cause for distributing Lottery funds because it enriches the lives of millions of people of all ages in this country for many different reasons. The Lottery Sports Fund is distributed by the English Sports Council, Scottish Sports Council and the Sports Councils in Northern Ireland and Wales.

In 1997, more initiatives will be introduced. Coaching and Leadership, Talent Identification and Development programmes will introduce, encourage and enhance sport for all of us.

(Monday 21st July 1997)

http://lottery.merseyworld.com/Info/Caus...

Answer 18

Please give credit to the other members of the Great Britain contingent other than the English.(I am English in case you were wondering)

I don't think any Lottery money should be spent on supporting the Olympic cause.Lottery money was supposed to be spent on "good causes" and I don't think the Olympics fall into that catergory.

I have nothing against sports but the amount of money thrown at the quest to win medals is obscene.

I could rant on but will not.

Answer 19

GREAT BRITAIN.

Greetings from America.

Answer 20

apparently John Major is considered the unsung hero of the british rise in sport skills.

he made the national lottery possible which funds good organisations.

Back in athen in 2000 we got 1 medal and that was rubbish by nows standard!

Yes the lottery has been able tobuy clubs new equipment and fund good coaching!