"The US Wins Many Medals At The Olympics"

Steve Swartz · Post by **Steve Swartz** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:05 pm

O.K., new thread needed here. Lot's of arm waving and great ideas over in the other thread, but let's dissect this problem.

Everybody familiar with "Cause-Effect" reasoning? You know, "If we have A we will get B" type stuff. Let's look at the end result:

The US wins many medals at the Olympics.

What are the prerequisites, and proximate causes, of that desired outcome?

Try this:

"If the US has a large pool of elite competitors, then the US will win many medals at the Olympics."

Good Enough? Maybe not. There are other prerequisite conditions. Try:

A) The US has a large pool of elite competitors
B) The US wins many quota slots
C) The US wins many medals at the Olympics

Now "If A and B, Then C."

Well allright, maybe we need some more clarity:

D) We enter as many quota-eligible competitors as possible in each quota-earning event

Now If A and D, then B. If A and B, then C.

See how it works?

Now, in order to achieve A and D maybe we need to change some things . . . and maybe there are some existing conditions (not requiring any action per se) that are being left out but must be addressed.

Steve Swartz

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 2:21 am

Steve,
You may get there by just throwing more competitors at it - up to the allowed max of 2 per event, but I doubt it. I would imagine it's more down to coaching and specifically coaching for the olympics including the significant amount of mental training / preparation. I'm based in the UK so I'm not overly familiar with the US shooters and their potential. I do however seem to recall your top air pistol shooters only posting scores in the mid to upper 70's rather than the upper 80's or even 90's required to get the medals. I don't know if the same applies to other disciplines but I assume those quota places were earned with not insignificant scores ?

Rob.

P.S. At least your shooters actually got the quota places, the UK struggled.

Richard H · Post by **Richard H** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:20 pm

Low 590's there is really only one guy in the world shooting relatively consistantly in the low 590"s (considering the world record is 593). So you don't have to shoot in the 590's, low 580's will get you in the finals of most World Cup events.

Steve Swartz · Post by **Steve Swartz** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:37 pm

"Large Pool of Elite Shooters" implies no specific scores. It does, however, imply that the large pool of shooters can shoot "elite" (whatever the number may be) scores. 590s- if that's what it takes. 570s- if that's what it takes. Whatever specific number the current state of training and technology on the world scene demands to shoot your way into teh top half of thge finals in olympic competition.

If we have a large pool of those shooters, we increase our chances tremendously that at least a number equal to our quota slots will be "hot" during the olympics and not "slumping." We also increase the competitive pressure on all of them/each of them to work very hard to not lose their tenuous but highly coveted spot on the national team.

And by "large number of quota slots" I mean "Every Single One That We Are Eligible For."

Sorry about hte U.K.- but I don't think the US exactly grabbed a whole bunch of quota slots either (at least in pistol).

O.K.- so what are the prerequisites/causes that would lead to having a "large pool of elite shooters" and what does it take to earn those maximum number of quota slots?