Madam, - I am confused by Ian O'Riordan's article entitled "Why does it always have to be about medals?" which was posted on your website, irishtimes.com, on August 9th.
It appears to be a retrospective review of the Olympics, written in advance. This is an exercise I'm struggling to find a purpose for.
Regardless, it quickly turns into a dressing down of our nation for deigning to hope for some success at these games.
It also takes the presumptive line that we wouldn't win any medals, which has proved to be inaccurate.
Staggeringly, rather than questioning why, after millions of euro of lottery investment and Government funding, we have seen such little reward in the games down the years, the message of the piece seems to suggest that we should remain an unambitious little island of people who should view the typically abject failure of our athletes as success.
"It's just great to take part!" should be our approach. I couldn't disagree more. I think we're dramatically selling ourselves short if we're going to come 24th out of 24 competitors and give ourselves a pat on the back.
Personally, I greet the success of our Olympic boxers with mixed emotions. On one hand, I am pleased that we have achieved at least some success at these games but on the other hand, all the hyperbole sure to follow these young men in the coming weeks will cloud the fact that in almost every other event our failures have been monumental.
A nation with such a passion for sport should be achieving a whole lot more. Or at least expecting to. - Yours, etc,
ZACHERY STEPHENSON, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London.