LESSONS FROM RIO
WHAT WERE THE MAJOR FACTORS INFLUENCING SOME OF THE TOP PERFORMANCES IN RIO? IN THE FIRST OF A TWO-PART SERIES, TOM MCNAB CASTS HIS EYE AT SOME RESULTS
EVERYTHING coming back from Rio suggests that a powerful team-culture has been created within British sport, one which engulfed even sports like ours which are essentially individual in nature.
Sophie Hitchon: advice from her coach to ‘keep it simple’ paid off
Over the Olympic period British athletes rubbed shoulders with great competitors such as Andy Murray and Laura Trott. We have no means of measuring the impact of such interaction, but be assured that it was a positive.
What other factors have contributed to success? It’s my view that the technical development of athletics has virtually come to an end. Some have put forward the theory of marginal gains as an influential factor, but it is worth observing that this comes from cycling, where technology permits almost indefinite improvement.
Athletics is not the same type of sport, and I would advise club coaches to avoid getting lost in a wilderness of detail. Get to the basics first, and groove them in thoroughly; the margins can wait. Here, I look at what lessons we can learn from Rio.