A while ago there was talk here in Canada about boycotting the Olympics. Which Olympics that was, I can't say now. Here we take the Winter Games seriously and probably win more medals at them than we do in the Summer version. Anyway, one of the Canadian would-be competitors announced that the government had no right to forbid her from going to the games. My feeling was if she had ever taken a penny of public money, she could only enjoy free choice in the matter once she'd repaid it. You take government money, you do what the government says. These people almost always compete for themselves, not for sake their neighbours. I certainly take no pride in their win. It's their achievement and they can have it all to themselves. And I'd rather they financed achieving their dreams from their own pocket. International sport is big big business these days and many of the successful sports people are mercenaries who have little in common with the people of the countries whose colours they wear. I don't see many of the competitors who do win and then land a lucrative endorsement deal putting the money back into their sport or reimbursing the taxpayer.