Why Team GB are on course for their worst Olympics in 30 years

The last time Great Britain finished a Winter Olympics medalless was at the 1992 Games in Albertville, also the last time both a summer and winter Games had been held in the same year.

Thirty years on, and as Beijing celebrates becoming the first city to host both a summer and winter Olympics, British athletes are sliding towards their own slice of history, albeit of the unfortunate kind.

With four days of competition left, the wait goes on for a medal. It could well happen yet, with the strongest chance coming in the men's curling. But even if the drought does end, questions will inevitably be asked as to how such disappointing performances in Beijing came to pass, especially backed by millions in UK Sport funding.

Britain has only won a total of 32 medals throughout the 98-year history of the Winter Olympics.

Ten of those alone have come at the last two Games and, coupled with the fact that the delayed summer edition in Tokyo came just six months previous - where it rains medals for Team GB in comparison - then inflated expectation levels have not helped in dealing with a well-below par return so far.

But how different might Beijing have been had world champions Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat not lost their mixed doubles bronze medal match on day four? Or 24 hours later, if Charlotte Bankes, another British world champion, delivered a medal, rather than an underwhelming quarter-final exit in the snowboard cross?

Success breeds success. British athletes have insisted that morale in camp has remained positive but there is no substitute for a podium boost.

“We'd have loved to just have another medal to get something going, there's no better feeling than cheering on the rest of the team, but it hasn’t happened,” said