I don't think Lutalo stands much of a chance. I think the top players at -80 are much more experienced and I think they'll get passed him easily. However, I think Lutalo's success or failure has less bearing on Mr Cook's future than how the political landscape changes/stays the same over the coming months.
I don't think anyone has any actual ill feelings towards Lutalo , they just don't think he's the right man for the job. If he does well I'm sure people will be pleased for him.
No, sorry you both seem to have missed my point. Sorry for being so confusing! What I was getting at was this whole controversy seemed to give TKD another black eye or dirt & mud for detractors to throw at us. So I was wondering if Lutalo Muhammad would win Olympic Gold, would that alleviate some of the controversy & therefore be good for TKD?
Nothing that comes out of this is good for Olympic TKD. It makes it look even more of a farce than it already did. If Lutalo wins or at least medals, the ass hats at GB TKD get to keep their jobs. If he doesn't, I think we can expect to see some departures.
If he medals then I would say we should have selected -80 and +80 as our male divisions and sent both him and Cook (as host nation, I believe we got to choose our division choices). But I don't think he will. I don't think it will alleviate the public (and I mean outside of Taekwondo, but general laypeople) perception of how Taekwondo is ran in the UK.
It's problems like these that make me believe TKD will be out of the olympics probably by 2016.... It sucks, but issues like these just reflect back on the art in general and make everyone who partakes in the sport look bad.
WTF has smelled of cronyism and politics almost from the beginning of its existence. I stopped following wtf competition years and years ago because of the games playing that they go through to form teams and choose competitors. Its not always the best fighter who goes to the olympics, its who the WTF wants to go to the event. The losers in the end are usually the competitors.
WTF TKD is already approved for 2016 Brazil. Next year in 2013 the IOC will vote to see which sports go forward. Many think TKD will face an uphill battle, but next year is a crucial year for Olympic TKD indeed. Now if Mr. Muhammad wins the Gold Medal & becomes Olympic Champion I think that it will really help smooth over the messy process that many watched unfold in the UK. They will say - See we told you we picked the right guy! It wasn't about anything other then making the British team the best!
I think the earlier he gets eliminated the worse it is for that selection process which caused so much controversy! But if he wins Gold they get off the hook & are seen as brilliant!
again maybe a good thing for the narrow minded groups who have assisted the demise of Arron Cook but the real crunch/backlash of this whole abortion may come at the btcb AGM on the 29th July:Alien: I wont be attending and if current clubs/members allow the same leadership to stay in position they deserve what they get. From the current media it looks like they've placed Sarah Stevenson firmly in the spotlight as there spokeswomen. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blo...enson-taekwondo-london-2012#start-of-comments
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blo...enson-taekwondo-london-2012#start-of-comments Is this girl a complete idiot? From reading all the comments on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, forums and mainstream media outlets, more people within the sport are appalled at Cook's omission than out of it. Cook is (or was) the favourite to win 80kg gold at the Olympics because he is the best fighter in the world at that weight, which is precisely what made him no. 1. Stevenson should stop acting as if it is only non-TKD laypeople who are outraged with GB TKD. As another poster so appropriately pointed out in this thread, ostriches sticking their heads in the sand comes to mind. And her husband is part of the selection committee, so her appearance at the Olympics was never in doubt. She's not very good at concealing insults towards Cook, is she? Cook might not have won a world title. Neither did the other three fighters selected to appear at London. Muhammad has never even attended a world championship. Cook explained the one-size-fits-all training programme (which anyone who has a shred of sport science knowledge will know is an utterly ridiculous concept) offered by GB TKD, and being forced to fight a way that doesn't suit his natural rhythm or timing (and trialling it at a world championship no less), were his reasons for leaving. He proved GB TKD was wrong when he funded himself to dominate the 80kg division at ALL major events leading up to London 2012 - including gold at the Korea Open, British Open, Olympic Test Event, US Open and European Championships. That's certainly more than Stevenson has achieved in the last 12 months. And let's not forget Cook's previous achievements (reigning European Champion anyone?). I would say Cook has done more than enough to redeem his performance at last year's worlds and earn his spot in London. Again with the poor attempt to conceal insults directed at Aaron. This girl seems to be a real bitch. And GB TKD want her to be their spokesperson? Speaks volumes. Anyway, Cook isn't Safina and this isn't tennis. Cook has won plenty of titles in TKD that would constitute Grand Slam equivalents in tennis. Or are the British, European and Olympic Test Event gold medals not classed as "important trophies" to this silly girl?
I'll be cheering on their opponents, because my desire to see GB TKD handed their walking papers far exceeds any nationalistic desire for British athletes to do well at the Olympics. That's what GB TKD has achieved.
Pretty hard to win important trophies when you don't get picked to compete at the damn important event! Silly tart...but then what else was she going to say? "My husband's helped make an absolute cow's **** out if this process as Aaron is clearly the best choice here"? Not likely.
Aarons statement about the matter: http://www.profsports.com/en/news/aaron-cook-statement-290612.html
Aaron Cook another tattoo bekons Caleb admirable words from AC and he's not put a foot wrong (excuse the pun)
This sums up the whole WTF and its complete lack of control..demons begone! better link for comments http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...as-fair-rules-World-Taekwondo-Federation.html
just like to close by saying thanks to everyone who shone some light on this none selection. Iv really lost faith of anything being real in sport TKD with this current debacle and im out for life, decided to train on my own getting the fitness and self confidence iv always and only desired from teakwondo, maybe even thinking of training with my next door neighbor whos an instructor at the local Gracie Barri after summer, hope you enjoy the games all, womens football- North Korea walked off Park (pun intended ) when they stuck south korean flag up on scoreboard........I nearly headed for the fall out shelter http://www.espn.co.uk/londonolympics2012/sport/video_audio/161214.html arsole:hat: