I CANNOT be the only one who is slowly recovering from a number of very late nights and bleary-eyed days after following the recent Olympic Games from Rio and the exploits of the largely unknown sportsmen and women under the GB banner. During the pre-games furore surrounding allegations of drug-fuelled Russian athletes many of the GB team made pleads and demands for a ‘level playing field’ and its seems, by and large, that is what they got. But did they?
It is freely stated that the increase in medals won is down to one thing – money. Various reports conflict on the amount spent but one suggested £289m. For me that hardly creates a level playing field, more like a very bumpy one compared with countries who can afford to spend little on sports. It’s a bit like the Premier Football League where you know that one of six teams will win it and the usual suspects fight it out at the bottom against relegation. One look at the table at this early stage will bear that one out. So after all that money spent we would expect those results wouldn’t we?
Had those medals not been won we’d all be asking some very awkward questions wouldn’t we? Glorious exploits? More like all bought and paid for!
RICHARD TYRRELL
Banbury Road, Kidlington
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