Sharon Rowe

The Olympics

August 17th, 2008

OK…back from the dead…again!

I couldn’t let the Olympics go by without a word or two.  It’s been blimmin exciting so far, even (I would imagine) for those among you who don’t like sport.  This is a bit all over the place but forgive me, it’s too exciting!

We (as in Team GBR) are doing amazingly well so far.  It’s amazing how smoky it seems to be in our lounge at the moment, tears are a regular occurrence in the Rowe household…also amazing how the men seem to cry more on the podium than the women.

The mornings this weekend have seen us up watching sailing on “interactive”.  That has been awesome - and more so because I actually understand what they are doing nowadays since I learnt to sail!  If you don’t think you like sailing, watch the 49′ers medal race.  Wow!  As for Ben and the Blondes - were those shiny gold medals ever in doubt?  My heart was in my mouth for the Yngling…

Of course, we started well in the swimming.  Admittedly we have not won as many medals as we would like but we have won golds and a bronze, with more to come too.  On the plus side, we have lots and lots of British records and PB’s - you can’t really ask for more from an athlete.  Naturally the swimming has been entirely dominated by Michael Phelps, who can fail to be amazed by 8 gold medals?  Who can fail to be amazed by his physique and who can fail to be amazed by how low he wears his suit without showing off his bits?!  Honourable mention here to Ryan Lochte, who is my personal favourite swimmer in the USA team, even if he isn’t so famous as Phelps.

We have been dominant in the cycling so far.  More shiny gold medals for men and women…hopefully with more to come.  I am very much looking forward to seeing Cav (that’s Mark Cavendish to many of you) on the track with Bradley Wiggins in the Madison.  Of course Mark recently won 4 stages in the Tour de France and he is awesome.  If a little cocky…can’t blame him really though.  More medals to come I think in the cycling for Team GBR. 

More fantastic performances from Team GBR in the rowing, lots of tears from the men’s lightweight double sculls (and from me and David watching!).  We haven’t lived up to expectations in some of the events but you can’t win ‘em all…I think Gary Herbert who commentates wishes we could though.  His voice has somewhat gone!

On the athetics track we haven’t been dominant though, we have managed to get Christine Ohuragu in the 400m final, we *had* Jeanette Kwatche in the 100m final, Andy Baddeley is in the 1500m final.  No-one in the men’s 100m final, no-one in the women’s 3000m steeple.  Luckily Greg Rutherford is into the long jump final (unlike a certain Mr Tomlinson), as are our 3 high jumpers.  Naturally all the headlines have been grabbed by Usain Bolt and his frighteningly fast 100m…gold medal and new world record.  I only hope it’s not drug-fuelled.  I can only assume not, as they have been tested so many times by all accounts.  David made a good point about his physiology being so different than everyone elses, so perhaps that’s the key?  He is kind of lanky…

In the gymnastics we have won our first ever apparatus final medal in the form of a bronze medal, which is fabulous.  He beat the men’s overall champion, who happens to be Chinese too.  We also won a couple of bronze medals in some equestrian stuff…someone made a point about the horses winning medals not riders.  Perhaps they should get a medal, I hope they at least get a rosette.

It’s not all been good though.  We have failed miserably at judo, shooting and archery…we were meant to be winning medals there but didn’t. 

Here’s to another week of great action.  One thing I can be sure of is that I am going to suffer severe Olympic withdrawal symptoms.  The other thing I can be sure of is that I will burst with excitement in 2012…

Entry Filed under: Sailing, Running