At the 2012 London Olympics, there are 10,000+ athletes and 302 gold medal disciplines available. (though for team sports more athletes will be awarded a gold medal.) But, that’s still a pretty low ratio of gold medallists.

For these 10,000 athletes who made the Olympics, there are another 100,000+ who would have been close to qualifying for the Olympics. And potentially millions who would have had some kind of aspiration to compete at the Olympics, but couldn’t make it.

The odds of Olympic gold are minuscule. The odds of any kind of Olympic medal are only slightly less limited.

The immortal creed of the Olympics is that

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

Yet, the great paradox of the Olympics is that winning does count, it does matter. It is the focus of the fours years of dedication and commitment.

Expectations

When Iceland got silver in the handball in 2008, the Iceland’s president called their semi-final win over Spain:

“the biggest moment in Icelandic sports history”. (BBC)

If you get a silver medal for Great Britain in this 2012 Olympics, you could find yourself squeezed into page 4 of the Olympic supplement – behind even more illustrious gold medal winners.

If it is not expected, winning bronze can be perceived as a tremendous achievement. Sometimes, if you’re expected to win, winning bronze medal is seen as something of a failure.

Expectation changes everything.

But, what of those who finish 4th?

Taylor Phinney sacrificed his 2012 road season to focus on the Olympics, he finished 4th in the Olympic road race only to finish 4th in the Olympic time trial a few days later. Is he happy to do so well? – knowing that he is still young in cycling terms (22) and that at the next Olympics he can do even better. Or does he feel frustrated at just missing out? – 4th the supposed worse place to finish. Perhaps he feels a bit of both.

4th man in the Team

Perhaps more difficult than finishing 4th place, is being 4th man (reserve) in a team discipline and missing out on gold medal only because you weren’t picked.

The reserves in the British team pursuit (Wendy Houvenghal and Andy Tennant) had to watch as their team-mates rode to world record breaking Olympic gold. But, for a different team selection they knew they would have been there with pretty much the same result.

To be part of an Olympic gold medal team should be a pinnacle of your sporting achievement. Do you feel oneness with the team and feel part of the success, or is it the loneliest place? Can you feel part of the success? or is it an opportunity denied?

Jimmy Greaves (who was England’s best striker, but not picked for the 1966 world cups due to injury) admitted he felt a huge range of conflicting emotions as his substitute Sir Geoff Hurst hit a hat rick to help England win the World Cup. The whole nation celebrated, but he was sat on the sidelines – not part of the winning team. It can be a lonely place sport.

It is a real challenge to feel a complete identity with the winning team members. But, what of the support staff, the coaches, the mechanics and support crew. There is no medal for them, but they often seem to get as much joy as the athletes themselves.

It maybe very hard to be reserve, but there is still the experience of being a key member of the team who trained and pushed the other riders. To be a reserve still gives the opportunity to be an Olympian and key team member that others may have loved the chance.

Difficult to Win

It can be even difficult to win. If you win too much or by too far, eyebrows are raised. (What shape are your wheels?) If you frequently win, winning can become an expectation. If you slip into second, you failed. If you win – just expectation fulfilled.

But, you never have to take the cynics approach, you don’t have to listen to bored teenagers writing on twitter-net . Whatever people say, you can celebrate your achievement however you want.

4th Placed is Good.

Amidst all the Olympic glory, I identify more with 4th placed riders than the gold medallists. In national championships my best placings are:
4th (2005 national 100 mile TT)
4th (2010 national hill climb)
5th (2011 national hill climb.)

I know what it feels like to finish 4th, I don’t know what it feels like to win a medal. I don’t know why people say 4th is the worse place to finish. To me 4th is better than 5th or 6th.

It is quite easy to talk of detachment and memorise the immortal words of the Olympic motto. It’s more difficult to live it.

Winning matters, and it doesn’t matter. That’s the beauty of sport.

There isn’t just the physical sporting challenge, but also the attitude to winning and losing which is often just as difficult. But, those who can accept defeat graciously are real heroes.

“The high spirit of sportsmanship and generosity manifested throughout speaks volumes for the character of the officers of the present day. There was not a single incident of a protest or any unsportsmanlike quibbling or fighting for points which I may say, marred some of the other civilian competitions at the Olympic Games. Each man did his best and took what fortune sent them like a true soldier, and at the end we all felt more like good friends and comrades than rivals in a severe competition, yet this spirit of friendship in no manner detracted from the zeal with which all strove for success.”

General Patton (1912 after competing in modern pentathlon) then reserved for army officers.

Sir Chris Hoy photo Richard Parmiter

I haven’t heard anyone say a bad word about Chris Hoy – a supreme athlete, but a gentleman as well. Softly spoken and generous to other competitors, Chris Hoy shows you can be the fastest man on two wheels but without any arrogance. I know other track stars look up Chris Hoy as the elder statesman of the track, it was also touching to see how much the runner ups celebrated their silver and bronze medals. As Hugh Porter said in his commentary – when you’re racing Chris Hoy – silver is as good as gold really.

It’s great to celebrate a gold winning ride, it’s even better when they are representing your country – it’s perfect when there not just a great athlete but a top bloke into the bargain. Sir Chris Hoy does not need any more accolades, but he deserves all the success that came his way.

By the way, as much as I enjoyed watching Chris win, it was nearly as good watching his mother in the stands on the video replay watching the event. Nervously looking around, she couldn’t bear to look, frequently head in hands, and when it’s all over asking ‘Did he win?’ – We all burst into laughter because that is exactly what my mother would have done!

At 36, Chris Hoy has come to the end of his illustrious career. But, fortunately, as Sir Chris Hoy retires, others are coming through.

Jason Kenny must be the quietest triple gold medallist in Britain. He’s kind of slipped under the radar but ended up with his third gold medal. The coaching staff say that suits his modest character. Always happy to avoid the limelight, but once on the track – he’s  just about the only one quicker than Sir Chris Hoy.

Laura Trott in action – photo Pistolpeet

Laura Trott is almost young enough to be Chris Hoy’s daughter, but despite her age (20) she rides with tremendous maturity. To win one gold at your first Olympics is great, but to top it off in the hardest event (The Omnium run over 6 different events) was a marvellous achievement. What a fantastic last 500m time trial. I really warmed to her post race interview. Sheer joy and youthful enthusiasm. If the deepest Olympic cynic was watching that – surely even they must surely be moved by her athleticism and joie de vivre. They say Britain is having an Olympic bounce – and that summed it up for me. Just as touching was seeing the joyfyul reaction of her team pursuit teammates in the stands.   What a team they are and will be in the future.

With Queen Victoria Pendleton, you always get the gamut of emotion. She has packed everything into her brief career – the highs and the lows. But fortunately, we have seen that she can be the fastest women on the track and has deservedly finished a double Olympic medallist.

Her Olympic wasn’t the fairy tale finish, you might have written. DSQ for minor infringement in team sprint. Relegation for smallest of line changes in the sprint final. She just didn’t seem to have the confidence in the second sprint. and she was, in the end, clearly beaten by long-term rival Anna Maeres in the final. But, somehow it didn’t matter.

A day ago, a very good Australian friend wrote a passionate letter saying how much he was enjoying the London Olympics. He was overawed and inspired by the British spectacle and achievements of the British team He was suitably humbled Yorkshire had more gold medals than the former dependency of Britain. But, given the glut of British medals, could we not spare a thought for the old colonial friend? – just a couple more golds – we can’t face been beaten by New Zealand….

Given the British dominance on the track, I’m almost glad, Australia picked up one. And if I have any readers in Australia, I apologise for a summer long revelling of British cycling success. – It’s over now (at least until the Vuelta in September)

The press say the rivalry of Anna Meares and Victoria Pendleton has been intense for a whole decade, but Victoria was magnanimous in defeat. She could have complained about the tough dsq, but she was keen to applaud her deepest rival. You sense Victoria was relieved the pressure was all finally  over. She took pride in her final laps of honour on the track. It could have been more golds, but I think Victoria is more than happy to be double Olympic champion. She has certainly inspired a new generation of women.

This Olympics has been a real breakthrough for womens sport. No longer are the women’s events a tack on at the end. They now have a deserving and equal prominence – we have loved watching the womens cycling as much as the mens. The women’s team pursuit was particularly good. If Victoria Pendleton has shown cyclists can have a life outside cycling,  I equally admire the confidence of Joanna Rowsell to race and be interviewed unimpeded by her hair loss condition of alopecia. It can’t be easy for young women to be photographed without hair, but her cheerfulness is quite humbling.

A final word to the Mens Team Pursuit. I don’t really identify with any particular discipline on the track. But, if I had to choose one it would be the endurance event – The Team pursuit. Back in 2010, I was riding the British Time Trial Championships. After finishing the race I took some photos of the top riders and riding back, Geraint Thomas came up and started speaking. – A very nice guy, and a reminder the people underneath the superskin suits and pointy aero helmets are cyclists just like us. – just a little bit faster! It was nice to have that link to a member of the team. I can now tell my grandchildren about the day an Olympic gold medallist put six minutes into me in a 50Km time trial.

The final thing that impressed me was the guard of honour for Chris Hoy at the end of the his final Olympic event. A suitable honour for the great Olympian, but also a reminder that it’s not just the cyclists but the whole coaching and support staff too.

What a summer of sport, I’m swimming in cloud nine at the moment. I couldn’t bring myself to think of mundane things like cycle helmets or cycle lanes

I shall just enjoy the moment – and offer thanks to the Olympic cyclists!

Final Track Cycling Olympic Medal table

Country				Total
Great Britain & N. Ireland	7	1	1	9
Australia	1	1	3	5
Germany	1	1	1	3
Denmark	1	0	0	1
France	0	3	0	3
China	0	2	1	3
United States	0	2	0	2
New Zealand	0	0	2	2
Hong Kong	0	0	1	1
Netherlands	0	0	1	1
Canada	0	0	1	1

GB Gold Cycling Medals 2012

• Men’s Sprint – Jason Kenny
• Men’s Keirin – Chris Hoy
• Men’s Team Sprint – Philip Hines, J.Kenny, C.Hoy
• Men’s Team Pursuit – Ed Clancy, G.Thomas, Peter Kennaugh

• Women’s Keirin – Victoria Pendleton
• Women’s Omnium – Laura Trott
• Women’s Team Pursuit – Trott, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell.

Related

• Why are British Cyclists so successful?
• GB Cyclists

Love this photo of the Olympic stadium. Not sure what that unfinished roller-coaster is doing there though.

photo S.E Star / CC

In an age of glib marketing sentiments, it’s easy to be a little cyclical about another slogan ‘Inspire a Generation’. But, despite all the clichés and imperfections of  the Olympics, I’ve found myself drawn into this great sporting spectacle and feel genuinely inspired by the Olympic spirit.

It’s an inspiration which runs far greater than the fact Great Britain have done very well. (Though I have to admit a shameless pride to see Yorkshire getting more gold medals than the sporting powerhouses of Australia and Japan combined. (Yorkshire 7th in Olympic medal table – God’s owns county)

The Olympics is really impressive. It does bring something very significant from the people involved. The dedication, the commitment, and discipline achieve something very positive and special. I’m not sure why, but you get a very different feeling watching the Olympic athletes, compared to say Premiership footballers. Despite a great drive to win from the athletes, you do often see a genuine affection for other athletes in the same event. An event like the heptathlon or rowing seems to create more fellow feeling than the Premier league.

In their defence, at least premiership footballers don’t start crying and thanking their parents every time they win, but the Olympics seems to hold a very pure sporting ideal. Maybe I’m looking through rose tinted glasses, but sometimes you just want to see the glass half full. When I listen to some athletes, I do get a genuine inspiration to go and train up steep hills in the rain. That extra inspiration was a pleasant surprise.

 Even criticising athletes for being emotional in the Olympics is pretty hard and unsympathetic. This isn’t another weekly fixture to fulfill a £150,000 weekly wage packet. The Olympics is four  years of focus  and dedication – it is all or nothing. Packed stadiums and the world watching – how can you not be emotional at the intensity of the climax to your life’s work? Though I still wish  TV interviewers would know when to stop asking questions which have been already answered, by obviously drained athletes. One thing is certain, no soap-opera could pack such raw emotion as an athletic final.

If I was a lazy teenage used to playing Nintendo, I think the sheer drama and excitement of the Olympics would inspire me to get off the couch. That is a real legacy.

Of course, if you wanted, you could think of a hundred reasons why the Olympics fails to be a pure sporting contest, you could take a depressingly utilitarian attitude that we should have saved our money to pay a fraction off our interminable national debt (that we’ve had since the 1640). But despite all those outer imperfections there is something very special about the Olympics – it does give glimpse of the higher ideals that sport can offer. What price can you put on inspiration and uplifting people spirits?

One of my favourite Olympic articles was from an Australian newspaper. -Best of British – hope and glory Usually, there’s nothing the British and Aussies like than to put the others down. The intense Ashes rivalry e.t.c. But, I think with the Olympics there is an opportunity to appreciate great athletics. It is an opportunity to show magnanimity as well as celebrate success.

Long live the Olympics, and long live the Greater Republic of Yorkshire.

Related

• Olympic legacy for cycling
• Olympic Spirit
• The ideal of sport – another article I wrote on sport

The standout favourite is Mark Cavendish. If the peleton finishes in a bunch sprint on the Mall, it would be hard to bet against Mark Cavendish.

The box hill circuit 9* 15Km circuits include a substantial amount of climbing 9*130 metres. This roughly translates to one medium Alpine Pass. The average gradient is 5%, with some touching 6%.

The peleton will definitely start dropping riders on these numerous ascents. The big question is how much will Cavendish be dropped on the 5% gradient? His form from the Tour de France is good. After being a strict diet all year, he’s specifically worked on losing weight and limiting his losses on the climbs.

After the last box hill circuit, there is 45KM of flat on the way back to the Mall in London.

The big question is whether Team GB (Bradley Wiggins, Ian Stannard, Dave Millar and Chris Froome, have the ability to bring any breakaway back in those last 45Km. I reckon a breakaway would need a lead of 3-4 minutes at the top of Box Hill, if all the GB riders are still there.

However, in the Olympic road race, anything can happen. It’s less predictable than a tour de France stages. Teams are smaller, it’s everything on one day.

In the World road race Championships 2011, GB managed to control the race from start to finish, but then they had nine riders in the team. Five is much harder, though with 4 Tour de France stage winners, plus 1st and 2nd Overall – it’s hard to get a stronger team.

Great Britain may also be helped by Germany. They will feel there best prospect is the sprinter Andy Griepel, who is in great form – with 3 Tour de France stages, and has already beaten Cavendish this year. If any sprinter can beat Cavendish, it would be Griepel.

Other countries, will definitely not want to wait for a sprint finish, so they will be looking to form a strong breakaway on the Box hill circuits.

Could A Breakaway Succeed?

If the breakaway is sufficiently strong and organised, it definitely is possible. There may be an unofficial – anti Cavendish alliance. It depends who gets in the break, and how willing they are to work across teams.

Breakaway riders could include Boasson Hagen (Norway),  Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert (Belgium), Niki Terpstra (Netherlands),  Alejandro Valverde and Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain),  Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin (Ireland), Fabian Cancellara, (Switzerland), Sylvain Chavanel (France) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) and Peter Sagan (Czech).

Will it Be Cavendish’s day?

Back in 2008, Cavendish was the only member of the GB team to come away from the Olympics without a medal. He was in Madison with a tired Bradley Wiggins I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten that. This is his biggest focus of his year. From a domestic (British) point of view, this could be the highlight of his career, there will never be so much attention on one bike race. As Cavendish said before the last stage on the Champs Elysees – just please give me a bunch sprint…

• Olympic road race

Related

• Box Hill Climb

“Citius, Altius, Fortius.” – “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.”

The motto of the Olympics is a great inspiration. Yet, these days the Olympics deviates from this pure motto of athletic inspiration. We have events like synchronised swimming (though thankfully, the solo variety of synchronised swimming was not continued after 1992), even golf is going to be admitted in 2016

Anyway, I can live with these other events if the classic events of sport are left. I wouldn’t usually write on this topic, but, I feel it is the height of absurdity for the Olympic committee to abolish the great 4 Km pursuit event (and 3KM womens pursuit).

The 4Km individual pursuit is one of the classic events in the cycling programme. It is a simple test of power, speed and endurance for just over 4 minutes. Unlike many other track events, it is not one for the sprinters, but an event ridden by some of the top road cyclists, as well as the specialist pursuiters. It is an event ordinary cyclists can relate to and at the same time admire how the top riders can ride at just under 60kmph for 4 minutes.

Team events are good, but, the ultimate race is for the individual. I like the 4*100 Metre relay, but, it can’t compete with the individual 100 metres.

Chris Boardman in Olympic Pursuit.

The 4Km pursuit has been in the Olympics for many years, since 1962. Who can forget Chris Boardman’s triumph in Barcelona on his revolutionary Lotus bike in 1992? or Bradley Wiggins triumph in 2008. But, it is not the fact British cyclists have happened to won the event a few times that I want it retained. It is because it is a great event, with a great history and should not be shelved from the Olympic programme.

It is being replaced with an Omnium event, an event that no one has really heard of.

If swimming can have 36 medals for a huge variety of events and distances and 18 medals for wrestling, I don’t see why cycling can’t retain its blue ribband track event. It was bad enough to lose the 1KM pursuit, but to lose the 4Km pursuit as well is even worse.

The problem is that within cycling there is no individual event between the 500 metre sprint and the road time trial (around 50Km). This is wrong. There should be an individual distance between these two.

No one would suggest having 2 swimming events of 50 metres and 1,000 metres.

I really feel there should be some kind of Olympic heritage programme to protect significant events with a great history. That’s just my personal opinion of course, but I often don’t see the logic behind the decisions of the UCI (- don’t get me started on the world hour record – limited to 1979 technology or something like that)

Related:

Olympic Track cycling

The track cycling is nearly over, but Victoria Pendleton managed to claim another Gold for the British Team, beating Australia’s Anna Meares in the final. China’s Guo Shuang beat Willy Kanis for bronze.

Bradley Wiggins missed out on a third gold in the madison. But, Chris Hoy has reached the final against fellow British rider Kenny.

• Bradley Wiggins
• Paul Manning
• Gerraint Thomas
• Ed Clancy

Bos and Hoy in Track Sprint

This morning was the start of the 500 metre track sprint for men and women. After the qualifying time trial, riders go through to the quarters, semi and then final. The sprint takes place over 3 days.

Victoria Pendleton, is a strong favourite for the women’s title. I hope she stands up well to the pressure of the Olympics. The women have only 1 sprint event, unlike the men who have 3. Victoria looked very impressive qualifying from her quarter final. She set a new Olympic record in qualifying time trial

Chris Hoy currently looks unbeatable on the track (he also set Olympic record in qualifying time trial) and will be going for a third gold medal. That would make 4 Golds in 4 separate events, (he won 1km time trial in 2004)

Jason Kenney is another young British athlete with tremendous potential. He could make a medal

Tactics of 500m Olympic Sprint.

In the knockout stages, it’s simply a case of beating your own opponent. There is a lot of cat and mouse. Sometimes the riders may come to a complete stop to try and force the rival to the front. A rule has been added to limit this to 30seconds. (In one race, there was a 1 hour standoff with riders stopping on the bend of the track) – not ideal for tv schedules. Riders don’t sprint from the start because their opponent would be able to ride in the wheels for a while before sprinting around.

Speed in Last 200 metres

An example of the speed in last 200 metres

• In the quarter final Jason Kenny sprinted last 200 metres in 10.5 seconds – 68Kmph.
• Victoria Pendleton sprinted last 200 metres in 11.6 seconds.

Photo by John the Scone flickr

Other Track News

Rebecca Romero won Gold in 4km pursuit. Wendy Houvenghal took silver.

New World Record – 4Km Team Pursuit

British 4km Time trial team set a new world record of three minutes 44.205 seconds. British Pursuit Team:

• Bradley Wiggins, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas and Ed Clancy

A reader left  a comment asking me what I thought about Chris Boardman’s choice of greatest Olympians of all time at the Independent

Boardman’s Choice was

1. Steve Redgrace
2. Michael Phelps
3. Carl Lewis
4. Mark Spitz
5. A British cyclist (in a few years time)

Choosing the best Olympian or best Cyclist of all time, is the surest way to have an on going debate. There are so many different criteria to choose not least:

• Number of medals
• Type of event, Individual / Team, Short distance / long distance
• Prestige of event
• Amount of competition.
• Number of Olympics
• Personality of athlete.

If the question was “Who is most successful Olympian?”, I would give less weight to personal aspects counting number of medals would suffice. But, since it is ‘Greatest Olympian’ I think it means you can go less on statistics and more on personal favourites.

These are my 10 greatest Olympians of all time, and I’m sure most people will disagree with them.

10 Greatest Olympians of all Time

1. Carl Lewis

9 Gold medals over 4 Olympics, in a diversity of events rarely matched.

• 100m the blue ribband of athletics
• Long Jump
• Sprint Relay

Mixing both track and field the most prestigous events, Lewis also embodied, grace, speed and technique. Carl Lewis Bio

2. Jesse Owens

4 Golds in the 1936 German Olympics was one of the defining Olympic moments of all time. Owens was a great competitor – modest and humble about his own achievements. Jesse Owens Bio

3. Steven Redgrave

5 Successive Golds in 5 Olympics. An unmatched duration of Olympic success. Gold achieved in coxless fours. Although a team effort, it doesn’t undermine the personal effort required.

4. Emil Zatopek

In the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He won the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon (the first time he had run the event). This was probably the greatest athletic performance of any one Olympic games. In London, 1948,  Zatopek  won the 10,000m in a world record time, lapping all but two of the field. Emil Zatopek was later sentenced to hard labour for speaking out against the Russian invasion of his home country, Czechoslovakia. Emil Zatopek bio

5. Michael Phelps

14 Gold 2 Bronze 2 – Total 16 medals,  Including 8 gold in 2008 Olympics says it all. If he makes it to London 2012, his Gold tally, could become unreachable.

6. Paavo Nurmi

During the 1920s won 9 Olympic Gold and 3 Silver. He won in 5 different events  1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, steeplechase and cross-country. Would have won more if he had not been controversially been called a professional by Olympic committee.

7. Mark Spitz -  Aged 22 he won seven gold medals in four days at the Munich Olympics, all in world records. He had vowed to make up for winning only two golds, a silver and a bronze at Mexico in 1968.

Gold 9 Silver 1 Bronze 1 Total 11
1968 2 Golds (4x100m free, 4x200m free) 1 Silver (100m butterfly) 1 Bronze (100m free)

8. Michael Johnson

Great Sprint Champion. Gold in 1996 200m and 400m, in effortless style. Retained 400m gold in Sydney. Shame he missed 1992 with virus.

9 Fanny Blankers-Koen

- Four golds  at 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and sprint relay. This cheerful Dutch mother and housewife lit up the 1948 ‘austerity Olympics’

10.  Miruts Yifter

- Nicknamed ‘Yifter the Shifter’ for his amazing turn of speed in last parts of 5000m or 10000m race. Won a 5000m and 10,000m double at the 1980 Olympics (probably aged 40, although he kept his age a bit of a mystery. . Also won bronze in 1972 at 10,000m but was left sobbing as 5,000m final got under way because he could not find the track entrance.

Other Notable Olympic Athletes.

Lasse Viren - Double win of 5,000m and 10,000m in 1972 and 1976. Fell in his first 10,000m Olympic final in Munich, yet jumped up to win in a world record 27:38.35.

Sebastian Coe - Only man to win successive gold medals in the 1500m in 1980 and 1984

Bob Beamon - Mexico 1972, Bob Beamon  recorded a distance of 29ft two-and-a-half inches to take gold at a time when no athlete had jumped further than 28ft.   Beamon never again jumped over even 27ft but his record lasted 23 years, until beaten by American Mike Powell.

Abebe Bikila - Won the 1960 Olympic marathon barefoot (only 3rd ever marathon. In 1964 retained title six weeks after appendix operation, setting another world record.

Ed Moses - Supreme 400m hurdler.  Won Olympic gold in ’76 and ’84, missing Moscow ’80 because of USA boycott. In 1988 Olympic final he was third .

Florence Griffith-Joyner - Phenomenal performance at 1998 Seoul Olympics. Died of heart attack aged 39. Suspicions over drug use.

Dawn Fraser – Greatest woman swimmer of all time after winning 100m gold medals at three successive Olympics from 1956-64

Daley Thompson Olympic gold in decathlon 1980 and 1984. A larger than life character

Kip Keino – Gold in the 1968 Olympics at1500m and silver in the 5000m. Four years later he demonstrated his phenomenal versatility by triumphing in the 3000m steeplechase and landing silver in the 1500m. Rewrote record books for distance running in the late sixties, before retiring to run an orphanage in Eldoret with his wife.

Olga Korbut – First Russian to smile in competition and as such the six-stone gymnastic waif won the hearts of the world in 1972 when she won two individual golds, team gold, silver and bronze.

Nadia Comaneci – 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci – the first gymnast to achieve the perfect 10 score in Montreal in 1976. Over the course of the Montreal and Moscow games in 1980, she won five gold medals, three silver and one bronze.

MUHAMMAD ALI -As Cassius Clay he eased to the gold medal in the light-heavyweight division at the Rome games in 1960. It is alleged that Ali tossed his medal into the Ohio river in disgust at the racial discrimination he experienced in America.  Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch at the Atlanta games 1996 , despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

RICHARD FOSBURY In 1968 Richard Fosbury re-invented the high jump, winning gold by jumping head first.
Chris Hoy Gold over 4 different track cycling disciplines.

Rebecca Romero. Gold in 2 completely different disciplines – rowing and cycling

Bradley Wiggins – Pursuit Champion 2008

Eric Moussambani Eric from Equatorial Guinea practised in a 20m pool for one hour per week. He raced agains Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe in the 100m freestyle.

He flayed around in the water, he almost came to a complete stop 10 from the end, but received a standing ovation from the crowd to carry him home.

He finished in 1min 53 seconds, twice the time of Thorpe.

Top 100 Athletes

A review of the opening days of the Olympics:

Beijing Olympics – The Good so Far

• Spectacular Opening Ceremony.
• Michael Phelps becoming most successful Olympic athlete of all time.
• The procession of  World Records set in the Swimming pool. (Of course, If it was cycling people wouldn’t be explaining these fast times on a new lycra swimsuit)
• Britain’s cycling squad. (forgive blatant patriotism) Gold to Nicole Cooke in women’s road race in treacherous conditions
• Russian and Georgian athlete offering goodwill to each other on the medal podium, despite outbreak of war in Russia. [link]
• Spirit of the Games- “I was just happy to be involved in the Olympics, now I can look forward to two weeks of shopping…” – First athlete to be knocked out of the Olympics (after 38 mins)- Amazingly the athlete was Australian. article at Guardian
• Track cycling and athletics still to come

Beijing Olympics – The Bad

Athletes village perimeter

• Post Race Interviews see: post race interviews
• The mixing of politics and sport. Inevitable after giving the games to the country with one of the worst human rights records in the World.
• Faking of opening ceremony. I don’t mind the computer generated fireworks, but, getting a more attractive 7 year old singer to mime the lyrics seems the height of low taste.
• The excessive celebrations of the American swimmers on winning the 4 man relay, giving Phelps his second gold. It was a really great last gasp victory, but, why the need to scream like animals shouting the F word?
• Chinese bureaucracy preventing spectators watching the Olympic road races and time trials.  Cadel Evans wife was prevented from watching road race. In the time trial she was forced to climb 3 feet up a tree.
• Choreographed cheering by paid student supporters. BTW: These slogans come from the same committee who thought up slogans for the cultural revolution. “Victory to the Peasant’s Socialist ideals and death to the Capitalist reactionaries”

British Cycling at Olympics

Photo top: China Gucci

Photo middle: K