Drawing up Olympic medal tables more fairly

sir – The Olympic medal table is arranged in order of golds, with silver and bronze only counting when there is a tie.

If each gold medal were given three points, silver two and bronze one then the top 10 order would not change much.

However, if you work out the points by population, the best performer is San Marino, with a point for every 8,465 people, followed by Bermuda and Grenada.

Let’s hear it for them. Dr Andrew Rogers

Ross-on-wye, Herefordshire

sir – Lord Lexden’s letter (August 9) about amateurism at the Olympics struck a nostalgic chord with me and, I suspect, many others.

The days when a few talented Britons won a few medals showed our country at its best, in sharp contrast with the totalitarian states that hothoused athletes from an early age in order to ensure that they carried home hoards of medals.

I mean no disrespect to the British athletes of the new wave, who are dedicated, talented and determined, but there is no doubt that their dedication is being subsidised by the state in a manner perhaps more benign but nevertheless not entirely dissimilar to that of East Germany in the 1960s. Richard Bundy

Lymington, Hampshire

sir – The wonderful success of our Olympic team should make us all feel proud to be British, inspire each of us to achieve in our own lives – and remind us that we are much better together. Penny Ponders

Newbridge, Midlothian

sir – Before the 2024 Games in Paris, can we please ensure that Team GB becomes Team UK? Chris Minter

London SW6

sir – It appears to me that the Team GB selectors based their choices purely on ability.

How on earth did they manage to get away with such an outdated concept? Christopher Hartley

London SE25