Readers' letters: Olympic glory is less important than the health of the nation

Amid the triumphalism of each medal won by “Team GB” at the Olympics and hours of BBC TV coverage sadly limited in broad sporting action, there was little discussion of the iniquities of UK sport funding or the comparatively greater success of some of our sporting neighbours.

GB (population 65-plus million) won 14 gold medals (more than half from equestrianism, rowing/sailing and cycling) with 65 overall, while Ireland (population five-plus million, seven-plus million if Northern Ireland is included) won four gold medals with seven overall and Norway (population 5.5 million) won four gold medals with eight overall. A simplistic population comparison indicates that “Team Norway” enjoyed greater than three times more “gold medal success” and greater than 50 per cent more “overall medal success” than “Team GB”. “Team Ireland” enjoyed greater than double the “gold medal success” and similar “overall medal success” to “Team GB”. The equivalent comparison with distant New Zealand indicates that with a population of five million and ten gold medals won, 20 overall, “Team NZ” enjoyed nearly ten times more ‘gold medal success’ and greater than four times the “overall medal success” of “Team GB”.

Regrettably it is not anticipated that the distorted elitist approach to GB sports funding will be seriously and objectively reviewed any time soon, but perhaps sportscotland (with the limited funds it has available) can learn from New Zealand and other “small countries”, such as Norway and Ireland, and at the same time devise a more equitable funding model better targeted at encouraging greater participation across a wide range of sports than focusing on selected sports which require considerable financial resources to pursue to the top level.

The Olympic rings are raised during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Games at the Stade de France (Picture: John Walton/PA Wire)

Medals are great as recognition of individual talent and sporting commitment, as well as in helping to inspire younger competitors, but improving the overall health of the nation must be considered more important than a few meritorious successes.

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian

Teamwork matters

It took a big effort on the part of the First Minister to congratulate the Scottish athletes who shared in the bumper haul of medals in Paris without mentioning they were part of the GB team. He seemed to be attempting to give the impression that they were a separate entity by not once mentioning the GB connection.

It was nationalist churlishness at its toe-curling worst.

The fact is that for four years Scots athletes shared facilities and coaches from every corner of the UK, and much as it may hurt Mr Swinney to say it, part of a joint and therefore much more powerful and successful effort.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Inspiring Olympics

Some will remember the Olympics for the state of the Seine but most will think of more inspirational moments. I will recall a moment of sheer magic in the women’s beach volleyball final. Brazil’s Ana Patricia Ramos’ altercation with feisty Canadian Brandie Wilkerson threatened to get out of hand but the quick thinking of the DJ playing John Lennon’s Imagine and the crowd’s reaction made both players see sense and peace was restored through smiles. Brazil went on to win the tournament and proved to be a different team to that which trailed lowly ranked Latvia 6-0 in the quarter-finals.

Outside the venues thousands of police kept everyone safe, standing at virtually every street corner, joining in the fun by taking tourists’ photos and photos of their own of the Eiffel Tower. It was all a far cry from the war in Ukraine and the continued atrocities in Gaza. It reflected the Olympic spirit of respecting rules and fellow athletes.

As the chairman of the IOC, Thomas Bach, stated at the closing ceremony, the Olympics created “a culture of peace that inspired the world”.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

Taking the biscuit

One question which I’ve had on my mind for some years but has only now surfaced is “what has happened to Glengarry biscuits?”.

My Gran lived in Mosspark Boulevard (when the No 3 Coronation Class trams still ran along the Boulevard between Belahouston Park and the road). She always had Glengarrys in the biscuit tin. I would eat my way round the distinctive edge, then work towards the middle.

They were made by bakers William McDonald in their Hillington factory, where legend has it Glengarry biscuits were originally produced. Having fruitlessly Googled, it would seem that, like the Dodo, the Glengarry has long been extinct. As for William McDonald, they seem to have been gobbled up by McVitie & Price.

If DNA makes it possible to clone the woolly mammoth, surely someone like Border Biscuits could bring the Glengarry back to life?

Doug Morrison, Tenterden Kent

Turkish delight

Our government regularly takes pleasure in comparing its many failures to Westminster and/or another nation of the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, there has until now never been a scapegoat for the delay in the delivery of the Glen Sannox and her sister ferry.

I am sure ministers will now be delighted that they can deflect future delays in the Ferguson Marine ferries by referring to the two-month delay in the Turkish built ferries (Scotsman, 9 August). The fact that such a delay is due to unrest around the Red Sea and the war in Ukraine will, I’m sure, be neither here nor there.

Ross Scott, Edinburgh

Tongues twister

It was insightful to read Mary Thomas’s home-grown theory explaining a drop in the numbers studying modern foreign languages (Letters, 10 August).

She plaintively asks: “On subject choices, why would Scottish youngsters study French or German when we have been taken out of Europe against our will?” Anyone would think we had completely severed all commercial, travel, cultural and diplomatic links with the Continent!

Her comment neatly illustrates the Eurocentric tunnel-vision of Scottish separatism because she appears oblivious to the fact that French is also widely spoken across vast swathes of Africa as well as the Caribbean and South Pacific regions, while Spanish and Portuguese are dominant in South and Central America. There’s a whole world out there beyond Europe where fluency in these languages is useful.

The real reason for declining uptake may have more to do with a shortage of suitably qualified teachers at secondary level. Some primary schools used to have Italian, French and German specialists; a practice which seems to have largely died out on the watch of this SNP Holyrood government.

Martin O’Gorman, Edinburgh

Cull the gulls

Well said, Lesley Milne (Letters, August 12). It is high time the law was changed to allow or preferably require local authorities to cull, ie humanely kill, so-called seagulls, which increasingly come inland to breed, live their lives, scavenge and attack – so that these wild but semi-domesticated avians do not procreate the next generations in even greater numbers unable or unwilling to live where nature intended.

John Birkett, St Andrews, Fife

Sleeping dog

I presume that like an elderly guard dog the criminal justice system will go back to sleep after the rioters are deservedly dealt with.

Otto Inglis, Crossgates, Fife

Zelensky’s folly

With every passing month, my support for Ukraine drains away. For it seems that President Zelensky hasn't quite given up on his prior career as a comedy actor on the international tour circuit.

The military excursion into Russia is the latest act in this pantomime. What are the objectives? What does he hope to achieve by this insane enterprise?

It seems to me that Ukrainian armed forces are now terrorising innocent Russian civilians who have the misfortune to live in towns and villages in the border region. Many of them probably loathe Putin and his war just as much as Ukraine does.

The mini-invasion of Russia also makes it more likely that the US and NATO will think long and hard about providing future weapons which are now being used offensively, and, in doing so, this pushes us closer towards all-out war with Russia.

When Ukrainian soldiers die, will Zelensky tell the bereaved families their loved ones died in defence of the nation? Whilst just happening to be participating in a fool’s errand 20 or 30 miles inside Russian territory. This operation makes the charge of the light brigade look like a sensible military exercise. He should drop it immediately.

Zelensky is now perhaps finding himself in a similar position to Winston Churchill in 1945. Someone who was the right leader at the right time a few years ago, but who is now out of sync with his allies and his generals. There will be no prospects for peace so long as he remains in power. With presidential elections due this year, Zelensky opted to stay on and “rule by decree” until final victory is achieved.

I’m not quite sure what his end game is and no doubt these sentiments are shared by many of his generals, ministers and advisers, not to mention the Ukrainian people who are paying the price in blood for the brazen stubbornness and incompetence of their leader.

David Fernandez, Strathaven, South Lanarkshire

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