by Ken Bennett, Welsh Athletics Records Officer

The XXVIX Olympics of the modern era were celebrated in Beijing, China from the 15th to 24th August. Disappointingly, of the 68 athletes in the Great Britain Track & Field Team, only two were Welsh. This was the lowest number of Welsh athletes in the Olympic Squads since 1980 when again we had only two representatives.

The Games since 1980 have been graced by many Welsh Athletes. Six in 1984 and 1992; seven in 1996; eight in 2000 and 2004: and our highest ever number of nine in 1988

How many Welsh Athetes should we reasonably expect to wear the Great Britain vest? If we compared it with the population of Wales, which amounts to only 4.9% (2,965,900 persons) of the total number of people in the UK (60,587,300), then we should have had between 3 - 4 Welsh competitors in the 2008 team.

Only two representatives is disappointing when compared with the numbers competing in the last six Olympic Games but the writing has been on the wall. If one examines the number of Welsh Representatives in the Great Britain teams at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships it will be seen that there have been but three at both Championships.

The two Welsh athletes in the team for the 2008 Games and their events were:

• Christian Malcolm - 200m
• Philippa Roles - Discus

Both Christian and Philippa were members of the 2004 Team that competed in Athens and that is another disturbing aspect that there are no new Welsh faces in this year’s squad.

A total of 52 Welsh Athletes (38 men and 14 Women) have taken part in the previous 27 Olympic Games (including the intercalated Games of 1906) winning 4 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. The medal winners have been:

Competition in the Olympics is so fierce that it is generally accepted that reaching the final and finishing in the first eight of any Olympic Track & Field Event is a meritorious achievement. Only ten Welsh Athletes have finished in the top eight in individual events in the 27 Games held since 1896.

Christian Malcolm has now appeared in two Olympic finals (2000 & 2008) finishing 5th on both occasions. Outside Wales, Christian is arguably the most underrated sprinter in the UK and it was tremendous to see his return to form after several seasons of frustrating injuries.

Of the ten individual finalists (or up to 8th place) Colin Jackson leads with four placements at the 110m hurdles – 2nd in 1988, 4th in 1996, 4th in 2000 and 5th in 1992. John Disley, Venissa Head and Christian Malcolm have each had two final placements:

To compete in an Olympic Games is often the pinnacle of an athlete's achievement.

Colin Jackson represented Great Britain at four consecutive Games: 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000.

Four other athletes have competed in three consecutive Games: Lynn Davies in 1964, 1968 and 1972; Roger Hackney in 1980, 1984 and 1988; Justin Chaston in 1996, 2000 and 2004 and Christian Malcolm who competed in 2000, 2004 and 2008.