As the Australian Sport’s Commission predictable pursuit of its Winning Edge program escalated in publicity this week, the underlying theme was again how Australia can match Britain off the scheme’s back.
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For a start in ten of the 12 sports in which Australia medalled in Rio last month, Britain also has a presence on the tally board.
In those we match up pretty well except in the “equipment” sports – cycling and rowing where we experienced a 12-medal (eight of them gold) deficit and athletics where Australia was five in arrears. Even in aquatics (swimming and diving) we were only ahead by just two medals.
But overall in the sports in which both medalled in 2016, Australia comes up 19 short.
Then for the sake of the exercise we can match up Australia’s pentathlon gold and archery bronze with Britain’s complementary success in hockey and judo. For they are sports in which each country at any future time could emulate the other.
Which leaves the sports in which Britain only jumped on the dais – another 19 medal (seven gold) advantage.
Assuming it is deemed appropriate, does Australia have any chance of bridging a 38-medal gap?
On the gold medal front, the successes of Justin Rose and Andy Murray must be regarded as bonuses for Britain. Their victories were more about individual commitment.
But its dominance in cycling, on the track in particular, and continuing success in rowing is quite the opposite. How much of British lottery funds has been expended on technology rather than humans to gain it, might be the answer that explains the difference.
It’s a huge question whether Australia should or wants to engage in such warfare – for those huge outlays only benefit the medal tally – not sport and the community in general.
Much better that the international federations level the equipment playing field as sailing has done – a sport in which the two countries, interestingly had similar outcomes.
Then there is athletics – with 141 medals up for grabs, the most fertile playing field from which a real campaign can be launched. Britain has the upper hand here, by five medals but it has not always been the case.
In the last 20 years, Australia has medalled at the Olympics or World Championships in two thirds of the sport’s 24 disciplines. Doing better with a smarter approach is completely conceivable. The trick will be to align the planets to gather it at the same time.
But can Australia ever expect to win the likes of seven medals in gymnastics and three each in triathlon, boxing or taekwondo as Britain did so brilliantly in Rio?
