Olympic Finale

I can't believe it's all over! I have largely held my breath for 2 weeks, too afraid that there would be some almighty man made calamity, like a bus load of weightlifters turning up for the triathlon, the roof blowing off the velodrome or the deluge of rain that we have experienced all summer. None came to pass and the only shocks were on the track or in the pool, where they belong. 

She is so funny! This is how I felt leading up the Olympics. However as time went by I was more enthralled.

First up for me was the 250km road race. It was quite and event. So good to see so many people turning out to watch. The race became quite a saga with leading groups coming and going. However I was gutted for Mark Cavendish. It meant so much to him and it seems most of the other competitors only aim was to prevent him winning. So instead they handed it to a cyclist who has been caught doping and doesn't care?Not the only time that this will happen during these Olympics. Mark Cavendish could hardly face the press afterwards. And it wasn't for the want of trying. His team mates were completely scuppered afterwards. Just a shame no one else was interested. Still that is the beauty of sport for the armchair enthusiast, we get to vicariously enjoy pleasure and pain without any of the sacrifice! It took me a few days to recover from that set back. 

It seemed to be that sort of Olympics at the start. With Phelps trailing in 4th in the first men's swimming final. Where once gold had sat another colour was appearing. Team GB's first 2 medals were a silver and a bronze which had been gold at Beijing. Methought that perhaps this was a sign of things to come. 

For Team GB this was thankfully just a start. The women's rowing got the gold medal charge up and running.   Soon after Golden Sideburns (Bradley Wiggins) snapped up the time trial gold and we were on our way. 

What I like about the cyclists is that they don't look superhuman as do other athletes. The track and field athletes with all their six packs and sinews look like freaks quite frankly, don't get me started on swimmers! where as cyclists (who don't really need so much upper body strength) look like human beings albeit with thighs that could crush a walnut. 

Bradley is my guess for BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2012. There will be many to choose from but his win in the Tour de France is a monumental first for this country even his contemporaries feel that was the greatest British sporting achievement.

It is funny how much variation there is across the country in terms of enthusiasm. The day after the opening ceremony I went to my corner shop for a pint of milk and the girl behind the counter didn't even realise the Olympics had started.