He was in fact looking at the South African team, because he called out the lane number and the colours.

Earlier in the week the prestigious Reuters news agency identified the winner in the men’s 200m butterfly as French. No doubt they made lazy assumptions based on the surname of  the pride of Westville Boy’s High, Chad le Clos.

 This issue is separate from the commentators’ bias shown towards Michael Phelps, “the greatest Olympian of all time”, in losing to Le Clos.

 We are talking here not just about a lack of professionalism  but utter carelessness by people who are  paid handsomely to bring us Olympic coverage.

These folk are given, in digital and printed form,  mounds of information about the events they are covering. They will have the contestants’ names, team colours, lane numbers and much else.

 We must not let their shoddy work spoil the Games  for us in this golden year. But the ignorance is appalling.