High achievers: Team Canada have set the gold standard for London 2012 to follow Photo: GETTY IMAGES Those who shook their heads at the chutzpah of Canada's 'Own the Podium' programme should look at the final medals table and take note of the number 14 against Canada's name. It was the largest gold medal tally by any country at a single Games in the history of the Winter Olympics. Now they own the table.   Related Articles Canada goes wild after Olympic ice hockey gold London's tough act to follow Austrian skiing goes downhill Coe warns athletes over pressure Canada squander curling gold Sport on television If Canada can achieve that kind of success by spending £70 million on preparing its athletes, then Britain should have no qualms about extracting maximum value out of the £260 million in public money pouring into the coffers of its Olympic sport. So, when the white-water canoeing course opens in Broxbourne next year, it must be for the exclusive use of British athletes in the run-up to 2012, with training runs for foreign canoeists restricted to the minimum.[Read more...]