Rio Olympics is the sport story of 2016 – Telegraph.co.uk

From the moment “The Queen” parachuted out of that plane and into the Olympic Stadium, the nation was enraptured. For those two weeks the country seemed like a different place to the grey, pessimistic land of daily life.

This time round there will be the time difference to contend with in Brazil with the British audience forced to stay up late into the night to watch events unfold in Rio.

But it will be worth it to see the stories develop and unexpected warriors emerge. And it will mean so much to them because it will mark the culmination of a lifetime’s work.

For the overwhelming majority, Olympians compete for the love of their sport rather than for riches or adulation. This is their moment and it is yours to enjoy with them.