Final New Zealand Olympic Count: $10 million a medal

Final Medal Count: Gold: 3 Silver: 1 Bronze: 5

Each medal cost the Kiwi taxpayer NZ$10 million (US$7.1 m or so) to place New Zealand 26th on the Beijing Olympic rankings & give it its most successful results in 20 years. Perhaps a small price by international standards.

But as Oscar Wilde chided: "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing." Guts, glory, fame, patriotic fervour, success, achievement -- priceless, as a major credit card company would describe it, and then encourage you to spend up large for 2012...