Australia Sports Minister Katy Lundy says silver is the new gold for her country and concedes defeat in a bet which will see her don a Team GB shirt at the rowing venue.
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 7, 2012) (ITN) - Australia Sports Minister Katy Lundy said on Tuesday (August 7) that silver is the new gold for her country and admitted that old rivals Britain have been far superior.
Britain sit third in the table with 22 gold medals while Australia are enduring one of their worst Olympics and languish in 13th place with three golds.
The 410-strong Australia team had come to London hoping to spoil Britain's party, continuing the fierce sporting rivalry between the two countries that goes back over a century.
Lundy believes Australia still has a lot to celebrate with their three gold, 12 silver and nine bronze.
"I think we're all celebrating a bag full of silver and Australians would love to see more gold but it's not taking away for one second the efforts of our athletes and so many of our gold we've conceded to British athletes just, you know, that last millimetre or last millisecond," Lundy told a British reporter.
"So Silver is the new gold and look we've got to hand it to you (Britain), you're having a great Games."
Australia's flop in London has sparked calls for an inquest and swimming officials have ordered an independent review into the team's poor showing.
Australia's swimmers have always done better than expected at the Olympics but have come under fierce criticism at home because they only won one gold, their lowest haul since the Barcelona Olympics, 20 years ago.
Australia should make it four golds on Tuesday evening with the IAAF female athlete of the year Sally Pearson looking to win the women's 100 metres hurdles title and there are hopes in the sailing.