The world’s attention
has been fixated on London for the last sixteen days as the Games of the 30th
Olympiad have unfolded. More than ten
thousand athletes from 204 nations competed in the pinnacle of sport, with 302
Olympic gold medals up for grabs.
Nick Vindin has been
covering the Olympics for SBS World News Australia and has put together a list
of his top ten moments. Take a look and
see if you agree...
OLYMPICS BLOG
There’s been a
back-lash from so called experts about the short-comings of Australia’s Olympic
team this year. There’s no doubt it would have been amazing to have snagged a
few more gold. If we had of turned a third of our silver medals into gold we
would have finished sixth on the medal tally - but we have to remember this is
the BEST of the BEST. The Australian team
still did a spectacular job to finish in the top ten.
With four more years
until Rio our professional athletes can be spurred on to do even more in South
America, and hopefully the legacy of London encourages more Australians to take
up a sport.
But before looking
forward to the 2016 Olympics, lets consider some of the moments that defined
this year’s event.
Top Ten Olympic
Moments
10. “Olympics, London
Olympics” – The opening ceremony was a spectacular showcase of British music
and culture. The closely guarded secret of how the Queen would arrive at the
venue was without doubt the highlight. James Bond parachuting her majesty into
the Olympic stadium has to be the most sensational arrival of a head of state
ever.
9. “Mo’ Running Mo’
Problems” – Long distance runner Mo Farah became the first man to win both the
five thousand metres and the ten thousand metres in front of a home crowd. It
was just one example of the boost the local Olympics provided for the host
athletes.
8. “Get out of Gaol Free Card” – Korea
Republic’s football team was promised that a bronze medal win over Japan would
spare the team from compulsory military service. In a spiteful match against
the blue samurai the Korean’s did enough to avoid conscription by winning the
medal - their celebrations after the match said it all.
7. “Ye Yeah” – China’s
Ye Shiwen exploded onto the world scene with a spectacular swimming campaign -
setting two Olympic records and a world record in the individual medley. The teenage sensation claimed both Medley
Gold medals and raised eyebrows in the process - swimming her final freestyle
leg in the 400-IM faster than American Ryan Lochte who took out the men’s gold.
A sensational, and controversial effort.
6. “Riding on a High”
– Australia’s sailing team saved our bacon. The best performing sport at the
London games provided three gold medals and a silver to ensure our proud
sporting nation would sneak into the top ten. There was a lot of hype about the
golden efforts of our team in the laser-class, 49ers and 470’s but it was the
women’s effort in the six meter Elliott that was the stand out. It was a feisty and frenetic final match-race
laden with penalties and a skipper overboard. The tenacious Australian trio
claimed silver in what was one of the most exciting duels of the sixteen-day
tournament.
5. ‘”Sally Pearson Wins by a Whisker” – As world
champion and hot favourite Pearson was expected to win gold in the women’s
hurdles. The Australian shouldered that expectation to win by the smallest
possible margin ahead of USA’s Dawn Harper – clinching the only gold for
Australia’s track athletes of the games.
Teenager Steve Solomon also deserves a special mention. The youngster
was hammered for his selection in the 400 metres but showed the entire world why
he deserved to be there, qualifying for the final and running the best leg of
all Australian runners in the 400 relay.
4. “Jessica Ennis’
Heptathlon Homecoming“ – It was London’s Cathy Freeman moment. As poster child
of the games Ennis was under enormous pressure to perform. She was one of the
first athletes to run on the Olympic track and her welcome was decibel
shattering. The home-town hero managed
to delight the London-faithful claiming gold and parading the union jack around
the stadium for an unforgettable lap of honour – the first of many for the host
nation.
3. “The Velodrome
Ashes” – It was a lazy journalists dream - Australia versus the old enemy Great
Britain on the boards. The main duel was
between world champion Victoria Pendleton and Australia’s great hope Anna
Meares. The duo faced off in the Keirin and the women’s team sprint, and split
their efforts with a gold medal each. The two who have been dubbed mortal enemies
shared kind words and congratulations at the end of their absorbing final
clash. The mutual respect perfectly
captured the Olympic spirit.
2. “Thunder Strikes
Thrice” - Usain Bolt used the London Games to confirm that he is without doubt
the greatest sprinter of all time. Case closed. The Jamaican became the first
man to defend his Olympic gold medals in the one hundred and two hundred metres
in back to back games. Bolt sealed his spectacular Olympic effort by winning
the four by one hundred meter relay in world record time. His runs were awe-inspiring, his pre-and post
race celebrations befitting of one of the greatest entertainers in the world.
1. “Like Mike” – There
has never been, and may never again be an athlete like America’s Michael
Phelps. The man nicknamed the ‘flying
fish’ became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time after he claimed
four gold medals in the pool at the London Games to take his overall gold tally
to an immense 18. The peerless swimmer drawing his amazing career to a close in
the most impressive of circumstances.
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