Robin Oakley

Money worries

OK, OK, so taking part is what matters. But it is medals the viewers want out of the Olympics, lots of them, and for once there is the expectation there will be plenty, perhaps nearly 50, from our cyclists, swimmers, sailors, athletes and the rest. Since the Atlanta Games of 1996, when Britain returned, to the nation’s horror, with just one gold medal (courtesy of Redgrave and Pinsent) and finished 36th in the medals table behind such major sporting nations as Belgium, Algeria and Kazakhstan, expectations have been transformed. It has happened — thank you, John Major’s government — because the National Lottery has produced funding and UK Sport has directed the money, plus the top coaches and the back-up science, to our potential sporting elites.

Ten years ago the thought of an Englishman backed by a British-managed team triumphing in the Tour de France would have had tears of laughter running down French  cheeks. This year few doubted from halfway that Bradley Wiggins was going to win this year’s Tour, and victory for ‘Le Gentleman’ who had respected the Tour’s traditions and shown true sportsmanship along the way was actually acclaimed by the French. But it wasn’t just the yellow-jerseyed Wiggo’s leg-pumping ability, relentless training and will to win that did it. It was the fact that Team Sky had put in enough money and professional management to mount a Classic tour-winning operation.

It wasn’t therefore just the eight consecutive losers I had backed there and at York (three of them touched off in photo-finishes) that depressed me as I returned from Ascot on Saturday. It was the contrast between what we in racing still like to refer to as ‘our sport’ and the Olympics and the Tour de France.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in