Earlier on today, and comfortably seated in the first row of a BA flight, the Olympic torch left Athens en-route to Cornwall where it will begin its 70 day tour around the UK, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey tomorrow.
I’ve always looked forward to these games. The sheer caliber of sports men and women who compete is incredible. I still remember watching the ’08 summer Olympics which were held in Beijing. It was the end of my BSc I was sat in a pub completely dumb-struck after having witnessed Usain Bolt sprint his way across both the 100m and 200m races breaking both world records. The man's physique, his expression and the speed at which he shot down the race course was phenomenal. To add to my awe, I saw Phelps work his magic on the same day. Of all his races, the one that remains engraved is his 200m butterfly. This particular stroke is my own personal challenge and seeing the water literally part, making way for him, was nothing but pure class. He won the gold medal for this one, just 1 of the 7 shinys he took home that year. Some unbelievable performances, without a doubt.
Speaking of performances, I saw part of the flame handover ceremony which took place in Athens last week. The ritual begins at the temple of goddess Hera in Olympia where as tradition has it, the flame is lit for the first time by capturing the sun's rays at this very place. After a quick relay around Greece, it is later handed over to the delegates of the games' host country.
Once the ceremony ended, the cameras closed up on the British delegation present at the Panathinaiko stadium. The first face, was none other than David Beckham's. Never really seen this part of the Olympics before, but Beckham in Athens was a definite surprise. With him were Boris Johnson (Mayor of London), Lord Coe (Chairman of the Games), a member of the Royal family and a group of 5 school/college kids which had been selected by the British Council to be a part of the handover ceremony.
From Land’s End at Cornwall tomorrow, the flame shall pass through the hands of 8000 torchbearers, each of which have made some kind of contribution to sport. I had a look at some of their profiles and was quite astonished. From a 63 year old scouts trainer to a 15 year old disabled swimmer, the torch is set to shine its light on the achievements of people of all backgrounds, abilities, experiences and ages, acknowledging their efforts along the way.
After passing through more than 1000 cities, the flame shall finally reach London on the 27th of July and the games shall finally begin.
It's been a long wait, one which I was hoping to put an end to by being present in London next month. Although this seems very far-fetched now, the show must go on and whether I stand near or far, tomorrow marks the beginning of some very exciting times.
I’ve always looked forward to these games. The sheer caliber of sports men and women who compete is incredible. I still remember watching the ’08 summer Olympics which were held in Beijing. It was the end of my BSc I was sat in a pub completely dumb-struck after having witnessed Usain Bolt sprint his way across both the 100m and 200m races breaking both world records. The man's physique, his expression and the speed at which he shot down the race course was phenomenal. To add to my awe, I saw Phelps work his magic on the same day. Of all his races, the one that remains engraved is his 200m butterfly. This particular stroke is my own personal challenge and seeing the water literally part, making way for him, was nothing but pure class. He won the gold medal for this one, just 1 of the 7 shinys he took home that year. Some unbelievable performances, without a doubt.
Speaking of performances, I saw part of the flame handover ceremony which took place in Athens last week. The ritual begins at the temple of goddess Hera in Olympia where as tradition has it, the flame is lit for the first time by capturing the sun's rays at this very place. After a quick relay around Greece, it is later handed over to the delegates of the games' host country.
Once the ceremony ended, the cameras closed up on the British delegation present at the Panathinaiko stadium. The first face, was none other than David Beckham's. Never really seen this part of the Olympics before, but Beckham in Athens was a definite surprise. With him were Boris Johnson (Mayor of London), Lord Coe (Chairman of the Games), a member of the Royal family and a group of 5 school/college kids which had been selected by the British Council to be a part of the handover ceremony.
From Land’s End at Cornwall tomorrow, the flame shall pass through the hands of 8000 torchbearers, each of which have made some kind of contribution to sport. I had a look at some of their profiles and was quite astonished. From a 63 year old scouts trainer to a 15 year old disabled swimmer, the torch is set to shine its light on the achievements of people of all backgrounds, abilities, experiences and ages, acknowledging their efforts along the way.
After passing through more than 1000 cities, the flame shall finally reach London on the 27th of July and the games shall finally begin.
It's been a long wait, one which I was hoping to put an end to by being present in London next month. Although this seems very far-fetched now, the show must go on and whether I stand near or far, tomorrow marks the beginning of some very exciting times.