Over to you TA and seeya Bill
Tuesday, 19 August 2008 11:05
Well if you have been living under a rock this week you might not know that we have a gold medalist in our midst.
Opening up one of the biggest newspapers in the country today and there she was. Emma Snowsill, right now, is a household name. It has been years since this has happened. Not since, funnily enough, triathlon was on TV on a regular basis. Now it is a pipe dream for those who administer the sport. But all is not lost. Triathlon Australia (TA) has a rare commodity in the Snowsill is a known entity in a crowded Australian sporting landscape.
Let's be honest, this is the best chance TA has had for years to really pressure media outlets (TV) and sponsors that the sport can get them exposure. The sport had the perfect opportunity after the Commonwealth Games when 100,000 people saw two gold medals given to Australians but blew it completely losing any momentum it might have had gained from a phenomenal day. This is an opportunity they cannot afford to miss and if they do someone needs to be asking some very tough questions.
The other big mover post Beijing is Australian Team Coach Bill Davoren. Bill has been a controversial figure at times but has delivered the high performance program medals at the big events. He has been criticised for his coaching relationship with Brad Kahlefedlt. It was felt by some so called experts that Brad should not be on any teams or that Bill should not be a selector for the national team. That has always been a complete overreaction and a baseless claim by those with an axe to grind. Bill will be missed and now TA has another big decision to make. Will they make the right one? Sure time will tell and we will be watching very carefully how the next couple of months unfold.
Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt has done her bit for the promotion of the sport. Now it's up to the governing body.
