It says ‘ere …

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on August 7, 2012
Posted in: London 2012 a view from the Couch, Where's that Handcart?. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Despite early fears about the numbers of security guards at London 2012, there was confirmation yesterday that the organisers have managed to fully-meet their quota of Jobsworths for this year’s Games.

A London 2012 Jobsworth joins in the celebrations with Usain Bolt after his victory in the 100-Metres

In an interview with the media, 100-metre Gold Medal winner Usain Bolt explained how he encountered these shadowy figures within the staff at the Olympic Stadium: “It has been different from Beijing.  There are lots of rules, weird, silly rules that don’t make any sense to me.  I tried to wear my tie into here, they said ‘no’. I said why? ‘Because of the rules’, they said.  Then I wanted to bring my skipping rope in and they said ‘no’ because it’s ‘the rules’. These rules just don’t make sense to me.”

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Stick to the crisps Gary

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on August 6, 2012
Posted in: London 2012 a view from the Couch. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

It may have seemed like a bit of an anti-climax after Saturday’s amazing performances but, numerically, Day Nine was the most successful so far for Team GB, with a total of eight medals being won across six different sports.

Go! – The start of the Men’s 100m Final which cost top-rate ticket-holders a mere £75 per second to witness

Andy Murray finally found a way to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon, and how emphatically he did so, losing just seven games on the way to a straight-sets win to take the Men’s Singles Gold. Continue Reading

Wow!

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on August 5, 2012
Posted in: London 2012 a view from the Couch. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

It doesn’t happen very often in this modern life, but occasionally something takes place that just makes words redundant.  Day Eight of London 2012, in particular the evening session in the Stadium, was one such circumstance.   It was billed as Super Saturday and, for once, that billing was an understatement.  In all seven medals, six of them Gold, were won by Team GB – three of those Golds coming late in the day, in less than an hour of the most sensational session of athletics this country has ever experienced.

Special Delivery from the Poster Girl

It was one of those “do you remember where you were…” moments.  In the years to come, countless millions will, no doubt, claim they were there on the night and, with the miracles of HDTV and surround sound, in a way we all were.  Continue Reading

‘Failure’ IS an option

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on August 4, 2012
Posted in: London 2012 a view from the Couch. Tagged: , , , , , .

Day Seven and the floodgates have begun to open for Team GB success.  No less than seven more medals, three of them Gold, two of which came in the Velodrome in the Team Pursuit and the Womens’ Keirin.  The other was probably the most popular so far – for Katherine Grainger, three times silver medallist in the womens’ double sculls, but now with her team-mate Anna Watson an owner of the top accolade.  The other four were all Bronzes, two at Eton Dorney, another at the Judo, and the final one of the day in the pool for Rebecca Adlington in the 800m Freestyle, her second of the games.

Katherine Grainger and Anna Watson celebrate winning Gold

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Come the Revolution

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on August 3, 2012
Posted in: London 2012 a view from the Couch. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Day Six of the Games marked a distinct upward tick in success for Team GB, with the medal haul now double what it was at the same stage in Beijing, primarily due to our Nation’s prowess in what Michael Johnson, the  BBC’s charming American ex-400 metre Champion, terms the “sitting-down sports.”

Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott paddle to Gold in the C2

There was a Silver in the Lightweight Fours at the Rowing, Gold and Silver in the C2 Canoe Slalom, Silver in Judo, Gold in the Trap-Shooting and Gold, plus a new World Record, in the Men’s Team Sprint at the Cycling, a fifth Gold Medal in cycling for Sir Chris Hoy matching Sir Steve Redgrave’s rowing tally to make them now jointly Britain’s most successful Olympians. Continue Reading