PAULA Radcliffe is a world champion today after finally realising her dream of winning a global title by taking gold in the women's marathon at the World Championships in Helsinki.

After the distressing scenes at the Athens Olympics last summer when she pulled up, the whole country was rooting for her this time.

But Paula's personal triumph should not be allowed to mask Britain's poor showing at this World Championships.

Certainly, the absence of injured stars such as Darren Campbell, Dean Macey and Kelly Holmes did not help Britain's cause but even if they had competed, success would only have papered over the cracks of a poor team performance. Too many British number ones suffered that Helsinki feeling. They returned with nothing more than a tan.

It was all a far cry from the Stuttgart World Championships in 1993 when Linford Christie, Colin Jackson and Sally Gunnell all achieved golds and Britain's gold medal total reached double figures for the first and only time.

Thankfully it is not too late to make changes in time for London 2012. The Government is already committed to boosting funding for schools sport by £500m. In addition, 100 of the country's most promising athletics prospects will receive scholarships of up to £10,000 per year in the run-up to the Olympics.

Of course not everyone who takes up a sport is going to be a champion; but that doesn't mean they cannot enjoy themselves. Greater participation in sport is important in so many ways, not least because it encourages greater fitness.

The number of obese people in England has more than trebled over the last 20 years. Today nearly two thirds of men and more than half of women are overweight. By 2012, obesity and its consequences are expected to cost the economy billions. As a result health, sport and education have become inextricably linked.

We wish the next generation of British world champions well in 2012 but, for the rest, never has the saying "It's not the winning that counts - it's the taking part" been more true.