try your best that nobody could blame you!this is a game,if someone win that someon lose!

IVan, CHINA,

In China,the gold medals are the politic action,displaying our country all the sorts of sucess!nothing alse!

IVan, CHINA,

The term "loser" is most inappropriate when used to describe the athletes participating in the Olympics. How ironic that the dazzling apotheosis of a certain few athletes (the very core of the Olympic ethos) can turn the other performances into so much cud to be chewn by the couch-bound public.

CCasassa, London, UK

I hate to sound curmudgeonly but up to the 1988 we were always thrashed by the East Europeans. We always said they were "cheating" which in the end came down to the State putting huge resources into sport for political reasons. Are we now any better than the hated DDR? But... Come on TeamGB!

Grahame, Glasgow, UK

We're third in the medal table, exceeded only by the USA (pop. quarter of a billion) and China (pop. a billion plus). Come on guys, what more do you want?

Rob, London, UK

Yes, loosers in Olympic are far more heroic,because they participate in a world event and struggle to reach the top. When they fail, they come back with a smile packed with universal brotherhood which is the moto of games. I salute those unsung heroes.achievey

Nanda Kishore Mishra, Bhubaneswar, India

Thank you Mille from London - you took the words out of my mouth

Cynthia, London, UK

Spoken like a New Labour Politician!? Anyone who competes in sport knows winning is everything. That is how to approach sport and the way our kids should be taught. With this PC dribble about no winners and losers being taught in schools in 12 years time we will have no medals!

Dean, Southampton, England

Andre, Howard and so many others, week in, week out: this column is about IRONY and you need to work on GETTING IT

Phil - not sure about your point re Zara Phillips, reigning World Champion

Mille, London,

The first Greek games were a religious offering to the deities. Each gave of his best. Cheating was pointless for the gods would know. The games died when the old religion died amid corruption and partisanship. Today's Olympics have gone the same way, and should now be abandoned. I don't want them.

Rob Bryant, Bromley, England

If politics is showbusiness for ugly people is competitve sport showbiz for the terminally boring and literal-minded? Dan and Howard - any opinions on this?

Shirley, London,

Some of the commentators here would definitely be in contention for a gold medal in "Sense of Humour Failure".

Esther, London,

It is exactly this sort of attitude that stops sport moving forward in Britain and doesn't allow it to receive the funding it needs. We expect failure and accept it, that's why there are not the facilities to allow us to excel in track and field as we deem it a lost cause.

Jon, Oxford,

NO! the winning spirit is what is missing from British sport and we should strive to win there are already too many second bests. It was suggested the other day that we should have entered a football team, ironic when we couldn't even make it to Europe let alone Bejing!

Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England

I believe the original Olympic ideals included bringing people together: winners & losers.

ian cheese, london, uk

I thought you Brits loved losers, Frank Bruno, Eddie the Eagle, Zara Phillips, Jimmy White...............

PHIL O' KEEFFE, Dublin, Ireland

What a load of rubbish! Leve obviously doesn't enjoy any sporting activity and has the "I'm never going to win anything so I'll just make excuses about my failings", and say spiteful things about people who want to win at something.

Howard, Savannah,

The next phase in retro-active UK - hope to lose. It's not enough to the I-hate-everything-about-English-culture that we have lost our way, never to return. Lets celebrate the losers - lets relate to them!

Mediocrity is all the modern, PC, equality driven muppets can deal with.

Dan, London, UK

That attitude is exactly what Britain needs to reject. Losing is not something that should be accepted lightly and, in every loss it is important to learn something that would promote success the next time. Focus on giving maximum effort in areas where you choose - that's what olympic athletes do.

Andre, Portland, USA

Ariel, I do believe you are becoming British... 'It's not the winning, it's the taking part' and all that. Us Brits of a certain age will remember the enthusiastic loser, Eddie the Eagle, whose skiiing attempts were more watched than those of any slick, Lycra-clad Swiss athlete.

Annie, Hampshire,