Federer and Nadal: Professionals at the Olympics
Join the debate on whether professionals should play in the Olympics. < Back to Story
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Sunday August 24
0030 Athletics - Men's marathon
0630 Boxing - Six finals
0730 Basketball - Men's final
1330 Closing ceremony
All times BST
| G | S | B | Tot | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHN | 51 | 21 | 28 | 100 |
| 2 | USA | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 |
| 3 | RUS | 23 | 21 | 28 | 72 |
| 4 | GBR | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 |
| 5 | GER | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 |
| 6 | AUS | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 |
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Comments (103)
Paul Richardson says...
Professionals are professionals for a reason - they're the best. If I wanted to watch amateurs rather than pros I'd go down the local park on a Saturday morning.
Posted 10:26 8th August 2008
Charmian Green says...
If an African country with the human rights records that China has, had received the opportunity to host the Olympics, would the rest of the world arrived? America boycotted Russia during the final stages of the Cold War, but everyone is there for the Chinese Olympics; Pollution and human rights violations are obviously acceptable in sport now. Or is it because the G8 needs cheap Chinese manufacturing?
Posted 10:08 8th August 2008
Daniel Acoustic says...
Let the olympics games be free & fair to all games, unlike football to which there is racism on blacked skinned players. Hoping the IOC will take this to heart. Daniel from pateau state Nigeria.
Posted 09:04 8th August 2008
Olivia Merlin says...
Though I admire the talent of Federer and Nadal, I think that they should not be competing at the Olympics. They are professionals and they are going to take all the publicity, when other athlets who have worked hard to represent their country are not going to get the fame they deserve. Anyway, the Olympics have just become those last 30 years only politics and money. We are far away from the performances of real athlets like Selasie. Real athlets exist ... so leave them be in the limelight once every four years. To come back to the topic of the presence of professionals in the Olympic : if some can be present, why the boxers who became professionals cannot defend their medals ?
Posted 08:51 8th August 2008
Olivia Merlin says...
Though I admire the talent of Federer and Nadal, I think that they should not be competing at the Olympics. They are professionals and they are going to take all the publicity, when other athlets who have worked hard to represent their country are not going to get the fame they deserve. Anyway, the Olympics have just become those last 30 years only politics and money. We are far away from the performances of real athlets like Selasie. Real athlets exist ... so leave them be in the limelight once every four years. To come back to the topic of the presence of professionals in the Olympic : if some can be present, why the boxers who became professionals cannot defend their medals ?
Posted 08:50 8th August 2008
Pete Cezhcho19 says...
Olympics is every professional's chance to win gold for their country, whether it's tennis or football it doesn't matter, but it certainly not an amateur sports event, it's the biggest sporting event in the world and I believe every qualified professional should be given chance to represent his/her country. When participating in olympics each sport is not represented by individuals but the country itself.
Posted 07:21 8th August 2008
Jason Clark says...
An Olympic gold medal means the best of the best, not the best of the rest. All people should be allowed to have a go not just amatuers, i want to see the very best people at there chosen sports fighting it out for gold.
Posted 06:49 8th August 2008
Daniel Rocca says...
I understand where you are coming from but you are not being realistic.Would you also apply that to Track and Field? Asafa powell,Gay,Bolt,Gatlin,Isinbayeva etc?swimmers like phelps ?none of them are amateurs.The world of amateur sports is very limited,most sportsmen taking place are professionals.
Posted 05:18 8th August 2008
Kamo Bako says...
James what makes them proper? There's more doping cases in athletics than in soccer, last i checked. So i guess you're right...we should let these cheats fight it out amongst themselves whilst my favourite soccer player saves himself for the Premiership/La Liga/Serie A/etc so he can live on as a legend week-in week-out whilst your so called proper athletes are forgotten once that torch is put out. Get real... As for this question, i think pro athletes bring more interest to the Olympics. For one i'll be keeping my eye on Anderson, Messi and Kobe...see what their influence is like in an Olympic setting... Should be interesting...
Posted 02:29 8th August 2008
Declan Carey says...
NO WAYS NO WAYS NO WAYS !!!!! professionals have their tournaments and they are called the world cup wembeldon the masters these are all big name tournaments where these pros get to represent their countries so no leave it to the amateurs i ask u this are professional boxers allowed to enter no no they r not
Posted 01:38 8th August 2008
David Key says...
The Olypics gives ametours a real chance; some times a once in a life tine change, to show their talents. Why give the pros, who are always in the spotlight even more chances to promote their sponsers. The amazing feats of athletisism, that we have seen overs the years, from the little know comptetors, who rise to the occaison are what the Olympica are all about. Let keep the games as what they were meant to be. It is the taking part that matters.
Posted 23:52 7th August 2008
Ben Harding says...
I agree with what James Dixon says. These stars make money and are famous for their sport in major leagues around the world. Like for instance; Why should a professional footballer even be aloud to attend the olympic national team? We already have official representatives for international football teams. So why on earth do they need to represent their country through two different teams?
Posted 22:46 7th August 2008
Ben Harding says...
I agree with what James Dixon says. These stars make money and are famous for their sport in major leagues around the world. Like for instance; Why should a professional footballer even be aloud to attend the olympic national team? We already have official representatives for international football teams. So why on earth do they need to represent their country through two different teams?
Posted 22:31 7th August 2008
Bumbles Lawnmower says...
The Olympic Games is supposed to represent the world's sporting elite. It should be open to everybody! As a basketball fan, I would much rather watch NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James playing for Team USA than a bunch of unknowns or inexperienced college kids. Soccer is a different matter- their pro season clashes with the Olympics and the Euros are in the same calendar year. One for the genius of Sepp Blatter to ponder...
Posted 21:17 7th August 2008
Jordan Erskine says...
But if the idea of the olympics is the elite sporting athlete's in that individual event then shoudln't it have the likes of those superstars competing in them. There top of there sport and earn that for a reason cause there the best. And that is the idea of the olympics the best of best. I have nothing wrong with the basketball at the end of the day isn't the only reason we watch the dream team to see if there is going to be the upset of the games. And i see nothing wrong with the under 23 ruling lets us see the stars of the future...and if the likes of nadal and federer weren't at the tennis could you picture how empty the main court would be, who want to pay hard earn money to watch amateurs compete.
Posted 20:45 7th August 2008
Will Watson says...
As athletics are representing their countries...each country should send their best. Whether they are amateur or professional. The amount of money one earns does not mean you are amateur/professional. For example: Other european countries sent teams that were playing together for years (professional). So the Americans countered by sending their best that only played with each other for a few months before each olympics.
Posted 19:34 7th August 2008
Kumail Saifee says...
I think Olympics has its own individuality and its been there decades.I also feel that a player of any calibre,even the likes of Thierry Henry or Cristiano Ronaldo would be honoured to fight for the Olympic golds it has to offer.
Posted 19:27 7th August 2008
Jamie Matthews says...
The Olympics should be for anyone who is good enough to qualify. If it was just for amateurs the standard of everything would go down, if the stars want to play let them play. E.g. if all the football teams bring out pleyrs playin for non-league sides it would be rubbish no offence to non league players just its more entertaining, no one would watch amateurs. There would be no new world records or anything. The best have to play
Posted 18:46 7th August 2008
Ritesh Lamsal says...
Well, if the "Olympics" were supposed to be only an amateur sport, then why doesn't the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stand up to that and impose stringent regulations on "who" can participate? If not ...then there is no reason why top players in the world shouldn't participate in the summer Olympics. Take this - who would you want to see fighting for Gold - Federer and Nadal OR some "unknown and inferior" amateurs who you have never heard of? Who would you want to see hunting for glory - Ronaldinho-led Brazil and Messi-inspired Argentina OR countries that you hardly know anyone from? I know my answer! The same is true for any other sport - star studded NBA players, top ranking golfers (hopefully some day), star-studded cricket players fighting it out for Olympic Twenty20 glory (hopefully some day). Going one step further, contrary to what the original person commented, I think, the IOC should in fact ask for major sports governing bodies to send their BEST players/teams for the Olympics...if the olympics are the pinnacle of "every" sports .. then the best sportsmen should play it... else it is just a farce. The entire amateur thing is a thing of the past!!!!
Posted 17:40 7th August 2008
Rob Norris says...
It's as if there's a crime for being good and successfull. After all, yes they love the sport but each and everyone one of the participants play it for money!
Posted 17:38 7th August 2008