The collapse of the Soviet sports machine happened at a particularly good time from a home team perspective because it coincided with the rise of the Brits.
In Beijing, four years ago, GB was genuinely scrapping for third place on the medal table with Russia until the penultimate day. I expect a similar battle this time round with a similar conclusion.
But while it is true that Russia’s sports system was allowed to be ground down, through lack of attention and funding rather than any other reason, it is also the case that Russia has been rebuilding fast over the last four years, but arguably at a slower pace than some of its former Soviet states.
The Virtual Medal Table, which The Times runs in association with Infostrada Sports, the sports statistics company, is a form guide to the Olympic Games and further proof that, though Russia may be mounting a comeback, built on the wealth of oil and oligarchs, it is as yet a long way from recreating the old glory days. According to the VMT, Russia is set to win 21 gold medals, with Germany on 20 and GB on 17.
However, this is by no means a case of the old Soviet Union in smithereens. The former Soviet states are rising up strong, Azerbaijan is 13th on the medal table (six golds, 19 medals in total), followed by Kazakhstan in 15th (six golds, 12 in total) and Ukraine in 17th (five golds, 18 medals in total).
Advertisement
If you add the former Soviet states together, they combine to be a force greater than Russia itself. And if you add them together with Russia, you get the most powerful Olympic team in the world, stretching ahead of China and the United States.
The VMT shows the US at the top of the table with 41 golds and 88 medals in total; a re-unified Soviet Union would win 46 golds and a total of 168 medals.
Of course, it could not quite work like that. The division into these separate states has allowed more medals to be won by more nations. But this nevertheless emphasises the extraordinary strength in an underrated part of the Olympic sporting world.