Here in Britain there have been a few grumbles about the partisan coverage the BBC is giving to the Olympics, with an obsessive focus on Britain’s position in the medals table and on local athletes. But I’m told that it is little different in other countries. Every nation focuses on its own athletes. As a result, every country is watching a different Olympics.

To check on the truth of this proposition, I have been perusing international sites. And it is certainly true that they reveal very distinct national concerns and anxieties. Over at Der Spiegel, they have a long article headlined “Can You Represent Germany If Your Lover is a Nazi?” The story is about Nadja Drygalla, a rower, who has left the Olympic village after it emerged that she is in a relationship “with a central figure in the far-right scene in Rostock”. Read more