Britain has won only 15 medals at the games.

Governments and sports officials are holding crisis meetings to discover why Britannia no longer rules the waves. Sponsorship, funding, wholesale changes, are promised in order to regain prominence.

I have every sympathy for our Olympians. But don't let political flag rattling take your mind off more important issues. Get things in true perspective.

Athletes are dedicated people. Years are spent in endless cycles of running, swimming, weight training and diet. That's what it takes to run a second faster. Row two yards quicker. Jump a centimetre further.

Is it a national scandal that a country the size of Britain cannot compete?

Britain's problem is not poor athletic performance. Our influential history is to blame. Francis Drake, BBC world service, cricket and afternoon tea enshrined the Union Jack world wide. Spitfires, bulldogs and Roger Bannister ensured renown.

Sadly those days are over. Britain no longer rules half the world.

Our newspapers are controlled by foreign interests. Stately homes sold abroad. Our pint is Australian, our chips Chinese, and our workforce dependent upon outside investment seeking cheap labour.

Apart from calls for the disolution of Monarchy, Church and Westminster, we have never had it so bad.

It's time to realise that countries bigger than ourselves no longer feel the necessity to bow. We taught them warfare, sold them armourments and now they realise their own capabilities. Should we be so surprised at our success?

Britain will never again rise to the pinnacle of Olympic dominance. Never again be the universal political force it once was.

So let's take comfort knowing it's the taking part - and not the winning - that's important.

I will miss the National Anthem.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.