Our Mark is a true Olympic hero

As a result of being jazzed with jet- lag, depressed by doping scandals and tired with tedious time changes, the Rio Olympics were passing me by.

Until my interest was sparked only when the rugby sevens came on.

Even then, it was only a passing interest since the GB team were hardly going to take the competition by storm, were they?

The most interesting feature was the inclusion of the two Scottish Marks, Robertson from Melrose and our own Bennett out of Cumnock, Ayr, Glasgow Warriors and Scotland.

Come Friday at 11pm, the squad had confounded all expectation to reach the final and had millions on the edge of their seats.

The GB squad was confronted by perhaps the most complete display of sevens witnessed at any level and it was no disgrace to find themselves silver medallists to a Fiji side who won their country’s first ever Olympic gold. There was a fascinating cameo as Glasgow team mates, Bennett and Fiji’s Leone Nakawara lined up against each other.

It was a wonderful sporting moment at the end when Nakawara went to his former clubmate to console him before the Fijians began a celebration which is probably still continuing.

Bennett said: “If you had said 10 weeks ago we would become Olympic medallists, we would have laughed at you. To come away with silver is huge and we went down to a better team but that gesture from Leone just shows what the Fijians are like as a people and their culture is incredible.”