The Anonymous Widower

The Greatest British Olympian Ever

With the retirement of Sir Chris Hoy, who numerically is our greatest Olympian, the debate is starting as to who is the greatest.

There are many worthies amongst my favourites, but then only one would be on a vote for the top ten greatest Olympians.

But that one Olympian does stand out.

I remember on the 6th of July 2005, sitting with C in the kitchen listening as Lord Coe put the final speech in London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics.

She was a barrister and said it was the finest plea in mitigation she’d ever heard. He delivered it superbly. You can read the speech and othe others here and  C was right.  it was written, so that if we failed in the bid, as was expected, then Princess Anne, Lord Coe, Ken Livingstone, Tessa Jowell, Denise Lewis and the others involved, could come home knowing that they’d given it a very good shot.

Fortunately, Lord Coe got the result most people really wanted and the rest as they say is history.

Many people did not ever see, Sebastian Coe running. I didn’t see his Olympic trumphs, but I did see him on the television many times in the 1980s. he had a grace and created excitement, like no other athlete of the period.

So as someone, who won gold medals on the track and gave us the magnificent  London 2012 Olympics, there can only be one choice for Britain’s greatest Olympian.

April 19, 2013 - Posted by AnonW | Sport, World | Athletics, Olympics