I love watching Findlay succeed. I feel like triathlon Canada really hung her out to dry when she completed at the Olympics. .
more on how she was hung to dry?
I love watching Findlay succeed. I feel like triathlon Canada really hung her out to dry when she completed at the Olympics. .
more on how she was hung to dry?
https://www.thestar.com/...riathlon_canada.html
Interesting to read that some 10 years later. Didn’t realize at the time about the whole coaching musical chairs…
Have a tough time rooting for her because she’s such a snob in those videos. Known Eric for a long time and he used to be such a fun free spirit before she got ahold of him.
Have a tough time rooting for her because she’s such a snob in those videos. Known Eric for a long time and he used to be such a fun free spirit before she got ahold of him.
You must be super close that you would slog his girlfriend on a public forum. Stay classy!
Have a tough time rooting for her because she’s such a snob in those videos. Known Eric for a long time and he used to be such a fun free spirit before she got ahold of him.
I don’t know if it’s just you who keeps saying this on the forum or if there’s a few people who think she’s a snob, but either way I don’t get it at all. I haven’t gotten a snobbish vibe from her at all.
Not to rehash an old story but from what I understand there is some blame on all parties; TriCan, her old coach and Paula herself.
Nobody was willing to admit she just wasn’t ready and should never have been on that Olympic start line.
I think it’s hard to put too much blame on a 23 year old talent who is horribly mishandled by people in positions of power and trust over her. Her job is to show up and put the work in that her coaches prescribe.
If she wasn’t ready, don’t put her on the start line, don’t mishandle her rehab, don’t train her in to the ground in a bid to get her to on the race unprepared and then abandon her when she underperforms.
I think it’s hard to put too much blame on a 23 year old talent who is horribly mishandled by people in positions of power and trust over her. Her job is to show up and put the work in that her coaches prescribe.
If she wasn’t ready, don’t put her on the start line, don’t mishandle her rehab, don’t train her in to the ground in a bid to get her to on the race unprepared and then abandon her when she underperforms.
Nope. I’m not putting too much blame, but there is some.
Part of being a top athlete is making tough decisions and self reflection.
I also heard she was doing work that wasn’t prescribed by her coach.
I love watching Findlay succeed. I feel like triathlon Canada really hung her out to dry when she completed at the Olympics. .
more on how she was hung to dry?
Thank you very much. Wonder if she attempted qualifying for the following years for some redemption? Was there just one Canadian female athlete? So much pressure
I love watching Findlay succeed. I feel like triathlon Canada really hung her out to dry when she completed at the Olympics. .
more on how she was hung to dry?
Thank you very much. Wonder if she attempted qualifying for the following years for some redemption? Was there just one Canadian female athlete? So much pressure
I can’t remember exactly but I think she quit. I don’t know if you watched the race. It was… Really hard to watch. She came dead last, was bawling in tears at multiple points in the race including at the finish. Was interviewed right afterwards and was a wreck, she was apologizing to the whole country etc. It was awful.
She is clearly insanely talented and probably could have amounted to much more at the Olympic level had she been developed properly.
Sports in Canada are generally poorly managed at the national levels. I was involved in rowing and rowed with some Olympic caliber guys, some who won gold in 2008. I saw first hand a lot of pissing away of insane talents due to petty political reasons or just poor management. People with the fastest times being left off of boats, or having to meet qualification standards really close to the Olympics, meaning they have to peak twice in a short amount of time and show up to the Olympics over trained. It’s no wonder Canada generally underperforms in many sports.
She is clearly insanely talented and probably could have amounted to much more at the Olympic level had she been developed properly.
Sports in Canada are generally poorly managed at the national levels. I was involved in rowing and rowed with some Olympic caliber guys, some who won gold in 2008. I saw first hand a lot of pissing away of insane talents due to petty political reasons or just poor management. People with the fastest times being left off of boats, or having to meet qualification standards really close to the Olympics, meaning they have to peak twice in a short amount of time and show up to the Olympics over trained. It’s no wonder Canada generally underperforms in many sports.
On Finlay - yes, she had/has a crazy amount of talent. Prior to reaching the Senior ranks she was one of the top U20 Triathletes in the world. She then went on a tear in 2011, winning 3 World Cups outright and being in the mix in others. That she was a favorite for the Olympic Games in 2012 makes perfect sense - but it all came unraveled once we got to 2012.
On Sport In Canada - we do some things very well, and other things not so well. The whole of the Sport system in Canada, is still terribly under-funded. The base money that Sport Canada get’s and allocates has essentially stayed the same for the past 20 years! New money that has come on-stream such as Own The Podium, is SPECIFICALLY ear-marked for athletes within a short reach of a World Championships or Olympic Games Podium - essentially being ranked in the top 8 - 10 in the World or making a World Championships or Olympic Final - but the actual money and support to GET to that point/level, as noted, really has not changed in a long time!
The thing is we are doing “better” at Olympic Games and World Championships in various sports, than we were say 20 years ago - but that masks what I feel are some extraordinary deficiencies, and we could be doing so much better*
Sport in Canada right now is closely under the microscope for other reasons (abusive Coaches in various Sports and other unethical issues), but the WHOLE of the system, in my view needs a Top-to-Bottom overview.
Parents are the worst influencers at their kids sports games. At least in the US. Norway sounds like a much better place for kids sports.
I looked up the Canadian Qualifying standards and did not find that stipulation.
Not to derail thread too much, but then lionel has a chance for the olympic spot too. Regardless, +1 vote for Puala to go for the olympics!
I don’t see him beating Derek Gee. As for Findlay, she could definitely make it, she was Olympian in triathlon so not sure if she is interested in targeting.
Parents are the worst influencers at their kids sports games. At least in the US. Norway sounds like a much better place for kids sports.
A long time ago - we had a more “European” approach to it all - let the Clubs and the Schools take care of most of the Athletes Development. But now we have drifted in the direction of the U.S. with this highly specialized focus at a VERY young age, that, depending on the sport, if you don’t get in, you will essentially miss all opportunities for higher development and growth.
This also tends to be a VERY expensive model. An informal and casual viewing of the whole of a Canadian Team at recent Olympic Games, for the most part athletes have come from families with means - Upper Middle Class or higher! You NEED to have that level of wealth to develop and advance in the sports. What does that mean? 2/3’s or more of the population are excluded from ANY involvement in Sport simply because their families can’t afford it! I’ll also note that we have an epidemic of INACTIVITY in kids and youth these days! It’s all a bit of a mess.
Have a tough time rooting for her because she’s such a snob in those videos. Known Eric for a long time and he used to be such a fun free spirit before she got ahold of him.
Username fits.
Anyone who listens to the TTL podcast knows how funny and smart she is; definitely an introverted and sensitive person too but not a snob at all. She has shared several times that she would really want to go to the Olympics and I believe she has spoken to the Canadian federation. In a video, Eric had mentioned the possibility of her doing road nationals that same weekend but looks like she opted out. She has ITU experience but she has mentioned her lack of confidence in her bike handling and descending abilities many times so might be out of her comfort zone. In any event, she’s incredibly talented and I was really happy to see her win a second title.
I saw first hand a lot of pissing away of insane talents due to petty political reasons or just poor management.
I can assure you that is not just Canada - its most federations and I have first had experience of my federations complete incompetence over many years. More interested in being PC and filling out the applications for funding than actually providing a programme and developing talent from grass roots up. In fact I would say generally speaking most athletes prevail in spite of their federation not because of it. Read Javier Gomez story and how he got treated - and Simon Whitfield’s blogs around the 2012 Olympics if you can find them. Really interesting stuff and pretty much mirrors the kind of sh!t we have in our federation.
Having said that the best athletes just have that mentality to succeed no matter what - and when they get that mentality they generally can succeed whatever it takes. I have seen cases where rejection actually makes an athlete by giving them the mental fortitude that they need.
In a video, Eric had mentioned the possibility of her doing road nationals that same weekend but looks like she opted out.
I can confirm that she was on the entry for the Road Race, but had let Officials know in advance that she would be a DNS, so that we would not be trying to find her at the last minute before Sign On was closing!
I had mused that, had Paula entered the Road Race, a great strategy would have been attacking from the start - get in a breakaway with a few other riders, that tends to be a bit safer than sitting in and riding in the main bunch, and just see how long you last. Clearly she has a HUGE engine and could stay in there for a long time. If she pulls out at some point or is caught by the peloton, well, you gave it a go. That happens all the time in Road Racing, even to some of the best riders in the world!
As fate would have it in the women’s Road Race, Sara Poidevin from EF Education did EXACTLY that - attacked early, and was on a solo breakaway for close to 100km in a 130km race for the women - only caught by a greatly diminished peloton of maybe 10 - 15 riders in the final 10km ( In the end a perfect set-up for Poidevin’s EF Education team mate Alison Jackson who ended up winning the race). So Paula hypothetically would have had some great company in that breakaway - and with the two of them working it, who knows what might have happened?
I looked up the Canadian Qualifying standards and did not find that stipulation.
Not to derail thread too much, but then lionel has a chance for the olympic spot too. Regardless, +1 vote for Puala to go for the olympics!
I don’t see him beating Derek Gee. As for Findlay, she could definitely make it, she was Olympian in triathlon so not sure if she is interested in targeting.
Would he have to though? Not that team Canada would want to do this, but couldn’t he finish third and still be eligible?
I looked up the Canadian Qualifying standards and did not find that stipulation.
Not to derail thread too much, but then lionel has a chance for the olympic spot too. Regardless, +1 vote for Puala to go for the olympics!
I don’t see him beating Derek Gee. As for Findlay, she could definitely make it, she was Olympian in triathlon so not sure if she is interested in targeting.
Would he have to though? Not that team Canada would want to do this, but couldn’t he finish third and still be eligible?
Why would Canada do that ?
There are at least three guys that would be better at TT and could do the road race (Houle, Gee and the guy from Ineos)
There is Matteo at a notch down on the road side, but still a good road racer and would beat Lionel at TT
So you have at least 4 guys better at TT and road candidates
Lionel could out TT Mike Woods, possibly Canada’s first pick for road
If Lionel stopped tri, put all his effort into bike, maybe he could close the gap in pure performance with the top guys,
But he would need to do some work on the aero (a fair bit). I’d have a question on what his power would to do to get to the level some of these guys are at.
I suspect they have discretionary picks and abilities but I struggle seeing Cycling Canada pick a triathlete with a whole bunch of better roadies that can out TT him.
Paula is in another category. She won Nationals, twice and I suspect they won’t even pick her