大象传媒

The Australian team has had a disappointing time at the Games so far, achieving far fewer gold medals than expected. Their team officials have conceded that they won't reach their aim of finishing among the top 5 countries, a blow exacerbated by the fact that their sporting rivals, Great Britain, are way ahead in the medal count.

The Australian sports minister, Kate Lundy, says her country is unlikely to catch up and that she will honour a bet made with the British sports minister to row a length of the Olympic rowing venue in a Great Britain shirt. Her British counterpart, Hugh Robertson, is relieved not to have to carry out his forfeit in central London.

The fierce rivalry between the two teams was spawned by cricket, and the Ashes series between England and Australia that's staged roughly every two years since the 1880s. They also fight for supremacy in rugby.

Australia's lacklustre Olympic performance has led to calls for the government to increase funding for sports, but the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said today that the country should enjoy the Games now and examine the team's overall performance later.