Is it accurate to describe Lottery funding as 'the public purse', implying that the money has come from taxation? Either way, what an unrelievedly miserabilist view of the world. Why do we insist on undermining our own successes? This guilt inspired world view serves no one and no purpose..

Richard Dawson, London, UK

What ignorance! He’s clearly never met a town rowing club. In rowing the expensive kit is owned by the club, is communal and shared. Coaches are keen to teach. Anyone who can turn up on time can learn to row. Work hard to win. Cash isn’t needed. Just aspiration and effort.

John, London,

Exactly, Matthew, it's why that top of the table Hooray/Sloane Zara "amazing" Phillips won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 2006.

Barry, London, UK

If the athletes find it such hard work, why don't they give it up and gt a proper job?

jturner, spalding,

The Olympics are not about equality, never have been (cf: the ancient games). Sport exalts human achievement and ability. There are winners & that means there will also be losers. Is it "fair" that there aren't more white men in the NBA? So the economic privilege of urban playgrounds must go?

Bob Kidera, Rochester, NY, USA

Exactly.

And how many swimming pools are there in India or Nigeria?

John Peters, Swansea,

Selections from the "Whine List," presented by a connoiseur of sour grapes. Competition is so unfair. All must have prizes.

peter, miami, usa

So true!

A Aftab, Durham, UK

Independent schools hang on to their playing fields and make part of them into all-weather pitches. State schools sell theirs. Has that nothing to do with it?

Mike Sedgwick, Eastleigh, UK

What sheer ignorance and an utter insult to the British cyclists and their support team to suggest that the winning difference is all down to the bike. You have absolutely no idea.

Kevin, Leeds,

"and assuming that sporting talent is spread evenly"

It's a good thing Matthew Syed represented Great Britain at table tennis and not statistics.

Chris, London, UK

I think the likes of this article should be given greter prominence................it sums up what the olympics mean to myself exactly

R Stewart, Buckingham, UK

You are dead right about Olympic inequality. But please dont attack athletes who put in so much work for their sport.

Privelaged or not, Steve Redgrave has worked immensely hard for every medal and fully deserves our respect for using his advantages in a positive way and pushing himself so hard.

Paul, Beijing,

Dare I suggest that the 'over representation' of private schools in the Olympics might actually be because they genuinely have an 'over representation' of Britains talent in them? As for the 45% of medal winers: Are you suggesting that the (foreign)Olympic judges etc are in on the 'discrimination'?

Eric Skelton, Cardiff, Wales

I for one fail to see how being born into wealth should matter any more than being born with good genes.

Is it equally unfair that Usain Bolt who destroyed the field in the 100m has apparently been born with a near-superhuman ability to run quickly over short distances?

Rob, Cardiff, UK

Croquet should be an olympic sport. It is almost that around here.

Bob Taylor, Stone Mountain, USA

This article is probably true except in relation to cycling. If you look at the background of the cyclists you'll see they are very ordinary, mostly northerners. It's incredibly untrue to say that cycling is not a `popular' sport - just look at the number of people in the CTC.

Sue, Sheffield, UK

Wonderful article for all of those with a chip on their shoulder about being onvolved in sports that do not get funding because no one is interested. Good luck with the ping pong old boy.

Jonny, Brighton, UK

Absolute rubbish to say that sailing (for example) is an elitist sport. There is no cost whatsoever to get started in the sport - the problem is one of culture not finance. Your article is an insult to the many far from wealthy folks who participate in so-called elite sports at grass roots level.

Stephen Reeve, Southend,

If the Africans and Indians had more money for training in journalism, they would be writing and we wouldn't be reading this kind of "insight" from the privileged but rather average Syed.

The wealthy get better diets, better medical ... and achieve only because others are poor. It's not fair.

Carson, Leatherhead,

Yes, but Matthew darling, the Great Unwashed have football with which to amuse themselves.

Nick Mortimer, London,

That's life. The well-off produce more well-off kids. Average folks have to try harder. This all started around 10,000 years ago and will continue for as long as there are humans. Boo-hoo.

NC, Little Rock,

Matthew Syed is quite right. This is probably true of other sports too eg shooting, fencing or archery, simply because the equipment is expensive. Its possible that good sportsmen go to private schools on scholarships even if they are not well-to-do.

acharya, bangalore, india

Great article, spoilt my afternoon's Olympics watching. But how do you explain cricket-mad India rarely beating Australia at cricket, with populations of one billion versus 18 million? No expensive equipment required for cricket. Surely confidence has lots with it, hence those smug Etonians....

Chris N, Lewes, UK,

Those Africans would never have won all those medals had they not had the 'priviledge' of living and training at altitude.

If Ben Nevis plateaued at 5000m the Scots would be the best in the world.

It's just not fair I tell you.

Jack Hunt, Leeds,

The Nigerian Fasuba has run 9.77 in the 100m. With American (or even European/ Caribbean) training and funding, he could have been the greatest ever I believe.

Ben, York,

I would say that more funding of elite sport reduces mass participation. In the lottery funding years, obesity has grown as a problem in the UK. Face it, most people spend the Olympic fortnight on the sofa. All that money going on London 2012 could have scattered decent pools across the land.

Charles, Edinburgh, Scotland

Matthew, this is probably the best article you have written. What you say is absolutely correct.

Jon, Dunstable,

Well written Matthew. To me the olympics would be fair if all the contestants had equal training opportunities. In India the olympics seem to be more for the benefit of the officials running the system rather than the contestants.

Benjamin Alvares, Mumbai, India

agree with what you say, but lets say if rugby 7's was in games.
A very elitist sport in this country but which other sport could you have a 123 of samoa tonga and fiji very tiny countries.
Also although it has a bad press a lot of the footballers in the olympics would of had very poor backgrounds

George, marsden,

Totally agree spending large sums of money on equipment goes completely against the 'amateur' nature of the Olympics but isn't physical sporting prowess directly related to mother nature's 'survival of the fitest'? The independent sector is just a natural extention of this I'm afraid.

Dave, Newquay, UK

It's hard to argue that much of what is written here is true, but it's a mistake not to play the game, and if that means investing in elitist sports, while they are part of the Olympics, I'm all for it - I'd rather GB can win a good clutch of medals over occupying the moral high ground any day.

Piers, London, United Kingdom

Professional sport has distanced itself so far from the amateur, that interest in it can be fuelled only by personality and nationalism. Bannister was a human being, Phelps is a machine.

Kevin Straw, Leicester,

I think most Africans will be worrying more about surviving until the next Olympics than about introducing a sport that allows them to increase their 4% medal total...

Stu, Beijing,

firstly, competition is taboo in state schools - all shave have prizes - or, none shall have medals.
secondly, obviously sport is a recreational activity. those who have money have free time and resources for sport. those who work 14 hours a day in a mine don't go and play squash after work.

Marco, Kraków, Poland

The LA Times has helpfully once again published its "medals per capita" table. With the perennial exception of Australia, the top of its table is populated by countries like Armenia, Slovakia, Azerbaijan - not exactly rich!

The US, richest of all, is in 30th place, India is only 16 places behind.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

absolutely superb article. Why the Olympic authorities don't include other sports dominant in emerging economies is beyond me. Time for change!

adam, London,

Brilliant article.

Westsider, Cardiff, UK