Should state schools adopt posh sports?

There aren’t many state schools that would introduce clay pigeon shooting to a teenager, I suggested to Peter Wilson this afternoon.

The young gold medallist is a fantastic role model of focus and dedication, and his Olympic victory was a joy to watch. But he is also an example of what Lord Moynihan refers to as “one of the worst sporting statistics in Britain” – the proportion of medal winners coming from private schools. More than 50 per cent of the British Beijing medal winners went to private schools. London 2012 might well end up with similar stats.

Peter Wilson is another product of Millfield School, which has an astonishing record of turning out sports stars from Duncan Goodhew to Mark Foster. His first loves were more active sports like cricket and rugby. But a severe injury ruled him out of taking part in them for more than a year. To get over the frustration, his teachers introduced him to competitive shooting – honing a skill he had picked up at home on the farm with his father.

Another former Millfield pupil, Helen Glover, won gold at these Olympics, with her partner Heather Stanning, also privately educated at Gordonstoun. Their sport – rowing – is another one largely of the elite, enjoyed disproportionately at public schools and top universities. That applies as much in America and Australia as it does in GB. The Niger rower Hamadou Djibo Issaka was entertaining certainly, but also perhaps an indication that this may not be a very accessible sport around the world. And even cycling, which is obviously more accessible, has its fair share of privately educated stars, including Sir Chris Hoy.

Access to better sporting facilities is often one of the reasons the well-off choose public schools over state offerings. And the Olympic record would suggest they are often right to do so. It may well boil down to a simple truth about the funding of state schools.

But in 2012 we shouldn’t have “posh” sports anymore. If comprehensive schools can’t afford rowing clubs and shooting ranges we need more community facilities that are easy to join.

Follow @krishgm on Twitter.