Were the Olympic medals a true measure of success or was the UK's Lottery money deliberately targeted at events that were elitist and therefore almost guaranteed as medal-winning sport.
After all, the sports of rowing and sailing are hardly inclusive within the UK or indeed anywhere else, with participants generally very 'well off' and first experiencing these sports at private school. It would be interesting to know how many school
s in Leeds have rowing and sailing as part of their curriculum, I suspect this figure will be representative throughout the UK. Yet these two sports were given nearly £50m from Lottery funding.
To give some idea on the reality of these sports, the men's coxless four (gold), there were only 13 teams competing, women's double sculls (bronze) 10 teams, men's double sculls (bronze) 15 teams. The limited number of competitors give an indication of the elitism in the sport and therefore pro rata the likelihood of success.
The National Lottery funds were supposed to be for community projects yet the elitist sport of rowing which really can afford to sponsor themselves have received some £22m and are likely to receive a similar amount for the London 'bash'. The sailing is, of course, highly affordable/accessible to all who find private education just as affordable/accessible and yet even this sport was awarded millions of Lottery grants.
Surely the low numbers of competitors for the medals in these elitist sports are an indication the National Lottery is being abused. The idea of the Lottery was for the whole of the UK to benefit at grass roots level. Plainly grass has had very little to do with any of these sports and the level of grants has no relationship to the limited numbers who participate.
If we add this to the vast amount of money being literally given to the London Olympics by the rest of the UK one has to ask where's the handcart and to hell with it, as once again the very few gain almost all with the rest of the UK left to live off the scraps.
AJ Robinson, West Park, Leeds
At the Olympics, Heather Fell won a silver medal for the pentathlon, but she had to work in a pub and two other jobs to finance her training.
I wonder if the Chinese athletes had to make do or were they supported by their Government?
Our sports men and women have pride, but not our politicians.
J SHEDLOW, Fir Tree Vale, Moortown, Leeds
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