Olympic Medal Count or GO Canada GO!

[kandrathe]

If the Olympics were condensed to a series of swims and sprints ranging from 100 to 800 meters, hurdles and relays included, the U.S. would be in good shape.;) I wonder how many countries view those events as fluffy and obscure.

The fact is that China has a state run apparatus for filling every sport with champions trained to compete in a sport of the state's choosing for national supremacy. "The cold war may have ended, but the echoes of that struggle linger in China's athletic-training program. Across the nation, nearly 400,000 young hopefuls in 3,000 sports schools toil to bring glory to their motherland. Most are plucked from elementary school and sent to train at these state-run sports academies before the age of nine regardless of their interest in athletics." (source). The Chinese copied the successful Soviet model. Although, with the collapse of the USSR, even Russia doesn't use it now. It's like these kids are drafted for the Chinese Sports Army.

I'm also finding the whole "rent-a-jock" practice to be against the Olympic spirit. For example, the press was all set to cover the volleyball match between Russia and Georgia -- you know with them being at war. Except, it turns out that the Georgian Volleyball team was comprised of two Brazilians. I'd say these athletes should do at least what these Brazilians did, and be a citizen of the country you represent for at least two years before qualifying for their Olympic team. I'm not as critical on the practice as this article -- Citizen lame: Olympic carpetbagging amounts to athletic treason -- I don't consider it treason, just unsportsmanlike and somewhat mercenary.

The other thing I'm still unsure of is the unfairness of professional sports mixed with the obvious amateurs of smaller countries without a league system (NBA, NHL, MLB, etc). I find the US dominance with professionals in some sports a bit embarrassing.