Leaving The Olympic Stadium
I took these pictures as I left.
Or a friend took two as you can see.
The stadium is not as impressive yet, as it was at the Olympics, but I suspect it’ll get there.
Friday At The Anniversary Games
These pictures show some of the races at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games on Friday night.
It all happened very much to time.
The Rocket Man
The Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 may have had the Rocket Man, but we also had one on Friday.
Usain Bolt seemed to be enjoying himself.
Vegan And Vegetarian Food, But No Gluten Free
The food was worse than at the Olympics.
Vegan And Vegetarian Food, But No Gluten Free
There was nothing that was gluten-free, like the excellent Indian food, I got last year and all I bought was water.
Just like Wembley!
But then I’d made sure, I’d had a good meal at lunchtime.
Arriving At The Olympic Stadium
I arrived at the Sainsburys Anniversary Games about six on Friday evening.
The grounds are still being remodelled to create the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Hopefully, when they finish, we’ll avoid having to enter the park from the east through Eastfield and can come in off the Greenway from the west.
I bet you don’t and you’ll always be routed through the shopping centre.
Distance Runners Just Do Not Do This!
The statement above is in a report in today’s Times about Mo Farah’s breaking of the UK and European records for 1,500 metres in Monaco last night. The BBC report is here.
I have tickets for the athletics in the Olympic stadium on Friday and Saturday, where Mo should be making an appearance, before going to the World Championships in Moscow.
I’m looking forward to what should be a really great night.
My Greatest TV Sporting Moments
On BBC Radio 5 last night, they were asking what listeners most important memories of televised sport were, after Andy Murray’s win at Wimbledon yesterday on the seventh of the seventh to end seventy-seven years of disappointment.
Here’s mine.
Laker’s Match in 1956
I remember watching this and especially the screen the BBC showed when the match had ended early because of England’s victory. Read more.
Stirling Moss winning the 1957 British Grand Prix
In fact it was a shared win, as his car broke down and he took over that of Tony Brooks. Read more.
Stiring Moss winning the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix
This must rank as one of the greatest ever Formula One wins by a British driver, as Moss held off three much more powerful Ferraris in his Lotus-Climax. Read more.
Tottenham winning the FA Cup in 1961
This of course gave them the first Football League/FA Cup double since the 19th century.
Mandarin winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1962
Why I was watching this on an afternoon in March, I don’t know, but it was probably because I was off sick from school with the affliction from which I still suffer. It was a masterful ride by that old fox Fred Winter, who kept one of the cleverest steeplechasers to the inside, all round the course at Cheltenham.
Bruce Tulloh Winning Gold in Belgrade in 1962
Few others would include this, as he was not a great runner, but using supreme tactics and going from 800 metres out, he won the European Championships with ease. He showed that if you want something enough, you can get it. Read more.
England winning the World Cup in 1966
I was with my parents in Felixstowe and as we didn’t have a television, I saw it at our next door neighbours.
David Hemery winning Gold in Mexico in 1968
This was an amazing performance and I can still hear David Coleman’s commentary. Read more.
Mary Peters winning Gold in Munich in 1972
This was another amazing win and I’ve written about it before.
Red Rum’s third victory in the Grand National in 1977
Although, I remember the 1973 race, this one is more poignant as I can remember C screaming her head off at the television, as she cheered him home. Strangely, this memory was at the same venue as Moss’s victory in 1957.
Mo Farah’s Double Gold in London in 2012
This can’t be left out, as I’ll never see anything like this again. I did try very hard to get tickets to go, but when the ballot was held, I didn’t have any money, as my house hadn’t been sold.
If I write this list again, Murray’s win yesterday will definitely be included. Although it’s quite likely, that he could exclude this memory by perhaps winning Wimbledon a few more times.
Linford Christie Is A Gardener
This was flagged up by Katherine Merry on Fighting Talk this morning.
Gardening is one of my pet hates, so I do find Linford Christie’s apparent love of gardening, rather foreign. I like looking at nice gardens, but please don’t ask me to do anything. I would have thought, Linford could have been like me, as we both had other things to do, that are more important.
I checked to see if Katherine Merry was right and found this article in the Financial Times.
Katherine Jenkins At The Marathon
There seems to have been a lot of criticism of Katherine Jenkins at the London Marathon. It’s reported here on the BBC. This is an extract, containing comments from a Daily Mail columnist.
She then criticised the singer’s appearance, describing her £200 Prada sunglasses, full make-up, “immaculate” ponytail and “raisin-sized” diamond earrings.
So what! She wouldn’t be the first runner, who wanted to look her best.
I actually saw her perform once at a private party and she was definitely worth whatever the organisers paid.
Is this just another case of Tall Poppy Syndrome?
If I was a celebrity treated in this way in these circumstances by a columnist, I’d challenge them to a race, with the loser paying several thousand to a charity of the winner’s choice.
The Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games
I’ve now got four tickets for each of the sessions on the 25th, 26th and 27th of July.
It was fairly painless and except for a wait on the first access, probably because all the world and his wife were trying, it didn’t take too long either.
In some ways, I wish I’d bought some more tickets. I suspect the touts have, as they always have needs. But then I’m not in any need of making money that way!
But I do want to enjoy the athletics at the Olympic Stadium
The Anonymous Widower 