Our athletes’ glorious medal haul shouldn’t overshadow problems at the grassroots of sport in the UK
A columnist for Australia’s Courier-Mail newspaper wrote on Saturday of his despair at the trouncing the UK had given its long-term sporting rival in Rio. “We’ve got four TVs covering four different sports at once in our office and it seems like at least one of them is playing God Save the Queen at any given time,” he complained.
It might be hard to recall now amid a medal rush that might yet top the 65 won in London, but three Games ago it was Australia fourth in the medal table and Great Britain languishing.
History shows it is not elite success that chiefly inspires young people into sport but access to affordable facilities
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