When Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins was asked if he was surprised at what the cycling team had achieved in Beijing he replied that he was not because they had achieved a similar feat at the World Championships months earlier.
He curtly added that it was just nobody had noticed because at the time they were more interested in Manchester City loon Joey Barton being thrown in prison for assault.
Football will never be knocked from its perch as the national game - even during Team GB gold rush, the tabloids managed to dedicate the back pages to England's dismal draw with the Czech Republic - but lets hope with the backing of the media and sponsors our Olympians won't now be popped back on the shelf only to be dusted off again in four years time.
In 2003, rugby had its moment in the sun and two years later it was the cricketers turn. But with the Games coming to London the opportunity is there to promote these athletes , and more importantly their sports which often struggle for funding, over a sustained period. Dare I say it but perhaps Sky Sport's lucrative sponsorship deal struck with British Cycling before the Games could be a catalyst for even greater success next time around?
The ‘heroes' parade, on Thursday October 16, will be the first real opportunity for brands to celebrate their association with the Olympic stars. Let's hope its just the start.
