Every four years when teams are announced for the Olympic games one or two selections create an uproar. There are threats of legal action, investigations and sometimes selections on appeal. In Australia these are pretty commonplace.
It is interesting to follow the goings on in host nation Great Britain where the British Olympic Association which is normally very reticent to intervene has been embroiled in a number of selection arguments. The reason is so much government funding was allocated to these sports to ensure that Great Britain has an extremely successful games in terms of medals won as host nation. Some of that funding may well be in jeopardy to some sporting organisations after the Games.
The BOA have refused to allow British Wrestling to adopt “Eastern Europeans” into their team at the eleventh hour. They have also stepped in to ask why World Number one Welterweight Taekwondo exponent Aaron Scott was left out of the team. Obviously well aware that a medal could be lost to internal politics. Scott opted to do his own preparation for the Games rather than come in under the sports governing umbrella, and that ruffled a few feathers.
Now in Fencing they have a lowly ranked fencer given a host nation wild card ahead of other competitors deemed more worthy. Many questioning the selection and asking is it a coincidence that she is teh daughter of one of the sports major sponsors. On this occasion you have to feel for teh athlete who it appears did not ask for any favourable treatment, and should her selection stand we wish her well.
By all accounts it is certainly no bed of English Roses at the British Olympic Association at the moment and there is even talk of heads rolling and that is befor ethe games have even begun!
