Finally, I have an appropriate icon

[girlyswot]

...with which to say yay and well done to all the British athletes in Beijing.

This is (already) the British team's best performance in 100 years. Back then, in London in 1908, there were about twice as many British competitors as from any other country, because people just turned up and had a go if they fancied it. According to the BBC:

Team GB's 16 golds is their greatest haul since claiming a British all-time record of 56 gold medals at the 1908 Olympics in London. That tally came amid a collection of 146 medals in total, but will almost certainly never be surpassed, given there were only British entries in some events including figure skating, polo, rackets and tug of war. LOL.

The cyclists have absolutely killed the opposition, taking 10 golds out of 12 events on the track. The rowers and sailors have done brilliantly too. But it's the little people who've been awesome. Louis Smith taking the bronze medal on the pommel horse was the first male gymnast to win a medal for the UK in 80 years. Germaine Mason winning the silver in the high jump today - who'd ever heard of him? Tina Cook taking bronze in the eventing, as a substitute after Zara Phillips' horse was injured. David Florence who won silver in a kayaking event - he's a mathematical physicist in real life, who only took up canoeing when he was 15. Jo Jackson who came third in the women's 400m freestyle - almost a hidden achievement since Becky Adlington won the same race.

This is a particularly interesting version of the medal table - you can view it adjusted for population, GDP and other factors. I still can't find the one where the UK are winning though...

Comments

[tdu000.livejournal.com]

I'm not looking at the adjusted for population etc table. I see that far too often here in Australia ad it annoys me no end. The truth is that money buys medals and Britain has an eye yo 2012 and is spending. It's come as a shock here in Australia, who have never liked to admit that each taxpayer contributes almost 30 times more money each year than the British taxpayer does (or rather did) and prefered to place success down to natural athleticisn. I'm delighted to see "our" team do so well and I'm going to have a brilliant opportunity for gloating today but I still can't get too excited about it, which is odd because it takes very little to get me invovled in sporting events.

The Australian reaction is quite funny. Usually they'd be delighted to be siting fourth, depite having done poorly in the cycling, but they are getting in a real lather (or at least the media are - I'm not sure about people in general) about being behind the British. It's pretty light-hearted but the jokes are hiding the truth!

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

It would be odd for the Australians to have greater natural athleticism than the Brits, given our shared ancestry, don't you think?

[megan29.livejournal.com]

Well done, indeed, team GB or team UK or team UK-and-NI or whatever the correct version is! :-)

Tug of war was an Olympic event in 1908? ROFL! And what was "rackets" - was it tennis, do you know?

I'd like to meet David Florence. A hunk with a brain - what more can you ask for? (actually, I just looked at his photo, and I COULD ask for his ears to be closer to the head :-)). Maybe I'll invite him to our next party. He can save me from drowning in his kayak. Then he can save Moonette from her disappointing football player, for added flangst. And then he can explain to all of us why it's physically impossible to fly on a broom.

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Rackets is still played by a few people. It's more like squash than tennis.

David Florence recently had his application to become an astronaut turned down. *sigh*

[alkari.livejournal.com]

I have to say that my very favourite result from the Games - well, equal to Anna Meares in the cycling - was the athlete from TOGO, who won a bronze medal in one of the kayak events last week. Togo only has four athletes at the Games in all sports - and this guy won a bronze medal. He was over the moon, and who can blame him!

[dogstar101.livejournal.com]

I have no interest in the Games as a spectator but I do appreciate you and other LJ-ers keeping me up to speed so I can venture an opinion during the inevitable small talk!

I like Bel's analysis of the economics of it all. Bel for Prime Minister! Oh, I forgot, she doesn't live here.

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Oh, I forgot, she doesn't live here.

That never seemed to stop Tony Blair.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the table link. I must say, I'm a bit sceptical of the human rights one, given that the data comes from a US organisation, and ranks top a country that has the death penalty, but views differ!

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Yes. Also it's worked out on a slightly idiosyncratic 3 points for gold, 2 for silver, 1 for bronze. But still interesting to see.