British Biathlon squad...

Yellow Peril

...were on TV this morning. They are predominantly army based (with the exception of one athlete) and funding is being cut. One of them was terrified at the prospect of having to go back to regular duties of being a clerk behind a desk :roll:

I have to say I didn't have much sympathy especially as this is pensionable service.

solosuperia

I saw the same interview...............

And exactly the same as you, any sympathy I had went straight out of the window hearing that comment.
She did seem so aggrieved at the thought of going back to work.

I'm guessing that the majority of riders on here do a normal weeks work, train, race and pay for their own kit.

getting_on_a_bit

Absolutely +1 from me.I have been annoyed all day after watching that

lesfirth

I agree totally. I watch this sking on eurosport from time to time and I did not think anyone from U K took part never mind being any good. I do not see any military application or benefit. What a waste of tax payers money!

kingstonian

lesfirth wrote:

I agree totally. I watch this sking on eurosport from time to time and I did not think anyone from U K took part never mind being any good. I do not see any military application or benefit. What a waste of tax payers money!

The only tenuous link is that cross country skiing is something the Marines do when they get taken to the arse end of the world (northern Norway) each winter, and shooting is kind of something the army should know something about......but I agree with you all.

What is even madder is a mate of mine was in the army downhill ski team (admittedly 20 years ago). Each winter he had 5 months in Verbier.......

mamba80

SoloSuperia wrote:

I saw the same interview...............

And exactly the same as you, any sympathy I had went straight out of the window hearing that comment.
She did seem so aggrieved at the thought of going back to work.

I'm guessing that the majority of riders on here do a normal weeks work, train, race and pay for their own kit.

Well maybe the woman did come across as a spoilt brat ..... ok she did!

but the reality is that unless sports men an women are given access to full time training, they ll never be any good.
Maybe if your a member of this squad, youd be very unhappy at all the money spent on beach volley ball, let alone diving !
In another interview of skiers, we were shown them living it up in a chalet in Austria.... all at tax payers expense.
the same will be for cycling teams and any other sport that gets funding.
I guess the military dominate this type of biathlon, as they have access to guns and can go off skiing as part of their job :roll:
The riders on this forum arnt semi professional cyclists prepping for world and Olympic championships.

gavbarron

I work for the MoD and don't object to funding of sports, and if you are good enough to represent Army, Navy, RAF or better still your country then you will be released to train for a huge chunk of the year as well as getting some support for equipment and travel, etc. I think in a country that keeps banging on about Olympic legacies and trying to get people active that the military should be applauded for this, more companies (were financially possible) should indeed be more supportive of those that excel at sports. As far as the MoD spending on sports, more money is lost through mismanagement of stock, food wastage, and so on, it's a drop in the ocean.

That said, I am with everyone else in that it was hard to empathise with them when they sound unhappy and aggrieved about going back to their primary jobs, let's not forget it is what they signed up for.
My unsympathetic wife listened to the clerk moaning before saying she " probably wants to avoid going to Afghan"

Hard to give a shit about a ski team when most of their colleagues are getting shot at and blown up while they are paid the same wage to go skiing

RideOnTime

gavbarron wrote:

Hard to give a shoot about a ski team when most of their colleagues are getting shot at and blown up while they are paid the same wage to go skiing

Skiing is tricky though and it can be cold.

nweststeyn

RideOnTime wrote:

Skiing is tricky though and it can be cold.