Congratulations Delhi. What an outstanding event!

After some initial controversy – wow – what a great job you did.

And Congratulations to the athletes, coaches, teams, managers, staff and families who celebrated such an outstanding sporting event.

OK - now that’s out of the way, no more Mr Nice Guy.

Let’s have a real look at the Medal Table for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi: Let’s look behind the fluff and spin.

First of all a quick reminder of the Top Six in the medal table in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne:

• Sports:  16
• Events: 247

Final Medal Table 2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne (taken from the official Melbourne 2006 Web site):

1. Australia – total medals 221: (84 Gold, 69 Silver, 68 Bronze);
2. England – total medals 110 (36 Gold, 40 Silver, 34 Bronze);
3. Canada – total medals 86 (26 Gold, 29 Silver, 31 Bronze);
4. India - total medals 50 (22 Gold, 17 Silver, 11 Bronze);
5. South Africa – total medals 38 (12 Gold, 13 Silver, 13 Bronze);
6. Scotland – total medals 29 (11 Gold, 7 Silver, 11 Bronze).

Now compare these to the results of the top six nations in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi:

• Sports: 17 (i.e. more sports than Melbourne);
• Events: 260 (i.e. more medal winning opportunities than Melbourne).

Final Medal Table 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi (taken from the official Delhi 2010 web site):

1. Australia - total medals 177 (74 Gold, 55 Silver, 48 Bronze);
2. India - total medals 101 ( 38 Gold, 27 Silver, 36 Bronze);
3. England – total medals 142 ( 37 Gold, 59 Silver, 46 Bronze);
4. Canada – total medals 75 (26 Gold, 17 Silver, 32 Bronze);
5. South Africa – total medals 33 ( 12 Gold, 11 Silver, 10 Bronze);
6. Kenya - total medals 32  (12 Gold, 11 Silver, 9 Bronze).

(Notable absentees from the Delhi list: Scotland, Northern Ireland and New Zealand!).

2006 vs 2010: (Yes, I know the conditions were different);

• Australia:  Total medals down by 44 (20%) – Gee, I wonder who predicted that?) . Total Gold medals down by 10 (12%);
• India: Total medals up by 51 (over 100% improvement – double their Melbourne tally!). Total Gold medals up by 16 (73%); 
• England : Total medals up by 32 (29%). Total Gold medals up by 1 (3%).
• Canada: Total medals down by 11 (13%). Total Gold medals same as 2006.
• South Africa: Total medals down by 5 (13%). Total Gold medals same as 2006.

So, the facts are:

1. Australia’s medal tally is down by over 20% – yes that’s 20% - on the number of medals won in Melbourne in 2006;
2. India took full advantage of having the “home-ground” with an outstanding performance – increasing their medal tally by just over 100% and their Gold medal score by an amazing 73%;
3. England’s total medal tally increased by 32 but their Gold medal count only increased by 1;
4. Canada’s overall medal tally was slightly down but their Gold medal count remained the same as it was in Melbourne 4 years ago;
5. South Africa’s overall medal tally was also down a little whilst their Gold medal count stayed at 12;
6. Every nation with what you might describe as a mature, advanced, well funded high performance sports system, e.g. Academies and Institutes of Sport, National Elite sports networks etc. is either going backwards or staying roughly the same on the Commonwealth Games Gold medal table – so the question is…..does money really = gold medals????;

And the critical question: Are the Commonwealth Games really about Peak Performance: Look behind the Medals: 

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi was not a world class competition in many sports and events.

Just take two sports, swimming and track and field, for example:

• How many of the performances in swimming and track and field at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi would stand up against the best in the world?
• How many of the performances would have won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games or the most recent world championships in both sports?
• How many world class (i.e. top 16) performances were there in Swimming? In Track and Field?

Here’s a little exercise for you:

Take an event – any event from swimming or track and field. Start with the men’s and women’s 100 metres on the track.

Write down the winning time for that event from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Now Google “World records” in that sport (or try the IAAF Statistics guys)  or (the FINA Official site) and have a look at what the world standard is in that same event.

Then, Google “Olympic Games” in that sport and event (or try the IOC Official site) and have a look at what times won medals at the last two or three Olympic Games.

 Then let me know what you think.

And here come’s the spin!

I am not usually a betting man, but let’s have an imaginary wager on the following “spin-scripts” being the messages spruiked by some of the teams when they have to face their own national media in coming weeks:

1. Spin: “The conditions were really tough”. Fact: All nations had to face the same conditions and all nations had the same time available to prepare to overcome the conditions;
2. Spin: “Our real focus is the London 2012 Olympic Games”. Fact: How many nations, how many athletes, how many teams achieve great things in an Olympic Games after failing in the Commonwealth Games two years previously? Very, very, very few;
3. Spin: “Our results in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi demonstrate that we are on track to achieve our goals and targets in London 2012″. Fact: Apart from the Indian team, who can honestly say this? Remember that the most of the world’s sporting super-powers: USA, China, Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, Russia and Italy and many others were not represented in Delhi;
4. Spin: “We will conduct a detailed, comprehensive review of our performances in Delhi”. Fact: What this really means is we will have a meeting over coffee and cake and tell each other what a great job we are doing;
5. Spin:”We didn’t send our best team to Delhi”. Fact: By saying this you are admitting that the Commonwealth Games are of very little importance to your nation and your athletes.

Spin it anyway you like, the 2010 Commonwealth Games Delhi, were a substandard competition in many sports and the three leading Commonwealth sporting nations Australia, England and Canada all under-performed against expectations. Spin does not win!

And now the good news…..

The best news coming from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi is that the 2012 London Olympic Games are still 2 years away and even better, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games are still six years off.

There is plenty of time to change the things that are not working and plenty of opportunity to get it right. But it will take the one thing that is in short supply around the world: honesty. Total, complete, uncompromising, “hit you in the face” honesty. 

Countries like Australia, England, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland and Northern Ireland need to take a good long look at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and accept it as a “kick in the backside” and a wake up call that all is not well in their high performance systems……. but they have time to do something about it.

Don’t “spin” the results to your politicians, people and press. Be honest about it and use the “kick in the pants” in Delhi to fight and argue for the need for change, reform and improvement”: Spin does not win!

So, what does it all mean? Ten Questions we should all be asking about the final Medal Table for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi:

1. Why did England, which has invested so much money, committed so many resources, hired so many high performance sports professionals and poured so much cash into sports science, sports medicine, research and innovation win only one Gold medal more than they did in 2006?. That works out at about 400 million pounds for that one medal – that’s a pretty expensive piece of metal!;
2. Is the performance of India merely a reflection of their capacity to deal with the conditions more effectively than the rest of the Commonwealth or are they at the beginning of becoming a super-power of world sport?;
3. Why did Australia’s medal tally drop by 20%?;
4. Why isn’t New Zealand improving in spite of having in place one of the smartest, most sophisticated high performance sports systems in the world?
5. Why didn’t Canada’s outstanding performance in the 2010 Winter Olympics reflect in any way in their performances in Delhi? i.e. how can they get it so right in the Winter Olympics but not improve in Summer sport at the Commonwealth Games in the same year?;
6. Why aren’t Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland improving in spite of the development of their own national high performance sports systems, academies / institutes of sport and the investment of millions of pounds (and Euros) in their high performance sports programs?;
7. If money =medals, why is there no correlation between money invested in high performance sport and Gold medals won at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010?;
8. What can be done to ensure the best athletes in the world continue to support the Commonwealth Games? Or should we make the Commonwealth Games a development competition for under 18 athletes only?;
9. Are the poor crowds in India and the poor television ratings reported in Australia, the UK and South Africa a sign that the Commonwealth Games have lost the support and interest of the general public?;
10. What is the real relevance of the Commonwealth Games? Most sports rate it third or fourth on their list of targeted international competitions behind the events like the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and All Asian Games.

So, well done Delhi!

Congratulations to the athletes who overcame the tough conditions in Delhi and performed with distinction. You are the heroes of the Games.

Let’s recognise the outstanding achievements of so many talented athletes, hard working coaches and passionate administrators.

But, at the same time, let’s take an honest, objective, look at what really happened in India and where problems exist, let’s abandon the politics, the “fluff” and the “spin” and work harder than ever to ensure every athlete gets the best possible opportunity to perform to their full potential in London in two years time. 

Wayne Goldsmith

© 2010 – 2011, Wayne Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. The Perfect (medal) Storm: Why the Medal Count in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games is about to return to normal.   The Commonwealth Games  medal table is about to return to...
2. Commonwealth Games Crystal Ball: Ten Triumphs and Tragedies guaranteed to happen at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010. Map of Delhi from Crestock Stock Images With the Opening...
3. Winning in India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games: Are you already talking yourself out of a medal? India 3D Flag from Crestock Stock Photography The 2010 Commonwealth Games...

The Commonwealth Games  medal table is about to return to normal in Delhi.

And, unfortunately for Australia, this could mean a reduction in medals of up to 20% compared to results at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

The Perfect (Medal) Storm which has existed since 1994 is at an end and it is time for normal viewing to return.

Dominating the Medal Table: More than just luck:

To win a medal tally at a major games like the Olympics, the World Championships, the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games you need a lot of very good athletes, teams and coaches to perform at their very best.

But to dominate a medal tally at a major games you need two things to happen simultaneously – the Perfect “Medal” Storm:

1. You need a lot of very good athletes, teams and coaches to perform at their very best and;
2. You need your opposition to perform very poorly.

The Commonwealth Games 1994-2006 is an example of the Perfect (Medal) Storm.

Australia’s domination of the Commonwealth Games medal tables during the period 1994-2006, winning more than double the number of Gold medals won by any other nation during that period, has to be attributed to something more than just good luck, great athletes, talented coaches and smart management.

In 1993, Australia, hot on the heels of the announcement of their winning bid to host the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, awoke from the high performance sports coma it had been in since the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and began to build what was at the time, the world’s best high performance sporting system. 

And simulateously traditional Commonwealth Games rivals Canada and England were at the low points of their respective high performance sporting powers.

The Perfect (Medal) Storm was beginning to form……..

Remember that in 1978, the Commonwealth Medal Table read:

1. Canada (just two years after they hosted the 1976 Montreal Olympics);
2. England:
3. Australia.

In 1982, Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and the table looked like this:

1. Australia (only one Gold Medal ahead of)…;
2. England;
3. Canada.

Then in 1986, it was:

1. England;
2. Canada;
3. Australia.

In 1990, we saw:

1. Australia (with five more “Golds” than….);
2. England;
3. Canada. 

Then the “storm” gathered force…

In the 1990s, Australia was investing tens of millions of dollars into preparation for the Sydney 2000 Olympics: facilities, coaching, sports science, research, direct athlete payments, quality sports management, the Olympic Athlete Program, the AOC’s Innovations program…………

But for traditional Commonwealth Games rivals Canada and England, programs like “Own the Podium” and institutions such as the the UKSI, the EIS and Sport England were almost ten years away and both nations were languishing with high performance sports systems that even Charles Dickens would have described as anachronistic.

Delhi is different:

In Delhi, Australia faces an England with a mature high performance sports system, with well prepared and well funded athletes, talented, well educated coaches and professional sports management.

In Delhi, Australia faces a Canada whose “Own the Podium” program has already been so successful that they won the Gold Medal count at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver doubling their 2006 Turin Olympic Games gold medal tally in the process.

In Delhi, Australia also faces a passionate and increasingly competitive New Zealand (fourth on the all time Commonwealth Games medal table), a resurgent South Africa and several others nations who have invested heavily in high performance sport in recent years including Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Malaysia.

Add to that the sleeping giant of Commonwealth sport – the host nation India – who will have some significant advantages in the competition conditions and you have a vastly different Commonwealth Games environment to that of the past 16 years.

The Calm After the Storm:

After the Games, the “spin” will begin and the excuses for the Australian medal tally crash will be everywhere.

“Not enough money invested in high performance sport” – true.

“The conditions were really tough in Delhi” - again true but its the same for everyone.

“We are in the process of re-building our high performance sports system after the Crawford review“ – again true.

But excuses, rationalisations and “spin” are unnecessary. Times, as they say, have changed and the Performance Clock has turned.

The “storm” is over.

Time for other Commonwealth sporting nations to enjoy the sunshine for a while……..

Wayne Goldsmith

© 2010 – 2011, Wayne Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. Final Medal Table for The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi: Let’s look behind the fluff and spin. Congratulations Delhi. What an outstanding event! After some initial controversy...
2. Commonwealth Games Crystal Ball: Ten Triumphs and Tragedies guaranteed to happen at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010. Map of Delhi from Crestock Stock Images With the Opening...
3. Winning in India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games: Are you already talking yourself out of a medal? India 3D Flag from Crestock Stock Photography The 2010 Commonwealth Games...

With the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi so close, it’s time to look at the potential winners and losers, victors and failures, triumphs and tragedies of this colorful and exciting sporting event.

Ten Triumphs and Tragedies:

1. The continued rise of England as a world sporting power; You can’t throw that much money, recruit that many talented coaches and hire that many sports industry professionals, plus host a home Olympics and not be a powerful performer two years out from your major goal. For England not to dominate the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi would be a major embarrassment for their Government, their National Sporting Organisations and the leaders of their high performance sporting programs. They will be very strong and the Commonwealth should be prepared for their Dominance in Deli!;
2. The decline of Australia as a world sporting power; As a proud Australian myself, this is the last thing I would like to see but….the Australian Performance Clock is at 3 O’Clock and the future looks bleak. There will be the odd flashes of brilliance, a few medals in Swimming, Tennis looking strong, Netball, Hockey and Cycling will be as competitive as always but look for a huge decline in the number of “Golds” and a wipe-out in terms of the total number of medals won;
3. The re-emergence of Canada as a world sporting power; Following on from the great success of the “Own the Podium” Program and the outstanding results in the Winter Olympics earlier this year, watch for Canada to show some signs in the Summer sports that their focus and investment in high performance is starting to return real dividends;
4. Losers blaming the conditions in Delhi for their failure; Everyone has to face the same conditions in Delhi: the same challenges, the same traffic issues, the same food issues, the same climate issues….and every nation, team, coach and athlete knew exactly what these issues would be for the past four years. If you lose in Delhi, you just weren’t good enough - it is not Delhi’s fault – it’s yours;
5. At least one security scare; Sad, horrific and tragic but true – security will be a bigger issue than most people will admit. The modern Games environment is a security nightmare for everyone involved. Let’s hope that security is outstanding in Delhi and that every athlete, coach, manager, fan, supporter and member of the public safely enjoys what should be fantastic event without the added challenge of terrorism, political fear campaigns or religious based violence;
6. At least one doping offence in the sports of weightlifting and athletics; Get over it folks – the drug designers, the drug developers and the drug sellers have been a step ahead of WADA and the drug testing agencies for the past 40 years and it ain’t about to change. It is only a matter of which athlete and what sport will be the first to make headlines in Delhi; 
7. The miracle that is Jamaican Sprinting to continue; How a nation with such a small population and small land mass can continue to dominate world sprinting is a sporting miracle and it shows no signs of abating – with or without the Lightning Bolt; 
8. Several athletes who will perform poorly then proclaim “but I had a great time and really enjoyed the experience”; Sport at participation level is about fun, enjoyment, passion, health, fitness and all that warm, cuddly stuff but at Games level it is about one thing and one thing only….winning. Nations do not spend tens of millions of dollars preparing athletes to go to Delhi just so they can relax and enjoy a few Vindaloos and Poppadoms. You are there to win – or don’t go;
9. Numerous sports administrators and politicians will be asked “so do you believe the Commonwealth Games are relevant and important in this century“; The most predictable question for any journalist to ask a sporting administrator before, during and after the Delhi Games will be to justify the existence of the Commonwealth Games itself. And just as predictable will be the “spin” responses:“the Commonwealth Games is even more important now that it has ever been” and “The Commonwealth Games promotes international co-operation and world wide harmony through the glory of sport” blah blah blah – predictable answers to a very predictable question so why ask it in the first place?;
10. The home nation – India – will do better than at any previous Commonwealth Games; Hosting a major Games should give the host nation a significant advantage. Familiarity with climate, food and conditions, no need for international travel, surrounded by family and friends plus the performance enhancement impact of nationalism….a home Games is worth a minimum of an extra twenty Commonwealth Games medals to the host nation. But a word of warning to our Indian friends and colleagues…..hosting a Games can also increase the pressure and expectations on athletes, teams and coaches and under that pressure many will fail. To the athletes, teams and coaches who have prepared to perform well in Delhi, the weeks ahead will be full of some of the most wonderfully fulfilling moments of their lives.

So, gazing into your own Crystal Ball, Belly-button, Magic-beans or Tea leaves, what do you think will be the highlights and low-lights of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010?

Wayne Goldsmith

© 2010 – 2011, Wayne Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 Checklist – Are you ready to Win? Taj Mahal from Yuri Arcurs Website With the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi...
2. The Perfect (medal) Storm: Why the Medal Count in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games is about to return to normal.   The Commonwealth Games  medal table is about to return to...
3. Winning in India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games: Are you already talking yourself out of a medal? India 3D Flag from Crestock Stock Photography The 2010 Commonwealth Games...

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, are only months away.

What are we hearing from some athletes, coaches, administrators, the media and the public?

“It’s going to be hot over there”

“I am so worried about the security issues”

“How will we manage the travel?”

“I’m worried about the food and the health issues”

“I’m an endurance athlete – how will I compete when I have to breathe in all that pollution”.

Here’s a solution for you - don’t go!

If you are already talking yourself out of medal contention, then don’t go. Drop out. Give up  now.

Step back and let someone else -someone who wants to win and who will do whatever it takes to prepare to win in Indian conditions to take your place.

Or learn from this……

Here’s the thing.

Every athlete in Delhi will face the same conditions. The same heat issues, the same travel issues, the same pollution issues, the same food issues and the same security issues. Everyone will face the same challenges.

So, as it always is with competitive sport – success is a choice.

You can choose to let your mind wander, wuss and worry about the challenges of competing in India. You can adopt a defeatist attitude and think about how “hard” it will be to win in Delhi, how “tough” it will be to win in Delhi and how conditions will be so difficult in Delhi or……

You can make training more challenging and more demanding than the conditions you will face in Delhi.

You can adopt an attitude where no matter what Delhi throws at you, you will be ready for it.

You can be committed to tough, hard, challenging training where you deliberately face difficult problems in preparation and learn to over come them.

To win in India, your preparation for Delhi must be harder, more challenging, more demanding, more difficult  than the competitive conditions you will face in India.

The Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 provides the greatest ever opportunity for athletes who are prepared to do what it takes to prepare better than their opposition.

“Talking up” the conditions, the heat, the travel, the pollution, the security risks etc is negative and will only lead to failure. Delhi is the chance for the hard workers, the disciplined trainers, the “perfect”preparers, the determined competitors and the tough athletes to win and it all comes down to the way you prepare.

If you believe that winning in Delhi will be 10% harder than it is to win anywhere else then…

• Why don’t you increase your training volume by 10% as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?
• Why don’t you increase your training intensity by 10% as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?
• Why don’t you increase your training frequency by 10% as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?
• Why don’t you strive to find 10% improvement in your competition tactics and strategies as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?
• Why don’t you strive to improve and enhance your mental skills by 10% as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?
• Why don’t you strive to enhance your competition equipment by 10% as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?
• Why don’t you improve your recovery practices – sleep, hydrotherapies, cryotherapies, nutrition and massage by 10% as you prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 ?

The bottom line is this – if Delhi will be tough – you need to be tougher. If Delhi will be hard – you be harder. If Delhi will be challenging – you prepare to overcome it.

There are medals just sitting there waiting to be won by athletes who prepare to win in the competition conditions of the sub-continent.

There will be no “magical Commonwealth Games fairy” who will sprinkle fairy dust on you on the first morning of competition in Delhi and make everything all right, wonderful and beautiful.

To win in Delhi you must have prepared to expect the worst and trained to deal with it – deal with it better than anyone else in the world and – you can and will win.

Wayne Goldsmith

Footnote: In terms of security issues please listen to and follow the instructions of the organisers,the Governments and the appropriate security agencies. Being tough, preparing well, being ready to compete and being resilent does not mean being reckless and stupid! Security is part of all major sporting events and you have to learn to live with it, respect it, be cautious when required but not get intimidated by it. Compete well but compete safely!

WG

© 2010 – 2011, Wayne Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. The Perfect (medal) Storm: Why the Medal Count in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games is about to return to normal.   The Commonwealth Games  medal table is about to return to...
2. Commonwealth Games Crystal Ball: Ten Triumphs and Tragedies guaranteed to happen at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010. Map of Delhi from Crestock Stock Images With the Opening...
3. Final Medal Table for The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi: Let’s look behind the fluff and spin. Congratulations Delhi. What an outstanding event! After some initial controversy...

With the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi less than a year away, people are starting to get excited about the opportunity for high level competition and the potential to win medals and glory for their nations, their teams, their sports and themselves.

There will be three types of athletes, coaches (and even nations) at the Commonwealth Games next year in Delhi:

1. Those who have planned and prepared poorly and have no chance of winning;
2. Those who have done some basic planning and preparation and with a little luck have some chance of winning;
3. Those who have planned and prepared professionally, thoroughly and systematically and with an uncompromising attention to detail and who will win.

The question you have to ask yourself is…..which one am I?

For all those athletes, coaches, sports professionals, team managers and Nations heading to Delhi next year, take five minutes to work through this exclusive 19th Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 “Are you ready to Win” checklist.

1. Have you consistently prepared better than anyone in your role (e.g. event, sport, profession) in any Commonwealth nation over the past three years?
2. Have you researched the competition environment including all aspects of travel, accommodation, meals, climate, pollution levels, security, medical support and every aspect of Indian culture?
3. Have you brought together all team members (and potential team members) for a “what if” session – i.e. an integrated, dynamic scenario based session incorporating risk management strategies?
4. Have you enlisted the help and support of athletes, coaches, sports administrators and other professionals who live in India – particularly expatriates - who know and understand the local environment?
5. Have you check listed every element of your administration requirements including the requirements of your National Commonwealth Games Association, your International Federation, WADA, your national Anti Doping Authority and your own National and Indian Governments?
6. Have you got an aggressive, intensive, thorough, bullet proof drugs in sport education program for your team athletes, coaches, management and staff?
7. Have you got a comprehensive health monitoring and management strategy for your coaches, team management and staff including blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, weight management, stress management and psychological well being?
8. Have you revisited the team reports and team de-briefs from the past four Commonwealth and Olympic Games to learn what works and what doesn’t in a national team environment?
9. Have you enlisted the help of athletes, coaches, staff and management who have been on Commonwealth and Olympic Games teams in the past – in your sport and in other sports and asked them mentor members of your current team?
10. Have you got detailed strategic and “hour to hour” operational plans – starting with the end of Commonwealth Games in Delhi Closing Ceremony and working backwards for at least six weeks?
11. Do you know everything about your competitors? Their strengths? Their weaknesses? Their world rankings over the past five years? Where they train? How they train? Their competition strategies? Their tactics in major competitions? Their technical advantages and disadvantages? What equipment they use?
12. Do you know everything about the coach /coaches of your competitors? Their strengths? Their weaknesses? Their coaching philosophies? Their competitive record as an athlete and a coach? Have you studied every thing they have ever written, presented and discussed at coaching conferences, on blogs, in the press?
13. Have you been to Delhi several times in the past few years – at the same time of year as the Commonwealth Games 2010 will be held – and meticulous, methodically and systematically measured every possible relevant aspect of the training and preparation environment?
14. Have you competed in Delhi at the same venue that will be used at the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 and meticulously, methodically and systematically measured every aspect of the competition environment including obtaining a detailed performance analysis of the course / event venue? Did you ensure that all athletes were comprehensively tested in the same competition conditions they will experience next year with specific attention to detail in the areas of hydration, heat management, warm up, recovery and physiological load in Delhi specific competition conditions?
15. Have you studied, researched and analysed all the trends in your sport and diligently tracked changes in rules and equipment so that there is no chance a competitor will have figured out an edge over you next year?
16. Have you tested and trialled your Delhi travel, accommodation and logistics plans with athletes, coaches, management and staff under realistic competition (or training camp) conditions?
17. Have you carefully and meticulously documented every aspect of your preparation, your Delhi re-con experiences and all trials and tests? Have you had these independently assessed and reviewed so that you have made certain that you have learnt the maximum possible from your pre Delhi preparation experiences?
18. Have you maintained close regular communication with all team members and potential team members, their coaches, families, partners and support teams and kept them updated on all aspects of the Commonwealth Games including travel, ticketing, access to events, the post Games travel home and most importantly any security issues?
19. Have you provided all team members and potential team members, coaches and support staff with the opportunity to study Indian language, culture, religion and other uniquely Indian experiences so they can be more relaxed and comfortable in the Delhi environment?
20. Have you already scheduled the post Commonwealth Games de-brief and ensured that all athletes, coaches, staff and management can be involved?

The above list is the minimum standard that all Commonwealth Games teams preparing for Delhi 2010 should aspire to.

So how did you go?????

Commonwealth Games Checklist Key:

• If you answered “Yes” to 12 or fewer of these questions, my advice is don’t bother even getting on the plane to India. Or if you go to Delhi, just do it to enjoy the climate, the food and the people;
• If you answered “Yes” to 13-17 of these questions, you can head to Delhi hoping to win and wishing that you get a lot of luck, the right conditions and that your competitors have a bad day;
• If you answered “Yes” to more than 17 of these questions, go to Delhi with the confidence of knowing: knowing that you have consistently prepared better than any of your competitors at the Commonwealth Games and knowing that your professionalism and attention to detail gives you every possible opportunity to win. Nothing guarantees success – but you have given yourself and everyone associated with you a high likelihood of success.

So, with less than a year to go until the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi – what are you going to do to make sure you have a successful Games and that your athletes, coaches, management and staff compete to their full potential?

Wayne Goldsmith

© 2009 – 2011, Wayne Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. Commonwealth Games Crystal Ball: Ten Triumphs and Tragedies guaranteed to happen at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010. Map of Delhi from Crestock Stock Images With the Opening...
2. The Perfect (medal) Storm: Why the Medal Count in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games is about to return to normal.   The Commonwealth Games  medal table is about to return to...
3. Winning in India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games: Are you already talking yourself out of a medal? India 3D Flag from Crestock Stock Photography The 2010 Commonwealth Games...