Sporting heroics in Summer, 2008

I have just watched Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, receiving the handover of the Olympic Flag in Beijing. I like Boris Johnson as he has that certain air of scruffiness about him, and his unkempt appearance and slight eccentricity blends well with his public schoolboy accent and haystack hair. He is likeable, terribly English and proud to be so and I think he will prove to be a brilliant Mayor. After Spain´s fabulous defeat of Germany in the European Football Championships, followed up by Rafael Nadal´s historic Wimbledon win against Roger Federer and Team GB´s outstanding performance at the Olympics, this summer has been a dream for sports fans. So here´s looking forward to 2012 and I am confident Britain will live up to all Olympic expectations. Oh and the 2010 World Cup Finals are nicely wedged in the middle in South Africa, which England will definitely win under the excellent guidance of Fabio Capello.

Olympic Mania

I´m never quite sure if I love or hate watching the Olympics. I think the love bit comes from my teenage years watching Sebastian Coe (before he reinvented himself as Seb) and Steve Ovett who used to smash world records and collected a host of golds in the 800 and 1500m (Showing my age now). I also remember, strangely that whenever Steve Ovett used to win a race he would trace out the letters I.L.Y with his finger and point at his girlfriend, Rachel. (Despite this dodgy behaviour, I still regarded as something of a hero). But where have our middle-distance runners gone since the golden era of Ovett and Coe? Perhaps everyone else just got too fast for us? Having said that, I have become slightly addicted to the goings on in Beijing, especially since Becky Adlington won two golds in the swimming pool. I am from Mansfield and it is the first time we have ever produced a famous person (many infamous ones maybe). Oh and Alvin Stardust was from our neck of the woods but we don´t brag about it. So way to go Becky girl - and I hope she gets many many more. Apparently she has been given the ´freedom of Mansfield´ by the town´s mayor, Tony Eggington. My dad did remark wryly ´didn´t you have that when you were a teenager?´ Not sure where he was coming from there so I chose to ignore him. As I type I am watching the girls receive a silver medal in the skulls (and crying because it wasn´t a gold) and Team GB has just celebrated a fantastic gold in the double skulls (well it was two men in a light boat so I am assuming it was called double skulls). The pursuit cycling has been fantastic - not sure about that sprints thing where they all seem to start and stop about 20 times during the race -but I still enjoy it. I even found myself getting addicted to the table tennis yesterday to the horror of the family. Now normally I am a big footie fan, and Liverpool are my team - but after watching their diabolical performance midweek against Standard Liege, I decided to switch on to the Olympics - and what a brilliant decision it was. So, as I tackle a pile of ironing, watching yet another pursuit ride all I can say is COME ON GREAT BRITAIN - at this rate we´ll even win the ping pong.