THE Rio Olympics were record-breaking for Britain: most medals ever at a overseas Olympics; best since the 1908 Games in London; first country to win more medals after hosting the Games; most medals (13) at an away Games by Scots - and Britain's most expensive Olympic medals.

It is churlish to put a price on glory and sacrifice. How does one value the impact on society, the people who will join clubs, volunteer, or be inspired to improve their health? It seems indecent to hang a price tag on that, but UK Sport will certainly put a cost on the record 67 medals.

They bankrolled Team GB to a total of just over £274m over the current four-year cycle, and give a further £74m to Paralympic sport. Now they will analyse the cost effectiveness.

Read more: Mo Farah to call time on track career after world championships

In return they demand medals - the shinier the better - and failure to meet targets usually spells funding cuts. Performances by the boys and girls in Brazil have demonstrated this ruthless policy works. Nevertheless, the numbers are staggering, and those who take a narrow view may question whether it is worth it.The Herald: Team GB's 4x400m bronze medallists (left to right): Christine Ohuruogu, Emily Diamond, Eilidh Doyle and Anyika Onuora. Photograph: Getty

Hockey received £16,141,393m from UKS for their four-year campaign, so that was the cost of the British women's team gold, most expensive of all those won in Rio.

But it is an improvement on 2012 where a solitary bronze cost £15m. Team sports are costly, a point we have made before in relation to sportscotland funding of Commonwealth team sports. Scotland has never been in a match which, had they won, would have earned a medal. Perhaps there is a case for adopting a similar "tough-love" policy.

In Rio, Mo Farah's double in the 5000 and 10,000m cost £6.705m per gold, and the women's relay bronze which Eilidh Doyle collected in the final session on the track cost £2.235m. Yet that seventh athletics medal was priceless for UK Athletics. In the final event they had reached the target set by UKS so do not face consequent loss of funding.

Falling short in Beijing cost athletics £1.4m and their performance chief. In London, despite four golds performance chief Charles van Commenee fell on his sword because he did not match his own goal. Swimming's failure in London saw their support cut by £4m and the departure of iconic coaches Dennis Pursley and Bill Sweetenham.

Now swimming, with six medals (double the minimum target set) and diving whose three gongs was three times their single-medal target, can make a robust case for an increase.

The careers of performance coaches and support staff hang on Rio results. Hence the TV plea to UKS by Steve Redgrave. Rowing won nine medals in London and was asked for a minimum of six in Rio. Yet though they were the top nation in the Olympic regatta, they were one short of the UKS goal.

Cycling, most successful sport, received £32m and were asked for eight medals. They delivered 12 (same as four years ago) and at £3.243m for each gold and just over £1m for bronze, these were Britain's cheapest medals, closely followed by those won in gymnastics.

The solitary bronzes won by both judo and badminton (£7.366m and £5.737m respectively) were the most costly third places. Yet consider fencing, archery, modern pentathlon and weightlifting - a total of £15.858m and not a medal to show for it. UKS set what they describe as "non medal-related targets" for them.

Two golds and a silver, in tennis, golf and sevens respectively, were won by sports whose Olympic campaigns receive no UKS contribution. They decided in 2012 that football, golf, tennis and rugby would be excluded from funding for the Rio cycle because of "the ability of these sports to prioritise their own significant resources."

Question marks over the process remain. Despite Lottery assistance via UKS, Lynsey Sharp's mother, Carol, has downsized three times in order to help support her; Liam Heath, who won gold in the K1 sprint went full time without funding; and Richard Kilty almost quit to join the Army when support was cut when he missed selection for London.

He finished fourth in the GB sprint relay quartet and is former World Indor 60m champion. But Andrew Butchart's Scottish record-breaking run for sixth in the 5000m will promote him to the highest level of funding on the World Class Performance programme.

As ever in sport, there are winners and losers.