9 Aug 2012

Sports minister acknowledges medals wager lost

7:55 am on 9 August 2012

Sports Minister Kate Lundy of Australia is set to don a Team GB shirt after resigning herself to losing a wager with her British counterpart about whose country would win more gold medals.

Ms Lundy said she had "cheerfully conceded" defeat and would row a length at Eton Dorney next month.

Had Australia won more golds, Hugh Robertson would have had to dribble a hockey ball in central London.

Britain has won 22 gold medals so far compared with Australia's four.

Team GB is enjoying its best Olympics in the modern era, winning 48 medals to date.

In contrast, the Australians are considered to have under-performed, winning 25 medals so far - compared with 46 four years ago.

The two ministers agreed to the bet at a meeting in Melbourne in March.

Ms Lundy told BBC News she was now resigned to coming second in the two-horse race. She is likely to do her "forfeit" during the Paralympic Games.

Mr Robertson said the wager "had become a tradition" between the two sporting rivals but he was not declaring victory just yet.