From The Sidelines (From Your Local Guardian)

From The Sidelines

9:49am Friday 22nd August 2008

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I never thought I’d see the day, but last weekend it happened – football took a back seat as swimming, cycling and rowing dominated the headlines.

In one weekend, Team GB proved Britain does have talent and it is time the country’s over-paid and over-hyped international footballers took note.

Britain claimed only one gold at the Atlanta Olympics but, 12 years on, have consigned that memory to the history books to stand third in the medals table, second only to hosts China and the USA.

At the time of writing, Team GB had claimed 17 golds, 11 silvers and 11 bronze medals –the country’s best haul in a century – with more anticipated before Sunday’s closing ceremony.

The England football team could last lay claim to being the best in the world 42 years ago but don’t look like repeating that trick in the foreseeable future.

Thankfully, the opening day of the Premier League season was barely mentioned last week as queen of the pool Rebecca Adlington swam in to Olympic folklore by securing a golden double.

Molesey Boat Club’s Chiswick-based stars Andrew Triggs-Hodge and Tom James landed the coxless four rowing title following an epic performance in Beijing.

And former St Mary’s University student Rebecca Romero, whose mum and sister cheered her to success from their home in Twickenham, helped her country rule the velodrome.

By contrast, England’s 2-2 friendly draw with the Czech Republic and John Terry’s appointment as the team’s new captain failed to even register.

The BBC have been criticised in recent times for allowing football and cricket to disappear from terrestrial TV screens.

The real crime is the stars of our so-called ‘minority’ sports – at which we rank among the best in the world – have been denied the publicity their efforts need and deserve.

The Olympics define the careers of many athletes and only a rare few get more than one chance to compete in them at their peak.

Spare a thought, then, for Twickenham’s Kate Reed, whose dream was shattered before even stepping on to the track for her 10,000m debut by the farcical decision to make her prove her fitness with a time-trial the night before her race. The same was not asked of marathon star Paula Radcliffe.

The experience of her first Games will be no consolation to Reed in four years should fate – or loss of form – see her miss London 2012.