London 2012: Wrap Up

The London 2012 Olympics are almost over and the final day has begun. All that remains is for the Closing Ceremony to be completed so that those who hold no interest in sport at all will finally have something to talk about since the opening ceremony. Also it will be one final chance for the likes of Eddie McGuire to show why Channel 9 should never be allowed within cooee of an Olympic coverage again.

Over the duration of the Olympics there has been more sport and topics than a TV network can manage to fit within the replays and interviews and pre-recorded footage, so over the next few months expect a complete barrage of replays and highlight packages. 

We all should have known how bad the coverage was going to be from the outset....

All the talk for Australia will now be focused on whether or not enough funding was being provided and what needs to be done to improve for Rio 2016.  I for one agree that funding of our athletes is a good thing but it also needs to be done right. Where the money should mainly be directed though is not at the top but rather in the developmental stage.  Talent identification and honing that talent is where Australia is dropping the ball.  There are many other arguments that can be added to that but personally it is at the junior level that potentially many great athletes are dropping off the radar.  If we want to be a great nation it is not just about providing help to those that already have made it to the top level but ensuring we keep discovering and developing those for generations to come.  Australia is a great sporting nation but have a look in your streets and backyards and ask yourself what it was like when you were a child. How many weekends and afternoons were you outside playing until dark waiting for a call to say "come inside".  Times have changed but it also means they can change again. Maybe if we can get our country to be more focused on participation rather than just solely on watching and commentating then we can solve some other large issues we are facing as a community as well.