Australia minister reveals details of medal bet

LONDON: Australia sports minister Kate Lundy revealed details Thursday of the now 'traditional' bet with her British counterpart as to which of the two nations would finish higher up the Olympic medal table.

Lundy said she'd promised to row a length of the Olympic rowing course if hosts Britain won more medals at London 2012 than Australia, while British sports minister Hugh Robertson would dribble a hockey ball round Australia House in London if the situation was reversed.

Four years ago in Beijing, Britain came fourth in the medal table with Australia in sixth place.

Lundy, asked if Australia could finish ahead of their great sporting rivals in London, replied: "When we were the host team in Sydney (2000) we took great pride in getting ahead of GB and it is exactly the same here.

"We have got a traditional wager on where we fit in the medal table. In 2011 some of the predictions I saw had us level for gold medals.

"I think we are going to have to dig deep to beat GB. The home team advantage is strong but I think we can do it. So many sports that we are up against (Great Britain) in are the sports we are both great at."

She added: "Both the UK sport minister Hugh Robertson and I play a bit of sport so if we come out on top he is going to don a Kookaburra shirt (Australian men's hockey team shirt) and hockey stick and dribble the ball around Australia House in London.

"If the result is the other way, then I have to wear a Union Jack shirt and row a length of the Olympic rowing course."
(AFP)