Aqualung

The UK swimmers have been a real inspiration all week. The Commonwealth does not always provide genuine world class competition, but in a pool filled with Australians and South Africans it really is a test of metal.
A performance that brings a combined medal haul of 38, of which 15 gold, is very much something to be excited by. The depth of talent is phenomenal. No reliance on the individual dominantion of a Thorpe or Hackett for us. Some 16 or so different people won those medals.
Well done to you all.

I would love to know, based entirely on times, how many of those medals would have converted to success at the last Olympics. But that is hardly the point.

The real question is how many of these medals will convert into success at the next Olympics? Just imagine if we won 38 medals in the pool in Beijing.

So please tell me that these men and women are coming home to a national swimming academy, where they will be free to develop stronger and feed from each others success and confidence. Please tell me that we have the commitment to give them the support they need to step up from empire champions to Olympians.

Only time will tell, but we'll all be watching.