Rio 2016 : Witnessing Usain Bolt Make History

There's definitely electricity in the air when Usain Bolt is expected. There's a sense of anticipation and excitement. A lot has been said about ticket sales and audiences' negative partisan reactions in Rio. There are some athletes who transcend all of that and Usain Bolt is one of them.

When I first started following athletics Britain's middle distance running was at its height with Seb Coe, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett. Although we had Allan Wells and Carl Lewis was dominating in the US somehow I never really got sprinting, possibly because it is all about speed and not tactics. Ben Johnson didn't help either.

Usain Bolt is different. He is an outstanding athlete in a time which is once again tainted. He is a showman but has the ability so he can carry it off. He makes people laugh with him. He can act the clown but you never doubt his competitiveness, his ability nor his desire.

I'm not going to watch the relay live. At least I don't think I am because in many ways I am sated with live sport and athletics. The last two days at the Engenho stadium will stay with me for the rest of my life. A lot of that is due to the athletics but it's also due to Mr Bolt.

Wednesday night saw the semif-final of the Men's 200m. Semi-finals aren't formally announced. Race is called and athletes appear so there was a sudden roar as the crowd spotted that Bolt was on his way. A casual jog round to the start of the 200m, a bit of a wave. I like the way he acknowledges the fans unlike many of the swimmers and then down to work. There's so much to do before a race starts. You tend not to see that on TV as there is so much to cover. The athletes adjust their blocks, settle in, test, adjust & sprint. There's last minute runs before you see them on the blocks. There have been very few races that there is absolute silence (other than the beat of bass, see decathlon posts) but there is for Bolt. The world awaits...

Wednesday Bolt took off, cheers & excitement. Looked like he was slowing down, was he going to be caught? No, he was just saving himself. The crowd were on their feet throughout the race, the noise was phenomenal. Bolt was in the building. Little celebration afterwards - why would there be? The final was still to come.

The race however that should have made the finals had Gatlin & Gemilli. Bolt unites the audience, Gatlin divides it and there were boos. At the conclusin, Gemilli through but astonishment that Gatlin was out. For all Bolt's showmanship & pacing himself, you feel that it is because he is carefully working out how much effort he needs. I do not believe that he would ever risk losing, like a Rolls Royce he just goes into another smooth gear.

Day 2 = Bolt no showed for the 4 x 100m relay. Guess he had enough to do with the 2000m but the team won and again you don't realise the preparation that goes on. Athletes put sticky tape on the ground measured out by going foot against foot, presumably to guide their team mates before they reach them on distance as the team member taking over the baton have official marks as to where they can start.

It's also true that TV is actually a lot better for relays than live. It's all a blur and you can only see one change if it's in front of you and difficult to make out on big screens. There are few repeats other than the finish. I was there but in the wrong place for the US,  Brasileiro & Dutch problems. I did see the US run their race again. The crowd cheered them on but I'm not so sure. Stuff happens in racing, it's how you deal with it and demanding a rerun is that really the answer? I find by checking my sources that USA have won but I can't be overjoyed for them. China didn't get the chance to run & Brasil ended up disqualified. Perhaps occasionally it would serve the US to come over as good losers.

The race of the day was the men's 400m hurdles. The top 5 all achieved records or personal bests. Must be hard not to get a medal when you are so close but hopefully no regrets because you gave your all.

And so that 200m final. The razzmattaz that introduces a final borke out and Adam Gemilli shot out. First to the blocks, Bolt came out half way through. Definitely the showman was out as the acknowledged the crowd. He took a long ime over his blocks before the camera introduced him and he did his clown bit. Can't say I blame him. Athletes must feel really self-conscious with the cameras in their faces at that stage. Swimmers don't have the problem of a camera going past them as they wait Time to settle, the routine goes. Bang, cheers, applause, bass ... Yes, Bolt wins in a season's best but he isn't pleased. He waves his hands at the crowd requesting silence. No chance. They've witnessed athletics greatness. I waited until he came round. Stopped and waved. i didn't see the Bolt. I made a Bolt for home but I was there the night that Usain Bolt won his 3rd consecutive 200m Olympic Gold Medal.

Rio 2016: The Decathlon dazzels & why I got it wrong!

I started following athletics in the 1980s when Crystal Palace stadium (not Selhurst Park that's football) hosted the great international meetings. I saw Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Backley, Steve Cram, Steve Smith, Steve Jones (just kidding re last 2!) but despite Daley Thompson's heroics I didn't get the decathlon. On TV it came across aas athletes doing 10 sports not as well as the specialists. When I decided to buy additional tickets for today it was for the relay heats and the evening races including the 200m men's final. I thought it might be interesting to see how the decathlon progressed.

I WAS WRONG!!!!! (doesn't happen very often) the decathlon is a fascinating test of stength, agility, speed and versatility. Above all you need stamina. It breeds cameraderie. There are twists and turns as the scores change and in any round an athlete can get knocked out if he fails to score. Heartbreak. Throw into this mix a defending Olympic athlete, a Brasileiro top 10 athlete ... If you have to compare it to Mr Bolt well, it does go on for a lot longer. Blink and you miss the 100m, rub your eyes and that's the 200m gone! The decathlon lasts two days.

The first event I witness was the high jump. Fascinating how for the events athletes are split into pools so that one height moves more quickly than the other. As suspected you start seeing characters and rooting for different athletes. The Japanese enthusiastic, determined regarding the high jump. The Algerian who jumped the highest with a seasons best but didn't continue to save his strength for later.

The discus didn't excite me but that was probably because the athletes were opposite me so I couldn't really see them other than the screen and I couldn't do my favourite of guess the distance! It was the Pole vault was amazing. I've never been up close to one before and the warm-up alone was worth the price of a ticket. Running, testing the poles, jumps with a cord, without a cord. 2 pools again. Take a look.

Then the Australian won me other by being the only one to comfort the distraught Czech who went out without a clearance. The Belgian sat through 2 hours of competition with only 2 jumps because he is that good. The French no. 2 who remained on the track to keep the French No. 1 company. The disappointment of the Australian in not getting higher, the passion the Brazilian crowd had for their athlete.  The sheer determination and inscrutabality of Eaton and Warner the Canadian.

I was lucky I was in the shade. I still ended up with a bit of a headache because of the incessant heavy beat music playing throughout. At times it was difficult to hear the commentary. I'm old-fashioned I know but I believe that music should be used to enhance, to make a point, it's not constantly needed. Do javelin throwers need electronic moving through the air sounds. Doesn't the arc of a javelin make its own image and drama? Where does that leave the crowd if you cannot hear them?

It was during the javelin that you really saw how things could change with the rankings going up and down. The Cuban took the stage, the Brasileiro go the loudest cheers but his throws seemed like an anti-climax until you realised he'd thrown a Personal Best.

The first heat of the final event seemed like a jog until you saw at the end that many of the athletes could no longer stand. One of the Germans collapsed in pain and I think they might have brought out a wheelchair for him. The second was more of a race and then the medealists were announced. Yet you had had a feeling that the bond between these athletes was so strong that it was almost more important to be an Olympian. There was a lap of honour led by Eaton and the Brazilian. They stopped and thanked the crowd and then they lined up, took hands and took 3 bows. Thank you gentlemen for thanking us, we thanked you.

Rio 2016 : Water Polo

I entered the hallowed portalls where Michael Phelps and others had made history. I was not there to witness history but to watch the women's water polo semi-finals.

First up, Brasil vs Australia. (This is not a typo, while I'm here I tned to use the Portuguese spelling.) We dablled a little at school and also played a version at home when I was at in Brasil but that is a long time ago. It's much easier if you are allowed to put your feet on the ground. Experts of course cannot not. It's a tough game. I'm not sure what you do to gain a exclusion penalty (sin bin) but Brasil were very good at that. Sadly Australia were better at scoring goals.

it starts ith a fast and furious swim to the ball and then continues from there. Like past Brazilian men's football teams there was some glorious passing but Australia's directness seemed to work better!

Sadly, Brasil didn't win. Not doing to well the Brazilian women. I'm still upset that the footballers got knocked out at the semi-final stage. Interestingly no one stopped a lone protester who is against the current interim Presidency. Not the time or the place to get into this one!

Russia and Italy followed. Strange to hear the Soviet anthem once again. This time it was Russia who lost. Interestingly there was no acknowledgement between the players afterwards although the coaches shook hands. Russians walked straight past the Italians and no one said a word that I could see. Wasn't watching the first match so not sure if this ts typical!

The real hero was the ball girl. Every time the ball went out of play down her end, a replacement would be thrown in. She would take off her glasses, subtly lower herself into the pool and collect it. Get out, curl up in a her towel again having put on her glasses once again.

I was sad to leave the Olympic Park for the last time but this made me smile and say so?

Next stop Decathlon and that man Bolt... Here's a teaser

Rio 2016 : Athletics Session 1 : Fabulous Friday

The first Friday night of the athletics and you don't see much of the decisive action. Why entitle this Fabulous Friday? It's because in the initial rounds you see the nuts and bolts, you cannot see people win medals but you can see how they can lose them. Sometimes it's those who are there to do their personal best that are the exciting ones to watch. A favorite might not qualify but if you were there in round one, you will have seen them.

I didn't witness Van Niekerk break the 400m record but I saw him win his first round. I didn't see Matthew Hudson-Smith go out in the semi-finals I saw him run one of the races of his life and qualify faster than Van Niekerk. I've seen the fastest women in the world & not just the top 8. I can't share the photos because sadly they move too fast, well, the 100m were the other side of the track & 400m spread out. When you see them live it's even more difficult to work out who is winning particularly on the 400m bend.

I have a confession to make regarding Greg Rutherford. I saw him warm up, I saw a foul for his first jump but then got caught up with other events so only found he'd qualified on looking at the scoreboard.

The hammer qualifying was at the other end and you could tell the Pole was due to go on to great things qualifying with her first throw. It was enormously satisfying to applaud Sophie Hitchon's delight in qualifying.

I'm excited about what happens next in the women's 1500m. The other thing to remember is that the finals do not include everyone's favourite athlete and there is a much better atmosphere if there is a Brazilian around & the different heats attract different support. Helps if there's a Brit or a certain Jamaican. The Brits were once again out in force. Not the greatest photos but they are the ones that didn't run away ...

The most fun moment was the introduction of the women's shot put finalists. Why? The samba band of course. All athletics meetings should have them!

The competition of the night belonged to these three athletes.

The headlines might have belonged to the Saturday and that javelin throw but seeing Jessica Ennis-Hill run over to her coach during the shot-put, their total focus on the 200m at a time when they had all to play for. Unforgettable.

This may not have been the result but I left satisfied looking forward to what was going to happen next, knowing that I witnessed a part of the story.

There have been so many comments regarding the athletics so let me add my views. It's not the prices per se, they are similar to other sports finals. It's certainly not the location, whatever Michael Johnson might say, as it's one of the easiest to get to. If you are going to spend the sort of money that is being charged for sports events then you are going to be choosy about what you go to. 

It is the classic demand vs. supply scenario. Tickets are expensive but people will pay those prices if they really want to go but there are an awful lot of seats to fill in that stadium twice a day. Athletics has limited appeal in Rio. Ultimately there isn't the demand at that price for those number of seats.

Let's face it, there aren't the Brazilian heroes that there are in football. Kids in Brazil dream of being footballers, it means their way out of poverty and the favela. Athletics does not have the same pull / the same means of escape.

The sports that Brazilians follow in real life are volley, handball, boxing and of course football. These are dominating the TV output and I think reflects the priority that athletics has.

Let's look at athletics stadia. They are white elephants. Manchester City now play at the purpose built Commonwealth Games stadium, West Ham at a reduced capacity London stadium. Botafogo lease the Rio stadium. 

My question is this. Did the Olympics need such a large stadium for a limited audience?  I fell in love with watching athletics at Crystal Palace. It was small, it had a great atmosphere. You could see lots. I preferred that atmosphere to that of the Olympic stadium in London. I enjoyed Friday because I sreated the seating as unallocated and was close to the action. The velodrome was amazing because the atmosphere was intense and I think that athletics should learn from that.

Rio 2016 : Team Cycling

Cycling was one sport that I couldn't get at first and no other tickets came up. Not surprised as I think all the British supporters wanted them. So on a wet Wednesday evening having failed to get last minute tickets for the rowing final, I was astonished when cycling popped up. Grabbed them, cost made me wince a little but I was proud possessor of a cycling ticket. The only thing was that the only thing I knew about the session were the time, location and that it would involve  bicycles. A glance at the programme showed men and women team events in a weird order. Closer inspection revealed there were two mens team events - sprint and pursuit. Still hadn't got a clue but why worry! Velodrome and a closer look at the Olympic Park called...


So reaching the Olympic Park on Thursday, I was later than on my first day so queues were bigger & I think there was a basketball game sttarting so some anxious people. It did give me time to have a look around. Classic Olympic Rings with queues to take photos alongside them. Again, some very good buildings. Take a look.

However, it was the Velodrome that I'd come to visit but first a bit of t-shirt shopping & a derivation on a Cologne lnch. This was defined while inter-railing - black coffee and a Mars bar. These days I guess it;s usually a potst-walk tea - black coffee and ice cream. The Olympics is very fussy about what is allowed to be sold in their Park. Unilever is not an Olympic sponsor so their ice creams cannot be sold but 'sempre tem jeito' - there's a fix. You can sell the ice-creams but not have posters with the brand on it! Only in Rio.

I diverge (yes, I;m good at that, probably why I'm bad in interviews). Team cycling and the Velodrome ...

Love the way the roof follows the contours of the track. Once inside it's stunning how steep the track curves are, how intimate a space it is & that cycling can challenge F1 for support rems albeit without engines.

The secon thing you notice is  how many British fans there are. A bit of Rio that was definitely British. Glad I was wearing my tribal T-Shire (team GB London 2012). 

And so to the cycling. We had one round of team pursuit (men & women) and all of team sprint. I'm not a reviewer so I'm not going to do this chronologically. Team pursuit, 4 cyclists doing 16 circuits in the case of the men & less in case of the women. Keeping in line with the first setting the pace and then swooping to the back. Most teams relied on one rider to do the hard work for the first portion of the race and then drop out to let the final 3 sprint to the finish. Time is when the 3rd crosses the line. We were reminded that there is a reason why cyclists wear helmets. They can fall. One of the Dutch touched wheels and flew off, bits of bike came through the air and he ended up at least 10 metres from where he came off, directly in front of me. There is not a picture.  I do not take them of accidents - I am not a journalist & I am not a disaster gawper. Fortunately he got up and didn't need a stretcher but it was a sobering moment and I couldn't enjoy the next 2 rounds. Track needed repairing too as holes had been gouged. into it.

I was less a fan of the pursuit until you came to the final teams and how the times they took. The US have a new bike with the driveshaft on the inside which they hoped would make it a fast bike. I felt quite resentful until I realised that that's what we had been doing for years. Result show that yes the bike helps but you also need the athletes. I have now seen Laura Trott and Bradley Wiggins do what they do best. Interestingly, Bradley Wiggins was the only one to give his bike to the support team and walk straight off, the others wound down on non-racing bikes.

The noise was intense for the British teams and the sprints were unbelievable.. I didn't think it could be more exciting after the first few rounds while trying to see who was leading the splits. The medal races took it to a new level and when the gun went for the winners, France in bronze & Britain for gold it was mindblowing particularly given that the French pipped the Australinans at the last minute and the Brits had wound  it up. Sprints are particularly exciting as they start with 3, 1st drops off, 2 complete a lap and then the 3rd goes hell for leather. Team sport but so dependent on individual expertise & talent.

I cannot explain the crowd. At first everyone was encouraged to make some noise, get behind the athletes & then came the French, Australians, Kiwis and the crowd made noise. Team GB the crowd exploded. Remind me, am I in London or Rio? Britain had colonised the Velodrome. With support like that, you put away the camera, you applaud, you cheer. You jump with the gun and vicotry. Witnessing  your home team win a gold in front of what feels like a home crowd is like nothing else in the Olympic spectating experience!

The only thing that marred the day is that the medal presentation is made facing the press with the cyclists backs to the fans and their families. OK so more people are watching on TV but hopefully teams will remember to turn round to properly salute the crowds. Interestingly each team subconsciously faced the crowd first before realising where the medals were coming from. I cannot describe the emotion, the joy, the drama. I only hope that you saw the coverage and that these pictures give you some idea of what it's like but nothing can substitute for the realisation that you were there when they broke a record or won the medal.