Rule Britannia!

Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful, from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies,
Serves but to root thy native oak.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."


Yesterday was the greatest day EVER for British athletics.  Within an hour, Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford, and Mo Farah each won gold medals while the world was watching.  Earlier in the day, two teams of rowers and one cycling team also captured gold.  It was an unbelievably proud day to be British!

Greg Rutherford celebrates Long Jump gold with the 10K in the background.

Jessica Ennis celebrates becoming the world's best female athlete.

Mo Farah completes the trifecta with a 10,000 meter victory.

Heptathlon:  After two days and seven events, it was Jessica Ennis who proved to be the world's greatest female athlete.  Throughout the event, she overcame incredible pressure as Britain's 'Face of the Games' to be crowned champion.  For example, while she was warming up for the shot put, the PA announcer was continually calling her out as Britain's favorite daughter, well on her way to a gold medal.  Her face has been everywhere for the past four years; in fact, the first video I watched on my British Airways flight was Jessica Ennis showing passengers how to stretch while on board.


Long Jump:  The biggest surprise of the night was Greg Rutherford winning the long jump.  It was 1964 when Britain last won a long jump medal and even though he qualified for the 2008 Olympics and had won silver in previous European and Commonwealth championships, it's not like he is a household name.  In the previous night's qualifying round, he was the first one to get a good slow-clap started from the crowd as he managed only the fourth best mark. 


10,000 Meters:  A few weeks ago, I watched Mo Farah win at Crystal Palace and saw firsthand how popular he is in this country.  He lives and trains in Eugene, Oregon, but is as British as a Somalian refugee can be.  Seriously, the crowd cheered non-stop for the nearly thirty minutes he was on the track and the celebration following his victory was punctuated with the appearance of his daughter and pregnant wife on the track.  Normally, I think that is inappropriate, but this evening was a night of celebration for all of Britain.


The meet has been praised for its transition from formal protocol to an invitational type atmosphere, with music accompanying all events over one lap.  Each session goes by so unbelievably fast that you barely have time to catch your breath, let alone leave your seat for any reason.  It was almost an afterthought last night when Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce defended her title as the world's fastest woman.  Jamaica and the USA took the top five spots, so that 4x100 is going to be one heck of a race.  Yes, it's been one big party and the hosts have had their magnificent day.  The media are asking if anything can come close to topping it.  Well . . .

A wax figure of Usain Bolt greets passengers at the airport.

The semi-finals are still to come, but the three Americans and the three Jamaicans are looking like a pick six. I actually like Yohan Blake and Ryan Bailey as the favorites, although I'm rooting for Bolt.  Any of the six can win and it's going to be a race for the ages.  Can't wait!