Sport Well, what an end to the Olympic Athetics. It's horrid to think that before the games I secretly eyed betting some money on Kelly Holmes winning the double but decided against it because she didn't have a hope. Not really. 100-1. Yet again I'm able to prove that don't in fact know anything about anything.
This was confirmed in the opening moments of the 4x100m Men's final as I adolescently shouted 'You suck!' at the screen as we were offered a close-up of each of the British athletes, my vitriol reserved particular for Darren Campbell. I couldn't watch to be honest. But then I looked back at the tv during my cherry yoghurt to find Mark Lewis-Francis in the home straight actually looking good and my screams of appreciation began again. Apparently I haven't laughed as loudly in years. Good times -- although I did feel for Steve Backley. Hopefully the BBC will set him up with a punditing or presenting job to keep him busy.
This is the first Olympics which I've actually been caught up -- not able to do anything but watch and listen to as much coverage as I could, upset when I missed anything. I'm sure some of this has to do with my Commonwealth Games experiences -- I've an appreciation of what it means for athletes just to be there at the top of their game living out the dream which they've fought for since they were at college or younger. So I'm always happy when someone, like Lucy Hardy in the Kayaking today managed to reach seventh place -- to get there she has had to put in the performance of her life and that's across the board.
But I've also been as passionate about the negativity and the mysteries -- why were the swim team (Mr Parry excepted) unable to put it together on a general level when the indication was that it would be their year? What's up with our starier athletles like Darren Campbell or Paula Radcliffe and why did we become so obsessed with them falling back when other people in other disciplines outdid themselves? Perhaps its because to some extent we've always looked at the athletics as our golden zone when during this games (tonight excepted) it's been the non-mass participations sports which have been battleground which we have invaded and conquered bit-by-bit.
Hopefully the real legacy of the games will be that the sporting playing field will be leveled -- that youngsters will become interested in games which happen not just in water but floating across it, in which they can drift across the track on two wheels as well as padding away on two feet. I think what the past fortnight has proved is that winning a gold medal is good for those who can reach that, but for most it's about competing with heart and distinction and being pleased that you were happy just to be there...
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