Comment: Now for a real sporting legacy

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Yet more Olympic medals for Britain in Beijing, with a gold for the cyclists in the men's team pursuit. That is another wonderful achievement for the British team and a fillip for the national mood in a wet August. There is real excitement about the Games as the nation watches this series of British victories - even if viewers have to struggle to work out the rules governing each successive competition. Medals in equestrian events and sailing come as no surprise but it is particularly cheering that athletes in other areas, such as gymnastics and swimming, have done so well. We now have a strong basis from which to launch the British team into the 2012 Games - the Olympic authorities can claim with more credibility than previously that their investment in talent is paying dividends.

The larger question, however, is what impact will the 2012 Games have on sporting activity nationally. Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, insists that there will be a real sporting legacy from the London Games at local as well as elite level. In particular, he points out that some of the successes of the cycling team at the Olympics can be attributed to the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 - particularly the velodrome and its benefit for cyclists. That lesson should now be heeded by those planning the 2012 Games.

For a genuinely thriving sporting culture there needs to be grass-roots participation. Yet a report by the Conservatives suggests that up to £70 million is being diverted from local sports groups to help pay for the London Games. The budget for Sport England has been cut by eight per cent, or £56 million, and it warns that as a result, 186,000 fewer people will have the chance to participate in sport at local level. Former Olympic swimmer Duncan Goodhew has criticised the closure of school swimming pools.

Of course the 2012 Games will leave a sporting infrastructure for top athletes. But if the Olympicsinspired enthusiasm is not to be short-lived, grassroots activity has to be fostered in local stadiums, sports halls, playing fields and pools, too. The sporting legacy of the 2012 Games will be as much a measure of its success as the medals tally.