They sent power surge through our national grid of emotions
benefited from almost £350million of lottery money. It means the cyclists can ride £10,000 bikes, fulltime coaches proliferate and support staff are sprinkled liberally in the arenas, lakes and stadia of Rio.
That grassroots sport is not cared for in the same manner and with the same financial backing as elite sport is a debate that must be had.
But if these elite athletes can inspire, a large part of the job is done.
And remember, it still comes down to the individual – and the individuals as a team.
Do not forget, the average amount a GB Olympian will receive annually in lottery funding is £28,000 a year.
Some Premier League footballers earn that in a day.
So it still comes down to the dedication and determination of that individual.
Peaty getting up daily in the cold, dark dank of a 4.30 morning. The Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonny, pounding Yorkshire moors in weather that assaults.
Jade Jones taking her bubbly 23-year-old Bodelwyddan self down to the gym day and night when her friends are out on the town.
Katherine Grainger rowing against the tide of age on windswept lakes.
MEMORABLE
That is why Peaty won gold in the pool.
That is why the Brownlee brothers won gold and silver in the triathlon.
That is why Jones won a second taekwondo gold medal.
That is why Grainger – with her partner Victoria Thornley – won a memorable silver in a boat.
The same goes for each and every gold, silver and bronze medallist out in Rio. Every competitor, in fact. Somehow, we know the sacrifices they have made just to make themselves, their families proud.
Pride of Britain. It’s something this newspaper cherishes.
It is clearly something that infused the 366 athletes who represented Great Britain in Rio.
Some believe patriotism is not always a great look. They might have a point.
Not, though, when the Olympics –for all its troubles, for all its machinations, for all its politics – comes around.
What drove Justin Rose to the Rio golf course when so many of his fellow multi-millionaire golfers were making Zika excuses because they couldn’t be bothered?
The chance to do something not just for himself for a change, the chance to do something for his country. There cannot have been a prouder Olympic gold medal winner in Brazil – even golfers could not put a price on that.
In his emotion, in his words, in his unfiltered joy, we got to know and like Rose more than we have in his two decades on the golf circuit. It has not been just about winning. Lutalo Muhammad suffered an agonising last-second defeat in the men’s 80kg taekwondo final on Friday and, with a cruel cocktail of tears and sweat staining his face, said this: “I don’t want to cry but I am so sorry to the people that stayed up to watch. I let them down. This is so hard.” You let no one down, Lutalo. You and every single Great British Olympian lifted a nation.
We felt like we knew you all for two weeks.
Thanks.