Australia struggling with its act in London
Source: Agencies |
August 1, 2012, Wednesday
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THE team from Down Under has been downright dreadful so far at the London Games.
OK, it's still early - just 39 of 302 medals had been presented as of early yesterday - but the Australian team's stated aim of being in the top five in both the gold and overall medal standings was looking seriously shaky, mostly because of the sinking performance of its usually strong swim team.
At this stage, Australia has just one gold, its women's 4x100-meter relay team in swimming, along with two silvers and a bronze overall. That puts it in 10th place in the gold standings and equal eighth overall.
The biggest disappointment was in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday. Australia was heavily favored to win but finished in the fourth place after a mediocre lead leg by James "The Missile" Magnussen.
Lack of success
Predictably, Australian media in London and back home haven't been kind about the team's lack of success.
"Australia has only ever seen the confident, bold and freakishly fast James Magnussen," the Sydney Morning Herald wrote in a comment piece.
"On Sunday night at the Olympic pool in London, they saw a shattered man, wandering around in a daze and staring into space. He did not know how to react to defeat. This had never happened before. Swimming's Superman had been hit by some sort of kryptonite, and he had not seen it coming."
Kevan Gosper, an Olympic silver medalist for Australia in athletics in 1956 and a long-serving member of the IOC, said Australia's lack of depth in many sports and small population base meant other countries such as France can overtake them in sports like swimming.
"And don't forget we also have a very young team," Gosper said. "Guys like James Magnussen are only at their first Olympics."
Magnussen qualified only fourth-fastest in his signature event, the 100-meter freestyle.
OK, it's still early - just 39 of 302 medals had been presented as of early yesterday - but the Australian team's stated aim of being in the top five in both the gold and overall medal standings was looking seriously shaky, mostly because of the sinking performance of its usually strong swim team.
At this stage, Australia has just one gold, its women's 4x100-meter relay team in swimming, along with two silvers and a bronze overall. That puts it in 10th place in the gold standings and equal eighth overall.
The biggest disappointment was in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday. Australia was heavily favored to win but finished in the fourth place after a mediocre lead leg by James "The Missile" Magnussen.
Lack of success
Predictably, Australian media in London and back home haven't been kind about the team's lack of success.
"Australia has only ever seen the confident, bold and freakishly fast James Magnussen," the Sydney Morning Herald wrote in a comment piece.
"On Sunday night at the Olympic pool in London, they saw a shattered man, wandering around in a daze and staring into space. He did not know how to react to defeat. This had never happened before. Swimming's Superman had been hit by some sort of kryptonite, and he had not seen it coming."
Kevan Gosper, an Olympic silver medalist for Australia in athletics in 1956 and a long-serving member of the IOC, said Australia's lack of depth in many sports and small population base meant other countries such as France can overtake them in sports like swimming.
"And don't forget we also have a very young team," Gosper said. "Guys like James Magnussen are only at their first Olympics."
Magnussen qualified only fourth-fastest in his signature event, the 100-meter freestyle.
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