You don't need a silver spoon to win gold medals

Aug 31 2008 Elaine C. Smith

HOW wonderful to see 50,000 Scots turn out to welcome Chris Hoy, below, and our other Olympic heroes home.

It was so open-hearted...we wanted to tell them how their achievements touched us.

But more than 50 per cent of our Olympians come from private schools and that is a real showing-up for the state system. PE was cut to an hour a week in some schools while the private system gave six to eight hours a week - and there aren't many rowers and sailors from Craigmillar or Pilton.

Funding seems to come from the lottery, played mainly by people whose kids go to state schools. Let's hope the balance is restored by London 2012.

Ninety per cent of us went to state schools and the same should go for our Olympics team.