Olympic Gold
I really didn’t expect to enjoy the 30th Olympiad. I have no previous record of either closely following the games or being proud to be British, I didn’t go to see any of the numerous torches as they made their seemingly endless tour of our tiny island, and I didn’t for one second think that two weeks of the entire BBC and every other channel’s news programmes falling victim to chronic sport fever would change that. But I’m here to announce that my name is Shelley, and I’m an Olympiaholic.
As a longstanding fan of Danny Boyle, I was only initially interested in the opening ceremony and how such a modern and visionary director might portray our strange, declining nation to the world, but when I settled in front of the TV that Friday night, little did I know how many more hours I would spend tuned into the coverage from that stadium and its surrounding arenas.
So this blog is my celebration of and thanks for the London 2012 Olympic Games, which I found to be a surprisingly entertaining, inclusive, inspiring, moving and exhilarating fortnight, which left me in awe of every single athlete who proved themselves remarkable enough to take part, whether they took the gold medal or the last place in the qualifying heats. It’s obvious from the happiness, excitement and unity that lit up the previously downtrodden and divided British public like the sunshine we’d been lacking this summer, that I wasn’t the only one.
My personal highlights:
The Opening Ceremony
Yes, at first I was worried that we were in for a two hour history lesson ramming our ‘glorious’ empirical past down the throats of the rest of the world (again), but I think it pulled the rug out from under everyone. The staging and effects were spectacular, from the medieval village making way for the forging of the Olympic rings, to the Queen’s unpredictable daredevil entrance, the medley of pop culture, the flying doves, the fireworks, the audience’s animated pixels and the future Olympians lighting the beautiful cauldron which brought together the individual copper petals offered by each nation. Then there was the marvellously controversial celebration of our NHS and its staff, which had Tory MPs and the Daily Mail alike raging at its ‘left-wing propaganda’ while the rest of us saluted Danny Boyle’s audacity for including it.
It was odd, unexpected and a bit barmy at times, but what better way to represent the unique sense of humour and eccentricity that is often forgotten on our small island in recent times. In contrast, I thought the closing ceremony was a little disappointing and badly cast at times, but Eric Idle’s delightful appearance amongst dancing Romans and rollerskating nuns singlehandedly made up for it.
Great British Role Models
Team GB did us proud, not just with the medal count, but for the variety of events they did well in, and the way they conducted themselves as committed, enthusiastic, focused individuals who never gave up and weren’t afraid to publicly show emotion when it overtook them. In a nation where kids usually look up to the fake, superficial dramatics of Katie Price and the TOWIE cast, it was great to see our struggling youth admiring genuinely talented, hard-working and healthy people, dedicated to achieving their dreams through practising years of sheer physical, mental and emotional strength and determination. Some of them even managed to look great doing it, but that was never the most important thing, which made a refreshing change.
One Giant Leap for Womankind
I don’t for one second mean to downplay the achievements of the male participants, but for me, it was the women of the world who really got themselves noticed this time around. For the first time, we saw women allowed to compete in all events, making history and setting world records along the way. From Serena Williams achieving the last remaining world championship title available in her sport, to the introduction of the incredibly brave female Saudi athletes and women boxers who will hopefully open up a whole new phase of equality, it was fantastic to see so many amazing women flying the flag for whatever country they represented.
As far as Britain was concerned, the women kicked ass, from much-plugged poster girls Jessica Ennis and Victoria Pendleton to the surprise successes of Gemma Gibbons in the Judo, Jade Jones in Taekwondo, Charlotte Dujardin in Dressage, Nicola Adams becoming our first female boxing gold medallist and Laura Trott and Lizzie Armitstead emerging as cycling forces of nature with massive girl balls. That’s without mentioning the rowers, sailors, swimmers, pentathletes, or the hockey team. The GB girls amassed an impressive12 gold medals, 8 silver and six bronze between them, as well as contributing to further medals in the mixed equestrian and tennis teams.
It was an encouragingly inclusive games all round, with Syria permitted to participate and Oscar Pistorius pushing boundaries to become the first paralympian to compete in the mainstream track events. From a home perspective, it was also uplifting to see that due to lottery funding and perhaps even a little progress on our part, that elitism was less of a factor in Team GB, and athletes from more ‘ordinary’ backgrounds seem to be on the increase in some sports at least. The London crowds and those of us watching at home got behind all the athletes even in the obscure events and the finals we didn’t qualify for. It was also fantastic to watch the assembled nations of athletes working together with such dignity and respect, and partying together at the closing ceremony. There’s a poignant lesson to be learned from all this which needs to be applied on a much wider scale.
Bolt and Blake
The unstoppable and unflappable Jamaican showmen enthralled and entertained at every appearance, as much with their pre and post race posing and performing as with their incredible sprint speed and athletic prowess. I’m not even sure what Yohan Blake said in his post 100m interview as he spoke even faster than he ran, while Bolt’s coolness and cockiness in mocking the royal wave and chatting up a track volunteer immediately before wiping the floor with the competition in the 200m had to be seen to be believed. I half expected him to come out in his Richard Branson beard at some point. The Jamaican team’s record-breaking run in the men’s 4x100m relay had to be one of the most impressive sights of the games – their times averaging out at an unbelievable 9.21 seconds each, but I suspect the last two legs were completed even faster than that. The swapping of the Mobot/Lightning Bolt celebrations combined with the obvious joy and mutual respect of Mo Farah and Usain Bolt in receiving the last of their multiple gold medals was my favourite photo opportunity of the games. By the time Rio 2016 comes around, Blake will be 26 years old, and Bolt approaching 30. It will be very interesting to see how the speed and smugness scale tips then, if they haven’t decided to play for Manchester United or form a bobsleigh team instead.
The Forgotten Heroes
First of all, let’s not forget the 70,000 volunteers, whose hard work and happy helpfulness contributed to the spirit and smooth-running of every event. And as for the athletes, there are too many to give personal credit to in an already lengthy blog, as so many ‘underdog’ nations provided so many memorable moments. Special mentions go to Sarah Attar receiving a standing ovation for finishing last in the qualifying heats for the 800m despite her home country Saudi Arabia labelling her a ‘prostitute’ for her efforts; Ethiopian distance runner Tirunesh Dibaba showing superhuman powers in winning the 10,000m; and South African swimmer Chad Le Clos’ astonishing triumph over Michael Phelps in the aquatic centre, supported by his extremely excitable father. My favourite was Kenyan David Rudisha, who celebrated his outstanding 800m world record with such beaming, soft-spoken humility that for me, he became the understated, anti-Bolt hero of London 2012.
So in the end, seven years of planning, an obscene amount of money, hype and cynicism about the organisational abilities of the London committee all turned out to be worth it. It’s one of very few occasions when I’ve felt proud of something my homeland did not only for itself, but for the rest of the world, and I hope that the newfound optimism, inspiration, peace and unity in my fellow citizens survives long after the extinguishing of that magnificent flame.
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