5 The army
One of
the major pre-Games controversies was the G4S security debacle. It could have
spiralled into a logistical nightmare if handled incorrectly. But once the
Games had begun, little was heard of security problems. There were a few
teething problems during football matches in the week leading up to the Opening
Ceremony, but after that everything ran apparently smoothly. This was not a case
of issues sorting themselves out. The army stepped in to fill the gaps left by
G4S and, by all accounts, handled the situation with aplomb. It is easy to
forget that these men could just as easily be fighting a war in Afghanistan,
instead of acting as security personnel at the Games. Defending the country is
their job, but doing so in these circumstances is not something they have been
trained to do. They were called in last minute, but took to it like a duck to
water. Importantly, the Games passed without a major security incident, and
that is mainly down to the hard work, adaptability and vigilance of our Armed
Forces, and for this they should be saluted.
4 Boris Johnson
Everywhere
you turned at the Olympic Games, there were recognisable faces. The Royal
Family seemed to be in attendance at every event, with Seb Coe, David Cameron
and David Beckham also making more than their fair share appearances. But there
was only one man who brought entertainment wherever he went, and that was Mayor
of London Boris Johnson. That Boris can make a fool of himself like nobody else
was not in dispute before the Games, but London 2012 has just confirmed it. He
was in top form before the Olympics even began, taunting Mitt Romney when the
American Presidential candidate questioned London’s Olympic preparations. His
dancing to the Spice Girls at the closing ceremony will become an instant
YouTube classic. His unique way with words, such as the coining of the word
“Olympomania,” brought colour to otherwise dull moments. But without doubt
Boris’ finest hour was that zip-wire incident. For many a politician, such an
incident could be a PR disaster. But Boris did not shout and wail at his
security and other hangers-on to get him down. He cracked jokes to the
bystanders and laughed the incident off. Without Boris, the world, and the
London Olympic Games, would be a duller place.
3 Danny Boyle
The
Beijing Opening Ceremony was spectacular. The fireworks, the performances, the
choreography and direction, were all magnificent. Nobody thought it could be
topped. In the days leading up to the Games, much of the population was still
wondering how we were going to mess the whole thing up. It would be
appropriately British to make a pig’s ear of the greatest show on earth. But
Boyle stepped up to the mark. His Opening Ceremony was unique. It did not try
to match the sheer audacity and scale of Beijing. Boyle knew his ceremony would
not be able to compete. But he made it his own. It was quintessentially
British, and after all that was what it needed. The Opening Ceremony is
organised by the host, and should reflect that. Boyle got it spot on. But
perhaps his most impressive achievement was that the whole thing was memorable,
from the touching tribute to the victims of 7/7, to the musical medley, or the
transformation from pastoral scene to Industrial Revolution complete with Sir
Kenneth Branagh as Isambard Kingdom Brunel. But the two cherries on top of the
cake, the appearance of Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean and the coup of the Queen
alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond, made Boyle’s show peerless.
2 Clare Balding
Balding
has really set herself apart as the star of the BBC broadcasting team at the
Olympics. Like many of the presenters, she was tirelessly employed every day of
the Games. But she was not given a cushy job in the main studio, providing
links to each event, but was ferried around the venues, appearing at swimming,
equestrian and boxing to name but three. At each she offered impressive
professionalism, clearly well researched but also ceding to her more expert
colleagues as appropriate. Importantly, the viewer could really appreciate her
passion for sport, which came across on the television and was infectious. Her
genuine joy at the success of the equestrians, a sport close to her, was
heart-warming. Though Balding invited criticism for raising that questions
would be asked about Ye Shiwen’s rapid improvement, I in fact found this even
more commendable. She did not shy away from the big issues for fear of the
critics. She asked the questions that the viewers were thinking, and wanted
answered. For this, she must be praised. Finally, her interview with Bert, the
father of South African Chad le Clos, who beat Michael Phelps by the smallest
of margins to win a gold medal, was an instant classic.
1 The volunteers
During
the Closing Ceremony, Seb Coe’s speech was interrupted by rapturous applause
and cheers. This was when he mentioned the volunteers, known as “Gamesmakers.”
The contribution of those who gave up their time, in many cases taking holidays
from work to help out, cannot be underestimated. For some, they got to see the
inner workings of the Games and the state-of-the-art stadia used for
competition. Many will have seen the best action first hand. But for the
majority, they stood day after day out in the open, whatever the weather,
answering queries and pointing people in the right direction. They did not see
any action at all. But they always had smiles on their faces. They were always
happy to help. They were doing it for free, but they exemplified the Olympic
spirit of helpfulness. Without them, the Olympics could not have run as
smoothly as they did.
No comments:
Post a Comment