UK Olympic athletes are supported by the Government, commercial sponsorship and National Lottery investment and it is only right that we celebrate the fantastic achievements of our Olympic heroes.

But I do wonder about the full financial cost, which runs into many millions of pounds over the four-year period between Games.

It must be very satisfying for organisers, coaches and athletes to get this fantastic amount of funding to ride around a bike track and win medals and become commercially valuable celebrities.

I agree that training is very hard work and takes lots of dedication, but so does being a carer and having pride in a job well done supporting people in the community for more 50 years without all the media publicity or being knighted.

I have to ask is the cost of winning an Olympic medal worth diverting millions of pounds of money that could revolutionise the NHS and make our health service once more a world leader in care?

It is right that we should be funding our British athletes and I marvel and cheer and share that British pride in their achievements and skills. But are they worth millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money when every week we hear of financial cutbacks and delays in care for the elderly due to the lack of funding that dramatically affects the quality of life for large sections of our community?

Bob Welch

Leigh