So, "Team GB" (sounds a bit Orwellian, doesn't it?) has now garnered a grand total of four medals. The leader writers and columnists are doubtless already preparing their articles presenting this as an unmitigated triumph, and a ringing endorsement of some political credo or social philosophy.
Far be it from me to sound cynical, but is it really a triumph?. Full credit to those athletes who have won medals, or who have put in good performances, but should a country of Britain's population and wealth, albeit one with relatively little in the way of mountains, snow and ice, be hailing this medal tally as a great achievement? I would argue that Britain should be much better than it is at, for example, figure skating. "We" should also be capable of raising a half-decent ice hockey team, which is deemed worthy of competing at the Olympics. The less charitable might aver that Britain concentrates its efforts on the more minority, less competitive events where there is a greater possibility of success, and resultant propaganda value.
As I said at the time of London 2012, the whole "Team GB" phenomenon, and the public hysteria which goes with it, worries me. It seems to me that there is a concerted effort by some of those in charge, and by their acolytes in the media, to use Britain's "success" in Olympic sports especially as an instrument for shaping opinion, and unfortunately lots of people who should know better fall for it, allowing the warm glow of euphoria imbued by a few shiny medals to stand in for cool, detached and rational thinking.
The constant refrain "be inspired" really grates too, as if everybody feels under some obligation to utter it at strategic moments, for fear of being branded churlish, reactionary or not "on message". It's just a shame that people are not asked to "be inspired" to do things such as read books and think more critically.
I would love to know whether a similar situation prevails in other European countries...
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