Red’s Olympic Rundown (08.22.08)

–The world of sport has a new superhero: Usain Bolt. First the Jamaican jogged to gold, and a new world record, in the 100 m. A few days later, the 6ft 5in sprinter pushed himself all the way to break the 200 m world record while claiming gold. An adoring crowd at the Beijing Bird’s Nest then sang him Happy Birthday.

–However, the way Bolt eased up and began to celebrate before the end of the 100 m final earned him a public rebuke from Olympic boss Jacques Rogge. “That’s not the way we perceive being a champion,” complained Rogge. Some people are never happy.

–Britain’s success at the Olympics has surpassed all expectations. There have been gold medals in swimming, cycling, rowing and athletics, among others. But there should be no awards for whoever decided to label the British athletes ‘Team GB’. Surely British national identity doesn’t need this sort of marketing makeover.

–So, what has happened to all those dissenting voices that were so negative about London’s hosting of the 2012 Olympics? They seem to have gone rather quiet in the wake of Team GB’s (agh!) fabulous showing in Beijing. Funny that.

– One of the reasons for the enduring popularity of the Olympics is that sports fans get the chance to see non-mainstream events. And swimming 10 km in open water is nobody’s idea of mainstream. So serious respect and congratulations to Britain’s David Davies, silver medallist in the men’s race, and Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten who collected silver and bronze respectively in the women’s.

–Be honest, had you heard of Tim Brabants before he became Briton’s first-ever canoeing gold medallist? No, nor had Red Sport. But some quick research revealed he is a doctor by profession and helps promote a children’s charity in his spare time. Now, that’s living life to the full.

–The final word has to be about Britain’s cyclists, whose dominance of the track events was simply stunning. A fantastic haul of 12 medals included an astonishing seven golds. Leading the way was Chris Hoy, the first Briton for a century to win three golds at a single Olympics. Class.

–Rob Wightman, RED U.K. Sport Writer