Don't let the wheels come off golden generation
Dave Kidd From Beijing
The People
24th August 2008
British swimmer Rebecca Adlington won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Britain outperformed its nearest sporting rivals, Australia and Germany, at Beijing, finishing 4th in the medals table
They might just believe they are part of a nation of winners.
And has anyone noticed whether the French are even here?
Dave Kidd From Beijing
The People
24th August 2008
British swimmer Rebecca Adlington won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Britain outperformed its nearest sporting rivals, Australia and Germany, at Beijing, finishing 4th in the medals table
As If three gold medals at the same Olympic Games was not a great enough achievement, Chris Hoy went and summed up 40-odd years of British sporting agony.
The Scotsman had been so dominant on the cycling track, he sometimes looked like he was riding something motorised - our Bonnie Prince Harley.
Yet Hoy admitted: "There was always a feeling when I was growing up that British sportsmen did well but then they fell at the final hurdle - always the plucky losers. That's changed now."
Anyone born since the 1966 World Cup will understand exactly what Hoy means - and, as for his fellow Scots, well they have to go back to the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 to have experienced such national pride.
To be a Brit in China these last couple of weeks has been a thing of wonder. Medal after medal, and so many of them shiny, bright Mandarin orange in colour.
But Hoy put his finger on the fact that the Beijing Olympics has the potential to be not just a glorious flash-in-the-pan success but a watershed for the British sporting mindset.
Today's generation of starry-eyed kids may not grow up expecting to see Brits blubbing while arrogant Germans win penalty shoot-outs, gobby Australians swan off with the Ashes and strutting Yanks sweep the board at Olympic Games.
They might just believe they are part of a nation of winners.
Suddenly, it's the British doing the taunting, looking down upon our fiercest sporting rivals, Germany and Australia.
And has anyone noticed whether the French are even here?
Because it's not just the sheer weight of British gold which has been so impressive but the attitude of our Olympians.
In the heat of battle, Team GB have frequently displayed what we used to think of as 'German' ruthless efficiency and 'Australian' bottle.
Away from it, they tend to talk with refreshing - sometimes biting - honesty.
Double gold medallist Brad Wiggins earned some stick for declaring that Britain's cycling team were "p***ing all over everybody".
How typically British to tut-tut at bad language and touch of arrogance from a man who now has five Olympic medals.
Hats off, also, to swimming coach Sean Kelly, after the British duo of Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten had won silver and bronze in the 10km open swim, for enjoying a blatant bout of Aussie-bashing.
Hats off, also, to swimming coach Sean Kelly, after the British duo of Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten had won silver and bronze in the 10km open swim, for enjoying a blatant bout of Aussie-bashing.
Kelly growled: "Perhaps the best thing about winning two medals was that not one Aussie came up to us and said 'Well done'. They are really full of it when they win medals and tell us how great they are. They could not even make eye contact with us."
As a sporting nation, we need to bottle that sort of attitude.
It's the way our friends from Down Under have been thinking about the Poms for generations. Don't just beat them, grind their noses in the dirt.
Particularly with London 2012 on the horizon, it is crucial that Team GB build on this glory.
The lottery funding of athletes must be increased and training facilities improved, while cycling boss Dave Brailsford and his team should be asked to share their expertise across the spectrum of Olympic sports. Because success does not always breed success.
Consider the aftermath of England's rugby union World Cup victory in 2003 or the Ashes cricket triumph of 2005.
Of course, it would be ridiculous to expect the spirit of Beijing to immediately infuse England's football, cricket and rugby teams.
Wednesday's miserable performance against the Czech Republic at Wembley was clear enough evidence of that.
The England football team may simply be a lost cause. Representing their country is no longer the pinnacle of our footballers' careers and they only look half-decent when surrounded by foreigners anyway.
I was on the way back from watching Hoy and Victoria Pendleton clinch the final two of Britain's seven track cycling golds, when news broke of John Terry's re-appointment as England captain.
After the pleasure dome of the velodrome, here was a stark-naked contrast.
When our Paralympians start stacking up the golds next month, we'll still have an England football captain who parks his Bentley in the disabled bays.
It was difficult to know whether to criticise Fabio Capello for such an unimaginative decision or pity him for his lack of any real alternative.
In fact, out here in Beijing, you simply haven't wanted to think about the England football team at all.
In fact, out here in Beijing, you simply haven't wanted to think about the England football team at all.
From heroes who p*** all over the opposition to sportsmen who p*** all over nightclub floors.
Why bother with a group of men, capable of such immense arrogance in their everyday lives, who show such a complete lack of confidence when they pull on an England shirt?
Yet in Martin Johnson, the rugby team at least have a coach with a supreme winning mentality.
And in Kevin Pietersen, our cricketers have a captain - albeit a South Africaborn one - with the self-belief to stand toe-to-toe with the Aussies.
Most importantly, and unlike Hoy, our next generation of sportsmen and women now have a set of role models who have proved that we are no longer a nation of plucky losers.
FINAL MEDALS TABLE (Top 10)
.....................G.....S.....B.....Total
1) China...........51....21...28......100
2) USA.............36....38...36......110
3) Russia...........23....21...28......72
4) Great Britain...19....13...15......47
5) Germany........16....10...15......40
6) Australia........14....15...17......46
7) South Korea....13....10....8.......31
8 ) Japan...........9......6...10.......25
9) Italy.............8......10...10......28
10) France.........7......16...17......40
1) China...........51....21...28......100
2) USA.............36....38...36......110
3) Russia...........23....21...28......72
4) Great Britain...19....13...15......47
5) Germany........16....10...15......40
6) Australia........14....15...17......46
7) South Korea....13....10....8.......31
8 ) Japan...........9......6...10.......25
9) Italy.............8......10...10......28
10) France.........7......16...17......40
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