The problem is that the Olympic games are the product of a paradox that social media has brought to a head.

FORBES: U.S. Athletes Are Right About Twitter: Rule 40 Exposes The Flaw In Olympic Thinking

An academic study linking Olympic performance to gross domestic product per head reckons that the UK should be in the 42 to 47 medal range.

BBC: Going for the happiness gold

This year, Thomas Heatherwick's shortlisted Olympic cauldron lost out to Kit Yamoto's anti-diarrhoea kits in the product category.

BBC: Gov.uk wins Design of the Year award