My Favourite Olympians

by sandralikes

I enjoyed the last two weeks in spite of myself and even got behind Team GB. They have won twenty-nine dazzlingly gold medals so far. Here is a round up of my favourite athletes at London 2012.

The women on ‘our greatest team ever’ have really impressed me.

Nicola Adams-This is the first time women’s boxing is an Olympic sport and she has already won a gold medal.  Judo silver medallist Gemma Gibbons and taekwondo gold medallist Jade Jones also won for Team GB.

Rebecca Adlington won two gold medals at Beijing and came away with two bronze medals this year. According to Ian Thorpe the older you get the harder it is to win medals in swimming unlike athletics. Rebecca handled the pressure brilliantly and comes across as warm and personable.

Jessica Ennis is amazing. The heptathlete won gold under immense pressure and media scrutiny as the face of London 2012. Michael Johnson and Cathy Freeman were in very similar situations at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Watching Ennis storm across the 800m line with the whole nation cheering her brought tears to my eyes, even Denise Lewis was in floods.

I’m not sure what else I can say about Mo Farah. Gold for 5000 and 1000 metres.

Team GB Women’s Hockey team (bronze medallists) because they really wanted it.

Gymnast Gabrielle Douglas is sixteen years old. She already has two Olympic Gold medals and a legion of celebrity fans. When I grow up I want to be just like her.

Michael Phelps, he may or may not be the greatest ever Olympian but he is certainly the greatest swimmer ever in the history of the modern Games

Australian 100m hurdler Sally Pearson’s passion and perseverance paid off as she won gold after coming away with silver in Bejing. Pearson and rival Dawn Harper showed great sportsmanship.

Kenyan David Rudisha broke the 800m world record. He led the race with confidence and cited Seb Coe as one of his inspirations.

Warren Weir joined his Jamaican team mates Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake on the podium for the 200m medal ceremony. ‘No English, straight patois’ is one of my favourite one-liners from London 2012. It was also great to see these athletes stop their interviews for David Rudisha while the Kenyan national anthem was playing. It’s not bravado or arrogance if you not only win but respect your peers like these athletes.

Carmelita Jeter. I love the way she runs, watching her face as Team USA broke the 4x100m relay record set twenty-seven years ago by the East Germans was a great moment.

I also have to congratulate the BBC for the coverage, every second of The Games was available in HD and commentators Denise Lewis and Michael Johnson did a great job.