If that were true then more than five of the top 20 countries would have had medalled let alone sent significant numbers to the games.
Funny, the 2nd most populated country sent all of THREE ATHLETES to these games. They sent 58 athletes to the last summer games...Norway sent 85.
Difference between these countries and many of the ones that did not medal: they have built up infrastructure to support the development of athletes. Many countries have to send their athletes to other countries to train, look in at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center and you see athletes from across Europe and Asia training alongside those from the USA.
Ever seen the list of those who have been caught using? IT'S OVERWHELMINGLY EUROPEAN!
But please, don't hurt yourself carrying that grudge around.
Your country is ninth all time in medals in the Summer Olympics despite having a four decade head start by most of the countries ahead of your country in that list...your country has sent some of the largest contingents in the world the last four Olympics: your country isn't a light weight.
It's interesting that for some bizarre reason you've locked on to the winter Olympics. We're talking summer and winter games here mate, not winter anymore.
What part of summer olympics did you not grasp? Australia is an absolute lightweight when it comes to Winter Olympics and fund them accordingly. Summer olympics, well that's a different kettle of fish all together. Don't begin to start me on our funding issues leading into London 2012, as it's been topical discussion amongst Olympic programs here since Beijing.
As for the drug testing, you would do well to research the cover up jobs your Olympic committee has been doing for quite some time and the lack of transparency in your systems. One of your most famous track and field athletes is one of the greatest drug cheats of all time and that's widely known through track and field circles. It's amazing when a few strings are pulled what can be accomplished.
There's no grudge on my behalf. I amaze at what athletes do, especially the US ones. I don't condone PED's, I just believe the field of accusations is unfairly directed at other nations and that a deflective "head in the sand" mentality is simply not good enough.
The rest of your post makes little sense and I have no idea what you are trying to say being blatantly honest.
Weird, most athletes seem pretty damned happy with their silver and bronze medals.
Population isn't everything, but an Olympic structure is definitely important. Consider that the vast majority of American athletic talent and sport infrastructure is geared toward two sports (baseball and football) that have no Olympic presence, I think it's an achievement to be competitive in a high percentage of Olympic sports. I'm sure someone will be along to bash me for promoting anything American in this post-Bush era, but oh well, **** em.
Anyway, who cares about a pissing match? My favorite parts of the Olympics are watching athletes from poorer countries who barely scratched their way to the games do their best to compete.
Of course an athlete is going to tell you they are happy with silver or bronze, when in reality everyone knows they didn't compete to come second or third. Isn't that what America is based on? Winning at all costs....
Structures and funding are crucially important, but you also need the talent levels to draw on.
I am with you in that achieving at Olympic level sports are higher achievements than domestic level sports, the US domestic sports included bar Association Football on a global scale.
