Olympic Reel

The Beijing Olympics are finally at an end and the national media is to require interviews with athletes of Colombia. But for how long?

As they bask in the limelight of their victories, it's a sad state of affairs in the coming weeks, months and years, the athletes we so readily in victory and praise are so fashionable soon slip from our radar. Instead, the next four years will see attention turned to the promising athletes at more public events that will inevitably fail school in London in 2012, or whose success will quickly catapult them into higher levels of Olympic size with only one victory.

Sad as it is to say the Olympic craze has passed - at least for now - and most of the less popular sports will disappear into the darkness whence they came. There has not remove the exploits of athletes during their stay in Beijing, but none of us can truly say that we will be scouring the Internet for the latest results keelboat sailing? Or maybe trawling through the satellite channels looking for the latest coverage of Taekwondo?

Of course not. And it's a shame that these exponents success of their sport will go largely ignored. It is a certainty, however, there will be lots of publicity and coverage for the less successful athletes in the most "attractive" disciplines. Of course, Great Britain may have won only four medals - one gold and just - in the events of athletics, but you can be sure that the athletes who will keep the column inches taller and, without doubt, the highest level of funding.

Look, for example, the amount of coverage of 100 meters sprinter Dwain Chambers made in view of Beijing - and it was not even competing! As a sports fan I live, I can honestly say that great British athletes who achieved gold in the Summer Games, I am familiar with only about half the names. Instead, I could probably charge twice as many names of those athletes British track and field either did not qualify or did not medal.

It is clear that this should not be the case for too long we have flattered the mentality of the "courageous Brit. Yes, we would all dearly like to see Paula Radcliffe come home with gold, but when it comes to big races confidence seems to come out of the window both as spectator and athlete. Maybe remove the media attention to a select few or dispersing the responsibility more evenly to help athletes recover this missing element needed for victory.

I am sure I am not alone in this belief, so I am delighted that the athletes enjoyed great success in Beijing are enjoying their time in the spotlight. For once, forget and attention to the Olympic Games is reduced, it will not be until 2012 that their names are the center of attention once more.

Meanwhile, sports fans will probably turn their attention to the athlete too and under-performing is the modern footballer.