I read last night that Jo-Anne van Dyk who won the silver medal in the javelin on Saturday night, did so without income support from Sascoc's Operation Excellence programme. We know that amateur athletes who perform at the highest level do not have it easy. I also know too little about who was funded in which ways to say much more about it, but it does show the important principle that it is difficult to pick winners.

This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.