Olympics: Britain Flexes Sporting 'superpower' Muscle

LONDON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -22nd Augst,2016) - Twenty years after a stinging Olympic failure, Britain has risen from the ashes to become a sporting "superpower" typified by the exploits of cycling lovebirds Jason Kenny and Laura Trott. Kenny won three golds in Rio to take his career total to six.

His partner Trott won two to double her total from two Olympics. Rival nations have been left confounded by Team GB's cool performance with 27 golds out of 67 won in Rio which gave them second place in the medals table behind the United States.

But rather than revolutionary coaching or technology, it is the National Lottery Fund and good old taxpayer's cash that has paid off handsomely.

The government and lottery fund has spent hundreds of millions of Pounds on sporting success in the past two decades.

And it has paid off. UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl declared Sunday: "We are one of those sporting superpowers now." It was "spectacular" to be ahead of China in the rankings thanks to the likes of distance runner Mo Farah, Andy Murray in tennis, Justin Rose in golf, boxer Nicola Adams, Trott and Kenny, Max Whitlock and Britain's first ever women's hockey champions.