London Anniversary Games: a fitting tribute

I was lucky enough to get my hands on tickets for the third day of the London Anniversary Games on Sunday (the International Para Challenge).

The Anniversary Games

It was brilliant to be back inside the Olympic Stadium for the first time in nearly 10 months, and to see some great performances – particularly the legendary Richard Whitehead (with his trademark late surge – see below), the dominant Hannah Cockroft and the sprint king Alan Oliveira.

The fact the British public have again embraced the athletics, with about 60,000 (the capacity for the weekend) there on each of the three days speaks volumes about how much London 2012 – both the Olympics and Paralympics – did to inspire people. The weekend was a fitting tribute to what last summer meant.

In some ways it was sad to see the park as it is today: the Aquatics Centre clipped of its wings, the Water Polo Arena and Basketball Arena now just mud.

But even so, it gave you a thrill just to be back at the scene of the greatest instalment of the greatest sporting show.

And, after all, the 2017 World Athletics Championships are not too far away (providing West Ham haven’t ruined the stadium too much by then).

My view of David Weir’s win in the T54 1500m at London 2012

London 2012 Olympics: one year on

This time last year, during the glorious display of Great Britain that was the 2012 Olympics, I was privileged enough to be living in London and working for the Telegraph during their coverage of the Games.

It’s hard to believe it was 12 months ago, and we’re already a quarter of the way through the wait until athletes reconvene in Rio de Janeiro.

With the anniversary approaching, arguments and counter-arguments about whether there is enough of an Olympic legacy are surfacing, but I don’t want to go into that now.

It’s difficult to believe this was a year ago

Last summer, you wondered whether anything could top those two and a half weeks. The Games showed off Britain at its finest, whether in competition – an historically brilliant third place finish in the Olympic and Paralympic medals tables, and a whole host of new national heroes – or not: the Games Makers have virtually entered sainthood, the capital was friendly to visitors, and it was even sunny (mostly).

Of course, 2013 has already seen a first Lions series victory for 16 years, a second consecutive Brit winning the Tour de France and Andy Murray going one better than last year to triumph at Wimbledon. Then there’s the almost inevitability of England retaining the Ashes against a desperately weak Australia. Over the last 12 months my appetite for football dropped significantly – it looks like that will be the case during the coming season as well. The Prima Donna-ing, the lack of respect for officials, the yobbishness of fans – it all seemed to be a world away from London 2012.

This weekend sees three days of competition at the Olympic Stadium, inside what has been rebranded the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. To prove the British fans’ passion for the Olympics and Paralympics was no flash in the pan, tickets for the first two days of competition sold out within 75 minutes. I’m off there on Sunday to see the day of Paralympic competition. (As an aside, it was great to see the IPC World Championships in Lyon leading the sports bulletins on the BBC News this week.)

I can’t wait to go back to the Olympic Stadium for the last time before it is downsized, which will apparently include the removal of the superb triangular floodlights. It might almost be emotional, bringing back a whole lot of memories which are too numerous even to make a start at listing.

But it will also remind me just how wrong the various nay-sayers, who doubted whether London’s creaking infrastructure would cope, who feared the Games would be a washout, who were sceptical as to whether the British public would embrace the Olympics and Paralympics, were.

London gets one more dose of Games fever this weekend, which will prove once more the truth expressed by Lord Coe in his speech at the Olympic closing ceremony: “When our time came, Britain, we did it right.” Our time has gone, but the memories it provided will never leave.

Warren Gatland serves up a generous helping of humble pie to his critics

There’s a nice picture in today’s Times of triumphant Lions coach Warren Gatland heading down the tunnel at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium following his side’s 41-16 thrashing of Australia.

He is raising a hand in acknowledgement as red-shirted fans lean over the wall, desperate to shake the hand of the mastermind of the Lions’ first series win since 1997.

Gatland would consider leading the Lions to NZ in 2017: RT this if you want him to return: http://t.co/rcaPKfLqzZ pic.twitter.com/lcjz3szOon

— Sky Sports Rugby (@SkySportsRugby) July 8, 2013

How different to last week, when scorn was being poured on the New Zealander from all quarters, particularly from the west of the Irish Sea.

His decision to ignore sentimentality and instead opt for the team he thought best suited to take on and beat the Wallabies was derided by former Lions, experts and self-appointed experts such as Keith Wood, Willie John McBride, Austin Healey, Ian Robertson and even Phil Bennett. At least Brian O’Driscoll himself, whose ommission was the cause of so much anger, showed a bit of class.

The Sydney Olympic Stadium: the scene of Warren Gatland’s great triumph

 

And Gatland has revealed he thought about packing it all in last week because of the abuse sent his way via social media. Really, you have to wonder why some people send abuse anonymously – but at least they were treated to a generous serving of humble pie on Saturday. I should say, too, that to avoid doubt, I was being sarcastic last week…

Great to see a few selected apologies for Warren Gatland. However, I feel that the intensity of apology should match that of the criticism.

— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) July 8, 2013

Of course, Gatland showed why, after three Six Nations championships and two Grand Slams with Wales, he is such a highly regarded coach. He, and his coaching team, knew exactly what they were doing.

You had to feel a bit sorry for Jonathan Davies, whom next to nobody (Gatland aside) believed should have been starting ahead of Brian O’Driscoll. But while the Irishman had been lacking a spark on the tour, Davies justified his selection with an excellent performance, most memorably setting up the crucial Jonathan Sexton try by cutting through the green and gold defensive line. He also added a valuable left-foot kicking option, which he used to great effect on a number of occasions.

‘You can’t mouth words and then not live them when it’s your turn’ – Brian O’Driscoll on backing #Lions teammates: http://t.co/JJmrmTkx3u

— TheScore.ie (@thescore_ie) July 8, 2013

Davies was one of the stars of the show, alongside compatriot, man of the series, and possible IRB player of the year Leigh Halfpenny. English prop Alex Corbisiero put in a huge shift, and was the linchpin for the Lions. Geoff Parling’s sensational tap tackle on Jesse Mogg deserves a place on the highlight reel, Sean O’Brien was immense, while George North and Tommy Bowe were again monsters on the wing.

I only managed to watch extended highlights (still not knowing the result), but even so, the second half began with plenty of tension, as Australia scored 13 points without reply almost to cancel out what had been a 19-3 Lions lead.

But a glorious last twenty or so minutes saw Sexton ghost over, Halfpenny release North to cross in the corner before Jamie Roberts sealed a glorious win by crashing through from 25 metres out.

Nobody, surely, could have expected such a comprehensive win. Nobody, perhaps, except Warren Gatland.

Australia v Lions: 12 hours late

It’s almost 12 hours since the Lions and Australia kicked off their series decider in Sydney, and I still don’t know the score!

I’ve been working today, and fortunately nobody at the Wellingborough carnival or other fun days saw fit to let me know the result.

It’s also meant I’ve been unable to go on Twitter, Facebook and even our own website since George North and Alex Corbisiero are both Northampton Saints summer signings.

Still, I’ve just about made it to the repeat on Sky Sports. Phew. Any predictions on how this is going to go? I’m going for a pessimistic Wallabies by four…

Warren Gatland, you heartless fool

It’s 12 hours since Warren Gatland made The Worst Decision In The World Ever.

By tossing Brian O’Driscoll on to the cruel scrapheap of sporting history, he has handed Australia the series on a plate.

It is the most inept tactical blunder since Napoleon invaded Russia as well as the most heartless act of treachery since Mufasa was killed by his brother.

And it wasn’t only the whole of the British Isles which was appalled by the decision – the faux pas is also said to have prompted the abdication of the King of Belgium.

***

Third test, Australia v Lions: my team

With Sam Warburton injured, at least one change is needed following the agonising 16-15 defeat to Australia in Melbourne. And a few who started against the Wallabies in Brisbane look like they may be fit again. So:

Stadium Australia, the scene of the Lions decider on Saturday

15. Leigh Halfpenny – point to prove after his last-gasp penalty miss in Melbourne

14. Tommy Bowe – added an aerial threat after replacing Cuthbert in the second test

13. Brian O’Driscoll (c) – not an automatic pick, as I fancy seeing Jonathan Davies and Roberts team up