And who could forget a team* of our young women achieving a “world record” by 3(three) seconds or so ..that's three seconds, not 3/10 (tenths) of a second - in the 4X200 relay.. heh. And who could forget the immediate acknowledging touch on the shoulder (and hugs) to the winning swimmer from Germany in the next lane - from one of our widely touted “gold medal hopes”. She has her gold medals, “silver” is enough at this time. A “Champion”, by any sense of the word**.
Am not particularly concerned whether Australians “won” - or will win - any particular “gold” medals .. though we have, so far, perhaps more than our “fair share”.
ESPECIALLY IF ONE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERS THE POPULATION NUMBERS THAT WE DRAW THEM FROM.
What other country with a TOTAL population of 20 (twenty) million; and a history of roughly 250 years in the Current Era .. old and young - men, women and children - can claim so many excellent people – capable of Olympic standards?
Am not a mathematician, but it would be interesting – when the Beijing 2008 spectacular is over and done with - to see whether there was some way of constructing a list portraying a “medals per head of population” ratio.
[ * was watching the ABC1 “quanda” (Question and Answer) program the other night, where Germaine Greer gave the impression of wondering whether the “feminist revolution” had run its course. Doubt it, is still alive and well – in Australia, at least ..heh.
** Always trust the Aussie media to skew the view .. heh ]
9 comments:
in this household we are rooting for Jamaica, especially Bolt or Hussein tomorrow.
Ah,Vincent; you are one of my gems in in the blogosphere .. though 'rooting' for your favourite is an interesting concept .. heh
Though will say this, Vincent. At this point in time .. can't see anyone who can get a handle on the "originals". Many attempts have failed. It is, from my point of view, up to them. It will take time.
Originals? I have no idea what you mean. Please elucidate.
Ah, Vincent. have a somewhat peculiar mind, methinks, somewhat screwey. A helluva lot of stuff goes through it that doesn't quite make it to the keyboard.
Part of what occupies what passes for my mind is the 'problem' us 'johnny-come-latelys' (or me in particular) have with trying to relate to, or with the Australian ab-originals. It's not that they are not represented among the highest levels of achievement here - in the Olympics and politics, arts, music et al, just that there is still such a wide disparity in "standards of living" between someone who can win gold at the Olympics and light the cauldron (Cathy Freeman) and those who live "out bush". Can't quite figure that out, as yet.
.. and yup, Vincent. Noticed that one of the representatives of Jamaica has a medal. Much joy to, and for, your household.
Thing is, Davo, I can't muster any patriotism for Great Britain, & apart from the idealised Abos of my imagination, fed by Rabbit-Proof Fence etc not a great deal for Australia either. Day-to-day I imagine I'm black, and that all Rastafarians are my bredren, & all West Indian & African women are my sistren.
I know what you want to say, with this "care in the community" the lunatics are not all locked up these days.
Yo, Vincent, i hear. Unfortunately I have been out there, looked at the communities out bush. Not somewhere that even i, in my perceptively impoverished state - do not want to live within for any length of time.
Have no idea what the leaders of those communities are going to do about their status. Much has been tried, much has failed.
Us Westminster system people have a huge problem. Partition and let them go? Or try to somehow encourage a transition into the future?
Not easy. Tradition vs ?
Dunno.
and while am at it, Vincent, sort of getting back to the topic that this post was on about .. who could ever forget the TV moment when Germaine Greer said "I am an animal". Everybody looked at her in some sort of shock. The reaction from the blonde bird who happens to be deputy leader of the opposition in parliament was particularly precious.
..cutting a long story short .. yes, Germaine managed to explain the "mineral, vegetable" bit .. heh.
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