ACCORDING to the increasing clamour of cranked-up PR machinery and the accelerating velocity of obligatory Westminster spin doctors, there are fewer than 200 days to go before London 2012 throws open its welcoming doors to the world and embraces the anticipated acclaim.

Yours truly remains a gnarled old cynic, acutely aware that the original noble Olympian principles based on lofty ideals and sportsmanship have long since disintegrated yet surprisingly unable to disguise a bemused eyebrow being raised at some of the more recent unsavoury tales.

Team GB, we are told, has lost three of its very best thoroughbred show-jumping medal hopes (horses, not riders) to rival competing countries through nothing other than blinkered avarice.

These transactions were conducted before the international transfer window (in this case surely stable door) closed on New Years Eve and comprised two steeds being sold to the oil-rich Saudis and the other to that arch-enemy Australia.

The latter sale warranting an indictment of treason with the vendor being immediately tossed into the Tower.

That is unless Lord Coe, with customary commercial zeal, has already exploited its potential as a bungee jump facility for overseas visitors.

Next it was official ticket agency Ticketwaster/Ticketshafter, dependant on your viewpoint, who firstly blithely apologised for the 10,000 tickets too many they had produced for the synchronised swimming events, before it became apparent that their much heralded re-sale ticket website had crashed with all relevant details from would-be traders disappearing into the ether.

Such has been the totally chaotic, discriminatory and shambolic allocation and distribution of all tickets that I cannot rid my mind of the recurring image of 50,000 people turning up at the Stadium only to be told by Jobsworth on the gate “wrong day mate, this took place yesterday”.

The number of ‘plastic Brits’ being recruited to increase the medal haul gathers pace despite much criticism from purists believing only those born in a certain country should be allowed to represent that country.

There are certain justifiable exceptions but not enough to excuse Team GB now boasting the following: North European weightlifters and wrestlers, male and female triple-jumpers from Cuba and Jamaica, an Italian handballer (don’t go there) and Olga from Ukraine, who hasn’t had her papers validated yet but you can bet soon will have.

All of the above individuals have at some time represented the country of their birth at senior level, which makes nonsense of this manipulation of national status.