Secrets behind Britain's Olympic success
Why did Great Britain win so many medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing two years ago?
Nineteen gold medals, from a country with 60 million people, makes Britain pound for pound the greatest sporting nation in the world.
There is no doubt that when lottery funding came on board, in the late 1990s, it heralded a new era in British sport - one where athletes could focus on being elite without having to work to support their training.
The country took another giant leap forward in 2002 with the formation of the English Institute of Sport (EIS).
The EIS aims to provide high-quality sports science and medical support throughout the United Kingdom. There are now 17 sites, delivering services to more than 1,700 elite athletes.
With the Olympics in London on the horizon, I thought it was time I went to see what happens behind closed doors.