#l2012days

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - They were the happiest of times

One last video.  Little more to say than, it's a montage - don't quite have the silks of the Beeb but hopefully you will get the jist... Watch, enjoy.  Citius, Altius, Fortius dear viewer... S.

N.B. Piece includes an excerpt from "Salut D'Amour" performed by Julian Lloyd Webber, London Symphony Orchestra and STOMP, which featured in the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony.  The audio is taken from the OST album without permissions - but used entirely for non-commercial purposes to reminiscence, remember and have a damn good sob.  If any issues, please let me know directly..!

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - Hoy's Final Word

It was the last race of Olympic competition at the Velodrome. Late afternoon, 7 August 2012.

A passionate, sell-out crowd were reeling from Victoria Pendleton's defeat in the Women's Sprint Final. And so it was left to Sir Chris Hoy, the ultimate British track cycling hero to bring the curtain down proper in London 2012. He headed into the Men's Keirin Final as defending Olympic champion, but amongst a very strong field.

The race itself saw him dominate in stretches only for German rival Max Levy to threaten at the death. But willed by a passionate support, Hoy edged it at the line to become Britain's greatest ever Olympian, winning his sixth Gold in all Olympic Games in what was his last race for Team GB.

It was an epic victory, and a fitting finale for a man who helped build this insatiable house of fervour and passion.

Here we see the final laps of the race.

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - An Oscar winning performance

The date? September 8 2012. The time? Late after 10pm. Many of those packed into the Olympic Stadium earlier were starting to shuffle away into the night as transport home became a priority. For those left, there was this race. The Final Race.

For whatever may become of this sporting epicentre in the future, at this moment, the track and field - and stands, and dressing, and structures... would witness athletic action one last time. So it was fitting that a man who transcended history and protocol earlier in the summer should be the one to triumph.

The London 2012 Paralympics were a mixed affair for Oscar Pistorius. His surprise defeat to (and subsequent comments about) Alan Oliveira in the T44 200m Final were followed soon after by defeat in the T44 100m Final to Britain's Jonnie Peacock. Here tonight, he'd face-off again against Oliveira in the Men's T44 400m Final.

The thousands left were reverent to the South African, who has done so much in his career to change perceptions of Paralympic sport. For whatever may have preceded this race, Pistorius deserved glory under the E20 spotlights. And he delivered with aplomb.

Winning with a time of 46.68, some strides ahead of the field, Oscar Pistorius closed proceedings at the Olympic Stadium gaining a Paralympic Record. It was a final personal book-ending of the summer for him, after his incredible achievements in the Men's 400m Olympics competition.

For those left to see him win, there was but wistfulness left as the stands emptied. In 24 hours the Paralympic Games would be over along with this glorious summer of sport.

But what a champion Pistorius is.

Here is the race in full.

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - The Joy of Jonnie

The night was 6 September 2012. For the Olympics' Super Saturday, this night was the one to be known as Thriller Thursday. The Paralympics, which had already been lit up with some spectacular performances experienced a delirious night in the Olympic Stadium.

Jonnie Peacock headed into the Men's T44 100m Final as favourite. The teenage world record holder from Cambridge, joined a field that included defending Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius.

In winning this race, Britain had a bonafide sprint hero again. Peacock struck yet another triumphant tone for paralympic sport. The victory crowned Thriller Thursday.

Here is the race in full.

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - Lightning strikes twice, again

It was a historic night, that of August 9 2012.

See, no man had ever won the sprint double of the 100m and 200m at an Olympics and then retained them at the next Games. But Jamaica's Usain Bolt is no ordinary man. He is as close to something resembling THE man.

As she stunned the field with comfortable victory in the 100m on Sunday, so he stormed to a dramatic lead here only for his countryman - and probably successor - Yohan Blake to push him furiously to the finish. But Bolt did it, as the capacity crowd in the Olympic Stadium willed him to.

History made, matching the world record in the process. Bolt's greatness was reaffirmed in Stratford on this night.

Here is the race in full.

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - The king is dead, long live Kenny

It's Monday 6 August 2012. We're over the halfway mark of the London 2012 Olympic Games. And we're at the greatest venue of the Games: the Velodrome.

On this afternoon, Britain's Jason Kenny faced off against France's Gregory Bauge in the Men's Track Cycling individual sprint final. Yet again, a partisan crowd in their thousands filled the fire-pit of a track to will on the man who disposed of the legend that was Sir Chris Hoy in this discipline. Not through Hoy's choice of course. The IOC's one-rider-per-nation probably denied the world the race they wanted to see.

Kenny would surely have faced Hoy again, as they did in Beijing four years earlier. But for now, Bauge (an old Hoy adversary) would be the marker to beat.

And beat him he did, two races to nil. Sealing his second Gold of the London Olympics, Kenny perhaps assumed rightful place as the Men's team leader following Hoy's decision to quit Olympic racing after London.

It was a glorious afternoon in the North end of the Olympic Park. Here we see the closing lap.

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - Daley's golden Bronze

It was the penultimate night of the London 2012 Olympic Games, 11 August 2012.

Headlines were being made over in the Olympic Stadium as Mo soared to his second Gold, yet here, the ultimate British poster boy of these Games was competing on the biggest stage of his life.

Tom Daley, the teenager from Devon, who made his name in Beijing four years earlier was here in the final of the Men's 10m Platform. It was a bumpy journey to this moment. But the the pool finally had a moment to cheer. After the failure of the swimmers, the Aquatics Centre on this night resembled something seen in the Velodrome and other sites in London.

Daley improved with each round in the final, with his Chinese rivals floundering in the heat of the partisan support. In the end, the Briton had to settle for Bronze as American David Boudia came through the pack to seal Gold. Yet, there was no doubt who those who packed the stands were supporting.

The love the British public feel for Tom Daley strikes very profoundly. One hopes he takes the opportunity to go even better in Rio in four years.

Here, we see his last dive, the reaction to his place holding in the last round and the medal presentation.

[sris22]

#L2012DAYS - The moment that changed the Games

It’s a brisk, bright morning in Buckinghamshire. The date, Wednesday August 1st, 2012.

We are some six days into the London 2012 Olympic Games. And anxiety is building amongst the British fans and press. The anticipated boost of home support hasn’t had the desired effect with our athletes, with no Golds on the board and little else of other colour.

And then, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning turned up.

The world silver medalists led from the off, and won Gold with a time of seven minutes 27.13 seconds to become the first British female rowers to win an Olympic title. They become instant history makers.

But, more importantly, that first Gold gave everyone the lift so desperately craved. Our party wasn’t going to turn quite so sour after all.

And while Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins gained more headlines over the course of the Games, one dreads to think what might’ve been were it not for the heroics of Glover and Stanning.

Here, we join the final strokes of the race.