I Should Be Studying But ...

... I am watching television.  Having seen the men building the stand for the celebrations for the Team GB Olympic and Paralympic athletes, I was considering going up to town to see it, but common sense dictated that although the atmosphere would be fantastic, I would be warmer and more comfortable watching it on television at home. So that is what I am doing.

The reception that they are receiving along the route is fantastic, and with the first of the floats just arriving in Trafalgar Square the cheers of the crowd are growing louder.  And as the last float is travelling the route many of those in the streets are following them towards Trafalgar Square.

It is heartwarming to see the crowds have not forgotten the exploits of the summer.  And what is more important is that Olympic and Paralympic athletes are celebrating together.  If the teams can achieve so much when they have travelled half way round the world to compete, let us hope that they can achieve even more when the Games are on home turf in 2012.

Well done boys and girls, we are all so proud of you. 

Goodbye Beijing, Roll On London 2012

The last gold medal has been awarded after 16 days of competition and the Closing Ceremony is now taking place. For Team GB this has been a spectacular games for they have won more medals than anyone expected, and have finished fourth on the medal table. Shortly the Olympic flag will be passed to Boris Johnson and will reside in London for the next four years.

Now we have to wonder what sort of games we are going to see in London 2012. Personally, I would like to see something along the lines of the Commonwealth Games, known by all who partake as the Friendly Games, for the nations taking part have a common bond. Lavish and spectacular as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies have been in Beijing, I would like to see something a little simpler and that places more emphasis on the athletes who are taking part. I don't care if our sporting facilities don't look as spectacular as those in Beijing, as long as they are fit for purpose and ready in time. I don't want them to cost more than any others in the past, and we already know that they won't, because we cannot afford it and what we really need is infrastructure that can be realistically used in the future.

For me, however, the most important thing is that tickets for all the events are realistically priced so that ordinary members of the public in this country can afford to attend the greatest sporting event to take place here during their lifetime, if they so desire. And if tickets are realistically priced, then there need be no empty seats as there have been at numerous events and venues in Beijing.

And when the Closing Ceremony of the London Games takes place, I hope that everyone can say that we knew how to put on a good Olympics.

In The Middle Of The Night

It's a ridiculous time to be writing a post for my blog, but I'm having one of those bad nights. I managed to get to sleep relatively easily, but then woke up a couple of hours later and I can't get back to sleep again.

I watched the Men's Olympic Marathon, which was run in horrendously hot conditions, and which was run at a ridiculously fast pace for the first half of the race. Some runners had to drop out, and comments were made by Steve Cram and Brendan Foster about some of the runners becoming so dehydrated that they were no longer sweating in what was becoming an increasingly hot day.

I don't think that there will be the same problems at London 2012. It is exceedingly unlikely that the temperatures will rise to the level that they have been in Beijing over the last couple of weeks, not do I think it likely, even allowing for the terrible summer that we have had this year, that any rain that there is will be quite so torrential as that which has been seen on a couple occasions in Beijing. The sailors can be pretty sure that a lack of wind is unlikely to cause races to be cancelled; in fact the reverse is more likely, races being cancelled because of too much wind.

The British climate may not be the best in the world, but it is ours, and if we didn't have it what would we all talk about? It is probably the best climate that there is for the majority of sports; not too hot, not too cool, not too wet, and not too dry. Let's hope that everything, including the weather, comes together nicely and allows Britain to put on an Olympics of which we can be proud, and that the participants will talk about for years to come.