Olympics

I lived and worked in Germany as a foreign correspondent for nearly 10 years in the 1980s and 1990s and I was always amazed at the sports facilities in the country.

Every small town I visited seemed to have an athletics track, large swimming pool or a multi-sports complex and Germany's facilities for elite sport regularly attracted world championships to the country. Whenever I returned to Britain, especially during holidays in London, I thought our facilities were second class, sometimes third class, in comparison.

I still believe that is the case in London.