Lottery millions help British athletes to golden success in the Rio Olympics

Writing this column deep into the Olympic Games, it looks like Great Britain can feel pretty good about itself, battling with China for second place out of 205 countries.

Already British runners, jumpers, rowers and throwers have surpassed their target of 48 medals, the largest total won in an Olympiad held outside the UK, and by the time you read this, they could be close to the record 65 won in London in 2012.

What is inescapable about international contests is that the biggest countries have the best chance of producing the most of anything, athletes included.

But quantity does not always mean quality. Of the current top three, America, China and Britain, China has a population of 1.3 billion, the United States 319 million, and Britain only 64 million.

However, the UK’s sporting establishment would be wise not to express any feelings of schadenfreude concerning the many bigger countries it has beaten.

It may be a long way back to 1952, but elderly sports fans will never forget the British performance that year at Helsinki. We came in 18th with a total of 11 medals, only one of them gold and that won by a horse!

The show jumper Foxhunter was ridden to glory by Harry Lewellyn, while our human athletes were puffing in last in many other events.

Forty-four years later, things were no better. In Atlanta, USA, we placed 36th with still only one gold. But changes were under way.

In 1994, the National Lottery was established and Britons (gamblers at heart) flocked to buy tickets and scratch cards for a pound or two a time. So popular was the lottery that prize money soared and vast sums were paid out weekly, the highest jackpot to date being £161 million.

This is how it works: 50 per cent of lottery income goes to prize money, other sums cover running costs and government duties, while 28 per cent is set aside for good causes: 40 per cent to health and education and 20 per cent each to sports, the arts and heritage projects.

Swiftly, little-known sports such as rowing, cycling and windsurfing soared in popularity as lottery money provided coaches, tracks and equipment.

Hundreds of hard-up athletes benefited from personal stipends and new or improved facilities, schools started after-hours sports clubs and disabled people were encouraged to join the Paralympics trail.

Since Atlanta, hundreds of millions of pounds have been invested in UK sport, £350 million in the current four-year cycle.

ODOUR OF CHEATING

The benefits were evident in Rio in the greatest sporting show on earth. What is disappointing is the sour odour of cheating which hangs over the games.

State-sponsored corruption in Russia got many of its competitors banned from Rio, while admirers of African track achievements were disappointed that two Kenya officials were accused.

Track and field manager Michael Rotich was ordered home after being caught asking athletes (actually undercover journalists) for money to inform them about the times of drug testing. And then sprint coach John Anzrah was accused of posing as a member of the Kenya team.

Fans of Kenya want to know why such an historically successful track nation did not have the confidence to rely on its bountiful natural talent.

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Here’s news that could cheer a lot of us up: If you have a messy desk, stay up late and swear a lot, you are probably a bit brighter than other people.

A study by the University of Minnesota found that a disordered work space led to a more creative outflow. Psychological scientist Kathleen Vohs said, “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights. Orderly environments encourage convention and playing it safe.”

Staying up late could also be an indicator of intelligence, the study said, referencing President Obama, Charles Darwin and Winston Churchill as examples of successful night owls.

You tend to hear that people who swear a lot have a “limited vocabulary.” But the study showed that people who could say the most swear words in one minute also tended to score higher in an IQ test. So those who don’t swear are the ones with a limited vocabulary while cussing is a sign of rhetorical strength.

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I told my son, “You will marry the girl I choose.” He said, “No!” I told him, “She is Bill Gates’s daughter. He said, “OK!”

I called Bill Gates and said, “I want your daughter to marry my son.” Bill Gates said, “No!” I told him, “My son is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank.” Bill Gates said, “OK!”

I called the President of the World Bank and asked him to make my son the Chief Executive Officer. He said “No!” I told him, “My son is Bill Gates’s son-in-law. He said, “OK!” This is how politics works.

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