Weightlifting Loses Olympic Funding

HUGE_GUY said:
I missed this. Before WW3 starts here, i assumed he meant because weightlifting was more popular. So the fans (like him?) would prefer that the weightlifters were funded over powerlifters.
Never assume anything on the internet. Like how i thought Polasdasafski is a prick, i could very well be wrong. Hard to judge.

slimsim said:
I doubt very much that's what he meant on the basis that he said he was thinking something very unPC. Most people would assume this to be something a bit close to the bone. From that I can only assume that he was talking about disabled athletes not being worth the funding. Col, as did I, just picked up on it immediately.

JC said:
From a perspective of creating a sporting spectacle, you cant argue that able bodied athletics is far more enjoyable to watch than paralympic sports?

slimsim said:
I doubt very much that's what he meant on the basis that he said he was thinking something very unPC. Most people would assume this to be something a bit close to the bone. From that I can only assume that he was talking about disabled athletes not being worth the funding. Col, as did I, just picked up on it immediately.

slimsim said:
Give me one "good" reason why it is more enjoyable? Because it doesn't make people feel as uncomfortable maybe? Because people can't take athletes with dwarfism seriously? Because able bodied athletes don't run in a funny way?

JC said:
We watch track and field to view excellence.....
Paralympians do show excellence yes given their obvious limitations

JC said:
From a perspective of creating a sporting spectacle, you cant argue that able bodied athletics is far more enjoyable to watch than paralympic sports?

Cuddles said:
You could argue the same about women's elite sport vs men's. The general public clearly see female sport as less of a spectacle and vote with their feet/eyes. Does that mean women's sport is any less worthy of funding?

JC said:
Are you serioulsy asking that question?
If I wanted to see people, for example, run the 400m in 70-75secs Id go down my local track
I dont...I want to see people run 9.xx secs 100m, 43 secs 400m etc
We watch track and field to view excellence...surely thats the point
Paralympians do show excellence yes given their obvious limitations, but its not as exciting (IMO) when the times aren't anywhere near as good
As for uncomfortable, I cant think of a reason why a disabled athlete would make me "uncomfortable"
Viewing figures for London 2012 and the Paralympic games would indicate that teh general public sees able bodied athletic as more of a spectatcle

Cuddles said:
You could argue the same about women's elite sport vs men's. The general public clearly see female sport as less of a spectacle and vote with their feet/eyes. Does that mean women's sport is any less worthy of funding?

Steve said:
The Paralympic powerlifters are as good if not better than able bodied lifters! Does this make them more exciting to watch (if watching branch can ever be exciting )?

Cuddles said:
You could argue the same about women's elite sport vs men's. The general public clearly see female sport as less of a spectacle and vote with their feet/eyes. Does that mean women's sport is any less worthy of funding?

slimsim said:
Give me one "good" reason why it is more enjoyable? Because it doesn't make people feel as uncomfortable maybe? Because people can't take athletes with dwarfism seriously? Because able bodied athletes don't run in a funny way?
Personally, I think see things like Richard Whitehead storm to victory in the 200m final just as much of a spectacle, if not moreso that Usain Bolt doing the same.