London - Hangover or Legacy

For other 2 weeks Britain has been in what can be described as a whirlwind romance. To some a one night stand that went on forever and ever in a psychedelic haze. Or for others the foundations leading to a union of marriage.

London 2012 has caught the imagination of the public in a way in my lifetime I have never witnessed. From the ocean blue of Eton Dorney to sawdust powderlike dirt of Greenwich Park to the heavenly coliseum that was the Olympic Stadium. Everyone was filled with a national pride unmatched with anything I have seen. I witnessed Euro 96 and that was as close to unison I had seen in a nation. Families, friends or strangers united as one. Nationalities not carrying the sense of any blind predjudice. The world was at one as the theatre of sport that is the Olympics unfolded in London. Flags, facepaint, signs. The crowds just packed everywhere. Wanting to catch a glimpse of any of the events. As Blur said "All the people, so many people, they all go hand in hand" you could call it Olympic Fever. I think the pride stretched beyond the athletes we had, but more of a pride that Great Britain was the centre of the world and all eyes were on this country that is great in every sense of the word. Forget political un-rest, forget social un-rest. The Olympics served as a clean slate. All for us to come together and unite. You the people were special. As a family. Embracing in a warm hug and looking forward.

What about the athletes. The gullotine edge in which medals were decided. By 1cm, 1 second, 1 point. The true sense of achievement and failure. Tears of joy and tears of despair. The physical pain of triumph and the physical pain of loss. Usain Bolt etching himself as Olympic Legend. Pointing to the world. For the world. An Olympic Icon. A respresntation of the impossible. Securing his image for the rest of time. Michael Phelps achieving greatness that will likely go unmatched. A force in the water that even White Sharks can't match. What a contrast. Jessica Ennis. The face of the games. Sheffield Steel born and bred. An athlete right in the peak of their career. Carrying not only her hopes, but the hopes of the people. Despite her beauty, she carried a focus that was able to take on board the support of the people. Heptathlon a gladiator's event. She posted the performance of her life and embraced the love and support of the public. The image delivered for the games and for the country.

The moments in time. Such as David Rudisha posting a World Record. The Jamaican Mens 4 x 100M posting a World Record. The American 4 x 100M posting a World Record. The British Mens Pursuit posting a World Record. Stephen Kiprotich winning the marathon. Sir Chris Hoy cementing his legend in British sporting greatness. Mo Farrah Britains double medal winning legend. Andy Murray overcoming the pain of Wimbledon to win Olympic Gold.

The defining moment of the games for Britain has to be Super Saturday. The men starting the gold rush in winning the Coxless fours. Followed up by Sophie Hosking and Kat Copeland winning gold in the Lightweight Double Sculls and the tears of joy that followed. Then we had the "3 sisters" in the Velodrome securing another gold for British riders. Then came that magical evening. Not a cloud in the sky. The stars in the sky came out to be blown away by the one voice of the British public cheering on their athletes. Out came Ennis. Running her heart and soul out in the 800M. Passing the competition on the left and ran down the final stretch, her arms aloft in victory. It wasn't all finished though. Greg Rutherford nicknamed the Olympic Torch because of his hair. An athlete plagued by injury. Sprinted down the runway like he was chased by the Apocolypse and then launched himself into the sand like he was jumping into a place in heaven and made a winning jump. A shock that gave the people even more spirit to cheer with. Mo Farrah was next. 10,000M. This was to be his time. He ran a good race and when the bell tolled for the final lap, Mo summoned the strength to push those legs and sprint to Olympic glory. Running across the line with arms held high and a smile to match. What a day. What a night. I may not have been there in the crowd, but I felt part of the people. A element of wow and smiles graced me for rest of the games.

Monday. The feeling of achievement is still residing in me. Seeing Lord Coe involved in the Legacy project to which the government is pumping £125M per year for the next 8 years to build on this stunning foundation. To see our children and children's children experience and witness such great moments in sporting history. To give the children hope. To give the people hope. An ideal. The children I saw cheering and waving flags I hope to see screaming in delight and running over that finish line in first place. I really hope that the London Legacy will live on in each and everyone of us. Not have it as a hangover and lose hope again as the Olympic Flame was extinquished. Let's not allow this to extinquish our dreams and hopes for the future.

I would like to leave you with this poem and hope it's meaning compliments the last 2 weeks:

PIPING down the valleys wild,
Piping songs of peasant glee,
On a cloud I saw a child,
And he, laughing, said to me:

'Pipe a song about a lamb!'
So I piped with merry cheer.
'Piper, pipe that song again;'
So I piped: he wept to hear.

'Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe;
Sing thy songs of happy cheer!'
So I sang the same again,
While he wept with joy to hear.

'Piper, sit thee down and write
In a book, that all may read.'
So he vanished from my sight;
And I plucked a hollow reed,

And I made a rural pen,
And I stain'd the water clear,
And I wrote my happy songs
Every child may joy to hear

Excellent read LK. Top stuff.

It's been an amazing games and lets all hope it really has inspired the future generation.