Why Britain cannot claim moral high ground after London 2012 | Barney Ronay

Dec 13, 2019

Few sporting nations are qualified to talk with certainty about the failings of others and, with London 2012 the most dope-ridden Olympics ever staged, Britain is not one of them

And what a time it was, and what a time. Here’s a festive quiz question. What do you get if you cross Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban, Ali Bongo, Boris Johnson and Robert Mugabe? Answer: a VIP guest box at the London 2012 opening ceremony!

A time of innocence. A time of confidence. A time of mob-handed despots on a summer junket, so many in fact that those Games are still ranked as the second-largest gathering of world leaders ever assembled – discounting UN summits, none of which have been able to boast the humbling spectacle of soon-to-be-impeached Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff watching the Kinks get out of a taxi.

Tags: Athletics Drugs in sport Russia doping scandal Sport