I think you will find most of these athletes have been training all their life for this, not four years. Unfortunately your view G man is typical of how some of the more downtrodden media in this country like us to think about these sorts of event, very short term, which is the kind of thinking that has got the majority of this world into the state its in at the moment. Lets patch the problem not solve it.
Lets face facts, the numbers that you might read in the Daily Mail about 5 star hotels and the like is a pin prick in the GB economy, but the impression and power it brings to influence some very powerful people in the world of sport (and lets not forget, sport globally is worth as much as any financial institution) is money well spent.
There will be a massive influx of tourism and spending during the olympics which will maybe even cover the cost of the games itself.
But does it stop there? Of course not.
I thought the imagery of the industrial revolution was immensely powerful and was a good reminder to a world that lets be honest, is getting to see our country as a place of layabouts and lazy workers, but a reminder that we do work hard and this country is worth investing in. The next time GM, Ford, Toyota or the like sit down for a general meeting and discuss locations for new factories and investment, maybe just maybe, their view might be a bit different - but thats all it takes.
Personally, I cheered for it when we won the games, I cheered for it last night. Its a celebration that we can do something and do it well - watching one british thing after another was a great reminder that we do impact the world heavily for what is a small country in the grand scheme of things, Tim Berners-Lee at the end was a masterstroke. There are certain media in this country that want money to throw at stuff to make it work now, in proverbial terms its just a plaster over an ever seeping wound and in the long term will fall off and is wasted. This can be part of a bigger cure to help get this country back on its feet but unfortunately that sort of news doesn't sell papers and thus won't be a message many in this country will or maybe even want to hear. The macro economic impact on business of events such as this is not measurable in terms of the likes of hotel receipts, its the long term impact of foreign investment, but again, I doubt the Daily Mail has the capability to even measure it.
Anyway thats my piece on the matter and will enjoy our cyclists, rowers, athletes et al go out there and give it their best.