Anyone who isn't proud to be British after our performance in Rio

[Burney]

There are all sorts of sports at the Olympics, old chap. I mean, a fellow might not be keen on synchronised swimming or BMW biking, but surely amongst the myriad other sports on offer you can find something worthwhile?

Are you of the view that cricket is the only worthwhile sport? If so, may I congratulate you on this perfectly remarkable exhibition of single(narrow)-mindedness?

Actually, no, there's no sport in the Olympics that's worthwhile. If they were worthwhile, they would stand alone and not need the Olympics to sustain them. And, for those sports that do exist successfully outside the Olympic structure (e.g. football, tennis, golf), their Olympic events are simply second or third-rate versions of the real thing.

In fact, I would much rather have seen the Lottery funding spent on the revival of good school sporting facilities, training and equipment. That would have a far more beneficial effect on the long-term welfare of this country than the Olympics. However, it wouldn't be as visible, so it's a non-starter.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

And in fact, Australia has spent nowhere near as much as we have on their Olympic team (about half, I believe). It's impossible to say with China because it's China.

So we spend twice as much, but have a population 2.7 times the size and won 3.4 times as many golds as them.

Seems we did rather well. Less spending per head and more golds per head. Stick that up your ashes whitewash you bunch of convicts. I have written to the SMH about this. Doubt they'll publish it.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Actually, no, there's no sport in the Olympics that's worthwhile. If they were worthwhile, they would stand alone and not need the Olympics to sustain them. And, for those sports that do exist successfully outside the Olympic structure (e.g. football, tennis, golf), their Olympic events are simply second or third-rate versions of the real thing.

In fact, I would much rather have seen the Lottery funding spent on the revival of good school sporting facilities, training and equipment. That would have a far more beneficial effect on the long-term welfare of this country than the Olympics. However, it wouldn't be as visible, so it's a non-starter.

You have far more in common with Corbyn and his new model levellers than I would have thought.

[C&B]

Would you care to explain exactly what it is about people you don't know successfully playing obscure sports that people only watch every four years that makes you 'proud'? Do you not feel you might be devaluing the concept of national pride ever so slightly by attaching it to something so meaningless and frivolous?

I think the thing to remember here is the pain and misery it appears to be causing the French and Aussies. Worth every penny imo.