CAN THERE ever have been a better night for British sport than the one we witnessed in The Olympic Stadium on Saturday?
3 gold medals in less time than it took the Team GB football side to crash out on penalties to South Korea in Cardiff. Amazing.The first gold, won by Jessica Ennis in the Heptathlon just after 9pm, was the most predictable. Her performances in the earlier six events meant it was a foregone conclusion she would get the result she needed in the 800 metres.
Ennis did not need to win the race. In fact she only had to finish at least 13 seconds behind her nearest rival. She could have walked around the track and still come away with the gold. But that is not in her nature. Despite slipping down to third coming into the home straight, she pushed herself again to clinch the gold in style.
Meanwhile, the final of the Long Jump was taking place simultaneously, and we had a chance of two medals. Greg Rutherford led early on and, inspired by Ennis winning the 800 metres moments earlier, landed a jump of 8.31m in the fourth round to increase his advantage.
By now the Men’s 10,000 metres final had started, with Mo Farrah one of the favourites to take the gold. As the athletes ran past on the track behind them, Rutherford’s nearest rivals failed to match his distance and we had a second gold medal, just twenty minutes after the first.
The 10,000 metres was now becoming a very tactical race, with the Kenyans determined to make it as difficult for Farrah as possible. But the Brit went in front at the start of the final lap and pulled away from his rivals on the home straight to make a hat-trick of gold medals just before 9.50pm.
Coming on top of a great day elsewhere, where Team GB had picked up a gold in rowing and two in cycling, it was a great way to round off a remarkable day for British sport.
You almost had to feel sorry for the finalists in the Women’s 100 metres, which started just after Farrah had crossed the line. Usually this is one of blue-riband events but this time it felt very much like an anti-climax. The night had been all about the Brits.
The euphoria continued on Sunday, as Ben Ainsley won a 4th Olympic gold in the Sailing Finn before Andy Murray demolished Roger Federer in the Tennis final at Wimbledon to land a gold of his own. He later picked up a silver with Laura Robson in the Mixed Doubles to make it another great day for Team GB.
It seems hard to believe now that the award of the Games in 2005 was greeted with so much scepticism. There is no doubt it has been a massive success, however, more so than Lord Coe could ever have imagined.
Yes, the cost of hosting such a major event has been mentioned many times, especially in these times of austerity, but there can be little doubt now it has been money well spent.
The whole thing has been superbly organised, the atmosphere inside the well designed venues has been terrific and the Team GB athletes, in so many different events, have proved to be the best we have ever had.
With blanket coverage on the BBC, it has also given us the chance to watch some sports we would not otherwise have had the opportunity to see. Handball, in particular, has proved very popular and it would be no surprise to see it really take off after The Games are over.
And of course the good news is we still have another week to go…
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