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!

Olympic Athletics

Nothing took that smile off my face!

Olympic Flame

Team GB's Jessica Ennis leads the heptathlon

All three Americans qualified through the first heats of the 1500.

Reece Hoffa takes bronze.  I met him at the KU Relays.

This is it!

Today is the day I have been waiting for my entire life!  No offense to the other athletes, but today is the day my London Olympics truly begin.  Track & Field starts today and I will be there!  To quote the Smashing Pumpkins, "Today is the Greatest!"

Olympic Park

Olympic Park is like Disneyland for sports.  Imagine the last big stadium you visited and then multiply it times ten.  There are eight major venues plus many, many support buildings.  You can buy anything and everything Olympic and get food from just about any region imaginable.  If you sit down and watch people pass by, you will see fans from every county competing and you might just spot some of the world's best athletes.  After exploring all the nooks and crannies, I sat on the hill and watched the giant video screens and saw Great Britain win its first two gold medals.  After dinner, I went to my first event, Team Handball and saw Spain defeat Denmark and Croatia knock of Russia.  A totally awesome day!

The final approach from West Ham

Carmelo Anthony meets the USA gymnastics team

I made it!

From Opening Ceremonies to Athletics

Rowers win Team GB's first gold.

Games of the XXX Olympiad

The Games are underway and that means it's time for some commentary from your humble narrator . . .

The biggest concern for everyone in London was transportation and after four days, the general consensus is that they prepared for the worst and it hasn't been that bad.  I haven't heard of anyone missing their event or getting stuck in traffic.  Trains have been full leaving the Olympic Park each night, but the party atmosphere has prevailed.  Those arriving early Saturday morning were greeted by revelers who were just on their way home from the night before.

Watching the Olympics on television in America has always been to mixed reviews.  I understand NBC's desire to catch the largest audience during primetime, but for those of us who are die hard fans, we'd much rather see it live.  Obviously, with this being the first social media Olympics, it is nearly impossible for any true fans to remain oblivious of the results until primetime or later.  And while in year's past, I have been one of the biggest critics of NBC's tear jerking athlete profiles and over-the-top coverage of the US athletes, it has become the same way here in England.  The bright side is that on the BBC's online site, there are 24 channels of live coverage and I am able to watch every heat of every race, as well as coverage of matches between countries like New Zealand and Lithuania.

Speaking of social media, it has been very cool to follow some of the athletes, reporters, and groups directly involved with the Games.  @PressAssoc2012 provides great general Olympic information, @SITimLayden (Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden) is up-to-date with all the breaking news, @AtoBoldon is hands down the best Twitter Broadcaster there is, and it's been fun following athletes like Lolo Jones @lolojones and Amy Hastings @HastyHastings for behind-the-scenes observation and commentary.

England (or Team GB as they are known) has a lot of pressure to succeed.  They won 47 medals in Beijing and as host country, they are granted more entrants in this Olympics.  It was a surprise that the men's cycling team was shut out on day one, but the men's gymnastics team came out of nowhere to win their first medal in over 100 years.  It is very exciting to be in a pub when England gets a medal and the patriotism comes out strongest from those whom you'd expect it least.  Team GB has advanced many swimmers and rowers into the final rounds, but with more participants, come more non-medalists.  Many British athletes have already placed fourth or fifth, which is either just out of the medals or heart-breaking failure, depending upon how you look at it.  On the positive side, every athlete interviewed has praised the support of the crowd and said he/she has done his/her best.  Even London Mayor Boris Johnson has chimed in, saying "We are showing great natural restraint and politeness as host nation in not hoarding the medals more so far."

Swimming is the first week's marquee event and it has been pretty cool to watch Lithuania's 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte and China's Ye Shiwen win gold and I take patriotic pride myself with USA's 12 swimming medals so far.  Just watched Andy Murray win his second round match and the women's soccer teams play again tonight, with the USA taking on North Korea at Old Trafford and Great Britain playing Brazil, who are as dazzling as their male counterpart.

Tomorrow, I will make my first foray into the Olympic Park for a session of Team Handball.  Can't wait . . .

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Let the Games of the XXX Olympiad begin . . .