Australian Olympic chiefs insisted Saturday that it was too early to start a post-mortem on why the sports-loving nation is way off its target of finishing fifth in the London 2012 medals table.
Australia has won just one event so far -- the women's 4x100m freestyle swimming relay -- making their hopes of topping their 14 golds and sixth-placed spot at Beijing 2008 seem a distant prospect.
But Australia's deputy chef de mission Kitty Chiller stressed they were "not panicking" just yet.
"We are still very positive and are only half way (through the Games)," she told a press conference.
"In terms of our top-five finish, it is still a mathematical possibility.
"In the sailing we have got four crews who are first and second and we have got canoe sprint, BMX and track and field to come.
"In women's water polo, men's hockey and women's basketball we have been dominant. Certainly the results to date haven't been what we would have expected.
"Now is not the time for post-mortems.
"Some sports will need to have a look at what was lacking in their preparations but now is not the time to address that because we still have athletes competing and we still need to be very positive for the second week."
Chiller admitted that she and chef de mission Nick Green were downbeat after watching women's kierin cycling world champion Anna Meares finish fifth in the event on Friday.
"Seeing Anna Meares missing out on a medal was disappointing," she said.
"I had dinner with Nick Green after that and we were feeling a little bit down but then we both stood up and said, 'we need to show strong leadership and be positive and strong for the rest of our team'.
"We have got some fantastic athletes yet to compete with some excellent medal chances. We are not panicking and we are not worried.
"Sure we have missed out on some medals but there are more to come and we need to maintain that positive outlook."
She said the sports had received a record amount of government money in the last four years so that could not be used an an "excuse".
However, after the Games, "the sports need to look at how they have used that money and whatever it is that is not getting us across the line."
"More money is not the answer."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australia-not-panicking-over-gold-slump-210418604.html
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