'WHAT can flat racing learn from Charlotte Dujardin dancing horse?' a question that nobody at Chepstow would have been asking this week.

Yet the unexpected silver success of Team GB in the Olympic sevens had some pondering what the 15-man game can absorb from the shortened format.

The truth is that they can pick up bits and bobs but not a great deal; they are very different sports and it's no surprise that it was the 7s specialists led the way at Deodoro Stadium.

They will go along merrily when the HSBC Sevens World Series gets under way in Dubai on the first weekend of December while in proper rugby a round of Guinness Pro12, Aviva Premiership and Top 14 action will be of primary interest following the conclusion of the autumn internationals.

But it shouldn't come as a surprise that people are talking about the rise of sevens and its potential to give a shot in the arm like T20 has in cricket because every four years people go a bit doolally.

Pledges are made like it is December 31 and the L word – legacy – rears its ugly head.

This week it's 'right, I'm going to head to a bike shop' and soon it will instead be "ooh, Bake Off is starting".

News bulletins baffling start with stories about bronze and silver medals rather than actual important events (for the record I found it even more ridiculous when Jose Mourinho leaving Chelsea was first up on BBC One at 6pm last year).

Success means that the country goes sport crazy; doping, bribery, contentious boxing decisions and local anger at the money spent on white elephants are suddenly pushed to the back of minds.

I'll come clean (and it's probably obvious): I am not a huge Olympics fan and never have been.

Cycling is one of the few sports in the Games that interests me year-round and I am not one of those who suddenly finds themselves engrossed by fencing, ping pong, volleyball or judo.

Nonetheless, it is undeniable that there have been some inspirational British figures courtesy of the Olympics over the past couple of decades.

But as a new set of idols are created, we shouldn't allow being second on the medal table to mask the huge gap between the funding to create Olympic champions and the financial backing and support for grassroots sport.

Team GB thrives through being cutthroat, targeting medals in a ruthless manner, as was shown in the pool.

National Lottery funding must not be wasted and after a disappointing London 2012, swimming chiefs had their total slashed and were told to concentrate their efforts on backing a few prospects rather than spreading it too widely.

At the velodrome in Manchester a crack coaching team have thrived in helping riders peak every four year, providing them with the little extras to have the edge to go along with their talent.

One man who could not be in Rio, no-nonsense coach Shane Sutton, summed up the ambition and drive to always strive for excellent and improvement, even if his blunt manner led to his resignation.

Cycling, rowing, sailing and now gymnastics are backed in an undeniably effective manner.

Whether Kenny, Grainger, Mills and Whitlock are inspirational is not up for debate; whether that translates in more sporting activity is dubious.

With councils being forced to squeeze budgets, the challenge is getting even harder.

A gold rush is fun for two weeks and it is wonderful to see the hard work and dedication of athletes rewarded, but let's not overstate what it will mean for the rest of us 60-odd million Brits.