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London 2012 Olympics


Liam T

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  • 2 weeks later...

A fantastic two weeks of events. London has done us proud with superb organisation, superb sport and spectatular venues and performances. It says it all when even Australian media calls this the best Olympics of the last twenty years. Considering how incredible Sydney 2000 was, we've done a grand job. :)

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Agreed Mark. Even the more cynical side of me was withdrawn when the Closing Ceremony montage footage was played. I think last night was a fantastic closing ceremony, and really showcased our strengths as a nation (aside from Jessie J murdering 'We Will Rock You', but no-one's perfect). :P

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  • 3 weeks later...

So then, the Paralympics have started and congratulations to our Paralympians who have already secured 8 7 medals; 2 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes. Great first day.

On a less positive note, it's disappointing (though not unexpected) to see the lack of attention and interest that the Paralympics has been given, in general and - more specifically - by the media. Take, for example, The Sun. Their front page focused specifically on how Cheryl Cole and Will.I.Am had been involved in a car crash, and showed the, both blooded up. They were both fine and well, and let's be honest, how many people actually care if a couple of famous people were involved in a minor collision? The Paralympic opening ceremony was given the smallest of showing on the front page, and only about a quarter of the number of pages that the Olympic opening ceremony had. Of course, the Olympics are going to spark more interest than the Paralympics, but it is just disappointing as to how it is covered.

Some may think 'Well why on earth do you care? You're a cynic about the Olympics, why should this sort of thing bother you?'. Whilst that may be the case, I just find myself disappointed that athletes who put in so much effort, just like those in the Olympics, aren't perhaps given the same level of coverage. We even have a torch relay which is much shorter and given a lot less attention. It's just a shame in my eyes that an event which is practically as big as the Olympics is given about as much care and attention as stupid things like celebrity lives...

Edited by JoshC.
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I went to see the Wheelchair Basketball today...

It was amazing <3 It's such a shame Channel 4 are a bit useless at broadcasting, and that the BBC weren't gonna give it that much coverage (probably because they went all out on the Olympics themselves)... But it's not just the broadcasters...

Today, after the GB Girls played, lots of people left, leaving the final game even more muted than the first game... A real shame, cos these guys and gals deserve so much support because they are truly awesome at taking it (especially in a rather violent sport)...

Can't wait for next week's trip to the Park itself <3<3

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I believe Channel four got the Paralympics because one broadcaster isn't allowed a monopoly on all Olympic/Paralympic events. And it's a shame really, the BBC done a fantastic job of making every part of the Olympics available. Whereas with Channel Four, I feel like with the exception of Claire Balding, that none of them have a clue what they are talking about. Plus, they are bumping Paralympic events to More4, keeping Hollyoaks and the news on the main channel. I think thats tragic as the Paralympian competitors deserve the main channel. And don't mention the advert breaks every 10 minutes. It's put me off watching frankly.

Anywho, 7 Golds and a total of 25 medals. Our guys are doing a fantastic job.

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Actually went to Olympic Park yesterday...

Wow... The park is amazing to be in, and the atmosphere better than many other sporting events... The Swimming in the morning was alright, hard to get excited over heats, but watching a British guy break a World Record (saw 4 broken in the pool) is brilliant, especially considering that these guys in the Paras have a lot more to do...

Then the Athletics in the evening... THAT T44 FINAL <3<3<3 Amazing scenes with that... The silence before 10 seconds of 80'000 people yelling Peacock over that line... Nothing I have experienced in football (be it play-off final 10 minutes of pure noise or the madness at Old Trafford last year) has come close to that... It must be amazing for them to know that near enough everyone in the stadium is cheering them on...

9 World Records were broken last night as well... Brilliant... Although I think my favourite moment was one of the British lads reaction to getting a Bronze, he was absolutely delighted and started pegging it around the stadium in absolute glee... The Tunisian guy crying during his gold medal ceremony was also brilliant to see, as was the crowd singing along to the French national anthem...

The crowd was spectacular, indeed, the fact that during both Olympics we have been cheering everyone, even in races without British athletes, there was a great amount of noise... For all involved... It's a shame I didn't get a chance to go to the Olympics, but the Paralympics were just as good if not more amazing and inspirational...

It's too late for me to become Olympic level athlete, but I'm sure this event will have inspired many a younger child into doing something with their lives... So glad I was able to go to the Stadium and see 3 British gold medals, nothing comes close to it...

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I went the day before and pretty much agree entirely. An amazing place filled with amazing people doing amazing things.

The blind races, with 80,000 watching in total silence so the guides can talk them round were something else. I still have some misgivings about the categorising that takes place, it is clearly necessary to some extent but something doesn't seem quite right about it at the moment. The whole thing gave me a whole new outlook on these games though, which I admit I was a little cold about before seeing it in person.

I hope they can make the permanent aspects of the village work in the future, it's such a great place, would be a shame if they just left it to rot now Olympics are done.

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I think they're closing the park for a year, removing the spectator seating of the aquatic centre, removing the basketball arena and the footballl/hockey arenas as well as the McDonalds' and most likely all of the stuff to do. Orbit is staying I think. But yeah I don't know what they plan to do with the area really.

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I think it's undecided right now, but West Ham FC want to move into the Olympic Stadium, but they'll never fill it...

Need to basically use it in a similar fashion to Wembley really, with concerts, other events and athletics happening throughout the year... The Aquatics is meant to become more for local usage if I recall as well...

Sure they'll find sommat to do with the permanent structures...

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Well I went to the Park yesterday, for the Athletics. Wow the arena is amazing just the atmosphere was incredible, we won 1 gold but still it was every athlete you kind of supported. Especially in the F11/12 womens Long Jump, similarly to Benin the whole crowd going silent to help them run up down the runway to the pit was incredible. I really hope that after these games theres no Atlanta style changes like knocking down half the stadium and ripping up the whole track,the worst about that games they did that before the Paralympics finished. The venue has such potential to be useful for so many events it would be ashamed to see it be altered.

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