My Olympic Heroine

Yesterday's Belfast Telegraph was unsurprisingly full to the brim with the Coleraine rowers. It is an amazing thing that three of the medallists come from the same town, the same school, the same rowing club! Even the Prime Minister obviously thought so, deciding to watch Alan Campbell from their home town instead of in London!

My favourite article ran an interview with Campbell's mother; you will understand why!

"He had two left feet at Irish Society Primary School, he had no sporting credibility whatsoever... He tried everything, running, volleyball, he loved mini rugby, nothing would put him off. But when it came to teams being picked he was always the last one picked. It just goes to show that you can't judge the potential of any child at primary school age or how they will turn out."

PC's claim to fame is that he once sent Campbell flying from a doughnut into the river bank. He'll tell you that story with very little encouragement this week!

The Tele has also worked out the medal ratio by population, and this market town of 24,000 people has won as many medals so far as South Africa, population 50 million, Denmark, 5.5 million, and Belarus, 9.5 million. Their three medals put them one ahead of India, 1.21 billion, Indonesia, 237.6 million, Sweden, 9.5 million, and Norway, 5 million. I wonder have they room for four more!