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1
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by Lods -
It's a judgement thing.
There are probably advantages to competing in either competition.

Gout's best event is arguably the 200.
He takes a bit of time to get going.

In 2025 he was the 9th fastest 200 metre runner in the Commonwealth over that distance.
In the U/20 200 metres he was the equal fastest (with an American) in the 'world'.

The Comm games and the U/20 championships run basically back to back at the end of July early August.
Very difficult to do both so a choice has to be made.

It probably comes down to making a decision between possibly making a Commonwealth games final or winning an u/20 Gold medal.
2
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by Thryleon -
Follow the money and you'll make sense of the decision is something I have run with when I have not figured out the reason behind something that seems to be a logical fallousy.

There might simply be a financial reason to do so?  Or perhaps there is something else to it like timing?

The under 20 world champs are on in the USA between the 5th and 9th of August.
The commonwealth games are on in glasgow July 23 to August 2nd. 

The fifa world cup final will be on july 19th in New york.  If its a process to acclimatise to your new location a couple of weeks before hand, gout gout may intend to attend the fifa world cup final before his event?  Plausible?  Not sure.  I dont know enough about this stuff.


3
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by LP -
Quote from: DJC – on
Then there's the fact that it will be Gout Gout's last World U/20 but he should be at the peak of his powers at the next Commonwealth Games ... and his team have always been very selective/conservative with his development.
Yes, it reminds me of the 90s era video games which have you collect all sorts of sh1zen along the journey, if you are to succeed you can't miss even a tiny bit, you have to hover up everything along the way.
4
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Jess Allan well ahead in the preferred Premier polls according to the Herald Sun and I can see the Libs being tempted to do that preference deal with One Nation.

Won't matter much with debt soaring and the future bleak for Victorian's it's a Poison Chalice for who ever wins.
Yes, it will be intersting to see if Allan can make the glitter stick, at the moment she is travelling on a promise of potential.

Regarding infrastructure and budget, those of us old enough might recall hearing so much of the same rhetoric when the West Gate Bridge was built, and when it was rebuilt, but decades on now many of the same claim it is now indispensible critical infrastructure and makes the tunnel redundant. The problem here is that critics live in the now and the past, and have no genuine regard for the real future as Melbourne grows, despite all the mainstream media argy bargy Vic is continuing to grow faster than any other state, that infrastructure duplication will be needed, as will the train loop, and maybe more as well. Many local councils are projecting population growth of 50% by 2050, none are projecting contraction, ignore what News Ltd and Faceplant tell you as they speak bullsh1zen. If things are as they seem, the next big infrastructure spend must be water and water recycling, they have no choice but to start very very soon, it'll make the desalination plant look cheap. For reference, I've heard it stated for a 100% growth in population, you need a 500% growth in water, assuming all other things like weather, water quality and food are to remain equal.

Does anyone really think that for example cities like Paris or London paid for the train loops in advance, and that they aren't still paying?

But what's the real issue here, the personal issue, the thing that affects those doing the complaining? Do they genuinely think no tunnel, train loops or other infrastructure will make houses, rents and food cheaper? What's the connection?
5
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by DJC -
I guess it comes down to what's worth more, a World U/20 gold medal or a Commonwealth Games gold medal?  Years ago it would have been the Commonwealth Games gold, now it's probably the U/20 gold medal.

Then there's the fact that it will be Gout Gout's last World U/20 but he should be at the peak of his powers at the next Commonwealth Games ... and his team have always been very selective/conservative with his development.
6
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Quote from: LP – on
It's interesting to read about Jeff Kennett calling for an alliance between the Liberals and One Nation, I'd assert the polls are a tad selective to say the least. Kennett is happy to sell the soul of his former party for a dying shot at power. It's an interesting debate of means and ends.

For what it is worth, in Victoria at least, One Nation has become a trove for hard right fundamentalist Christian lobbyists. People who at times can be even scarier than the Neo Nazis that hide among them, perhaps not in violent extremism but at least in oppression, intolerance and persecution. Lobbyists who think racism, homophobia and bigotry are justified by God. They are the other side of the extremist coin to radical Muslim, and my signature line says it all.
Jess Allan well ahead in the preferred Premier polls according to the Herald Sun and I can see the Libs being tempted to do that preference deal with One Nation.
Won't matter much with debt soaring and the future bleak for Victorian's it's a Poison Chalice for who ever wins.
7
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
It's interesting to read about Jeff Kennett calling for an alliance between the Liberals and One Nation, I'd assert the polls are a tad selective to say the least. Kennett is happy to sell the soul of his former party for a dying shot at power. It's an interesting debate of means and ends.

For what it is worth, in Victoria at least, One Nation has become a trove for hard right fundamentalist Christian lobbyists. People who at times can be even scarier than the Neo Nazis that hide among them, perhaps not in violent extremism but at least in oppression, intolerance and persecution. Lobbyists who think racism, homophobia and bigotry are justified by God. They are the other side of the extremist coin to radical Muslim, and my signature line says it all.
8
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by Lods -
I'm not sure.
Yep, the Commonwealth games have slipped in a lot of sports in terms of prestige, but Sprinting is probably not one of those.

Without looking at the World 100/200 Lists I suspect if you took out the USA, athletes, most of the rest of the top 20 or so would be Commonwealth competitors
Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, South Africa, UK , Canada, Western African etc
The 100/200 metre finals at the Comm games will be a pretty good and fast race.

Gout is a world u/20 silver medallist in the 200 at the last championships.
He has plenty of time.
His coaching team seem to have a very good conservative approach to his development despite some 'outside' urging for him to match it against more mature competition.
9
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by LP -
Quote from: DJC – on

I get that this will be Gout Gout’s last opportunity to compete as a junior but it shows how much the Commonwealth Games have slipped as an elite competition.
Is there perhaps some reality versus perception?

If his management thought he might not fare so well in the Commonwealth Games they would probably want him to choose a path to maximise the longevity of his potential. Will he dominate u20?

There are many climbers who never quite reach the summit but are nether the less successful in the attempts! ;)
10
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
I clearly state when I am discussing perceptions and appearances versus reality, matters of subjectivity versus objectivity. We can laugh and joke about matters of footy, it's conspiracies, agency and perceptions of bias, but they are meaningless like the dribble on a footy panel show.

However, a town crier like approach to spreading lies and misdirection about real world politics and society is destructive and not a valid basis for argument, it is anarchistic in this thread and any other perspective.

Some might be offended by my call for those afflicted by distortions of reality to seek assistance, but it's a genuine call, we can't tell from the words who is taking the piss, who is a troll or who is genuine.

Those on this destructive type of path as a minimum hurt themself, but often also hurt others along the way, especially those impressionable. The same mechanism that leads youth to idolise nutters and radicals, words are as contributive to the youth crime epidemic as any drug dealer, words led to Desi, et al.. Hanson's version of democracy comes at a very high price to society, as the USA is finding out about RedTrump, and it starts with a loud false claim of systematic fraud or misrepresentation.

This is an open tolerant forum, far more tolerant to open debate than most, and one of the reasons we prefer it over so many others, people can spread conspiracies and fantasies within reason and shouldn't be offended when others may call them out for doing so.

Australia is not an autocracy, unlike some high profile regions, we actually do have freedom of speech.