Great Britain at the 2023 European Games

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And a bronze for Mallory Franklin in the Women’s Canoe in spite of 6 secs of penalties!

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On 7/1/2023 at 5:30 PM, Rafa Maciel said:

I know that there will be plenty of spin put on it, but it is difficult to argue with the fact that the team didn't perform to the best of their abilities in the events where quotas were available.

 

Archery - despite great qualifying round, Monty Orton and Penny Healey couldn't replicate it in the QF of the mixed event but the performance is mitigated by Penny Healey taking gold and the quota. Also great result from the women's team to take the title - real shame it wasn't a quota event. Overall A-

 

Boxing - 3 quotas secured is at the bottom end of expectations but not necessarily disastrous. More worryingly perhaps was the fact that 5 of the boxers lost by unanimous decision. They've got a lot of work to do in the run up to the world qualifiers. Overall C-

 

Breaking - were never likely to win the quota, but whatshisname got to the quarter finals which was probably all we could ask for. Overall B

 

Canoe - Still 2 quotas to be awarded but not expecting either to go to GBR. Jo Clarke showing decent form but Mallory Franklin not performing as strongly as she did a couple of seasons back. Overall C+

 

Diving - A mixed bag for Team GB with some great dives and some literal belly flops but have to bear in mind this was not our strongest team. It was great performance from Eden Cheng to get the quota on platform whilst a couple of others came close. Disappointing that some got themselves into qualifying positions only to drop points on final dive. Overall B- 

 

Modern Pentathlon - As expected backed the 2 quotas. Can't help feeling it would have been better for us if Pillage had taken the men's quota rather than Choong but that is purely because the European nations are going to be disadvantaged at the worlds because there is no order of precedence in place - if Choong finishes in top 3 at worlds, that quota will go to the world ranking list. Overall A

 

Rugby Sevens - It pretty much went to the script I guess. It would have been pretty disastrous for the women not have taken the quota given the gulf in experience within the draw. The men's side came close and they weren't overwhelmed by Ireland in the final but equally they never looked like they were going to threaten Ireland. Overall B+ 

 

Shooting - To be clear, the shooting team have done well to already have 4 quotas (5 when you factor in that McIntosh will double up in 10m and 50m event) but they weren't even close to securing additional quotas here. Coward Holley didn't make the final whilst Ben Llewelin didn't make it out of his ranking match - OK they are still likely to qualify although at this rate it will be through ranking rather than earning a spot at an event - but Jess Liddon shot her best precision round only to crap the bed in the rapid. Can't think of many other athletes who went from top of the pile to 32nd at these games. Overall D

 

Table Tennis - We weren't really in the running for the mixed doubles quota. Overall C+

 

 

 

 

As someone with a foot in two camps, I'd say

 

1. GBR's failure with 1 exception to take anyone in a non Olympic Game spsport was a mistake, and disrespectful of the Games - indeed, disrespecting the event is a standing problem. I'm not saying the event is particularly surging anywhere (except italy!) but with these things sometimes the thing is what you make it. I know enough to know the very best US and Jamaican sprinters don't go to the Pan-americans, or necessarly many of the top-tier distance runners to th Africans, but I increasingly think that's a really foolish attitude for the athletes, the federations, the Olympic committees and the sports themselves. You ahve to push every opportunity you get in the modern ecosystem. For GB, this was  - yet again - an opportunity missed imho.

 

2. The divers had the excuse that the federation made a perhaps justifiable call, and may even worked out quite well for some of the divers. The athletics had no excuse whatsoever. I maybe understand the desire to protect the stars - but let's be clear, there ain't that many stars. And if Keely Hodgkinson can do an U23 400m, for example, she can darn well do a European Games 800 (and Boffay was far from the worst level reserve, there, she was justifiable.

 

3. going back to 1. if Team GB/BOA are unwilling to pick in non-olympic sports then let some other organisation - a 'World Games' based equivalent, take over and do it for non-Olympic sports. It's unforgivable that GBR kickboxers, thaiboxers missed out on what would be a major event for them, and a medal winning opportunity in some cases, becuse the BOA has no interest in their non-Olympic sport - not least because going forward, non-Olympic/'World Games' sports are likely to be an increasingly important part of the event, for the variety they introduce - as an Irish + GBR fan, the last two days of the kickboxing was incredibly exciting because the Irish cared enough to send people - and won medals that put a real gloss on their games.

 

4. The various European Feds and the EOC need to come together and stop fighting for dominance - the EOC has no event without the sports feds, but the sports feds have few (and possibly fewer re European Championships model) opportunities to get 'casual' eyeballs on their events, and the EOC event, if done right - cheaper, continued regional model, continued non Olympic games sports, extended OG qualification spots - is a perfect opportunity to 'create value' as they say, and eventually make separate money for the European Feds rather than rely on the trickle down from the IOC and global feds..