How powerful is sport?
Best moments from the London 2012 Olympic Games
Prior to the Games there was speculation on the ability of London to pull off a spectacle of Olympic Games so expected of host nations. Two weeks on there was no longer any doubt. London 2012 had pulled off a breathtaking, warm, ironic, honest and incredibly British Olympic Games. At the heart of it were two cornerstones; the vision to inspire young people in sport in a time when there are so many other instant distractions, and second to ensure inclusion for all. Throughout the Games, London 2012 remained true to these principles. The volunteers performed, the celebrities performed, the athletes performed, even the weather performed, such that the stubbornest killjoy would struggle to stay uninspired. And inclusion, Oscar Pistorius, and Sarah Attar to name just a few, who through their participation have become inspirations to another generation.
London 2012 demonstrated how sport can inspire us to be our best, to move beyond adversity and challenges and find the spirit in ourselves and each other, to test our characters, make the most of opportunities and demonstrate who we are. This Olympics gave us outstanding examples of sport and humanity, joy and compassion, it’s ability to model inclusion, human rights, equality and diversity.
With 302 fabulous events and so many brilliant athletes, it is difficult to choose the best moments from the Games but here are a few that made the heartbeat faster and left you wanting to be part of that moment for so much longer than it lasted.
- The Opening Ceremony – historical, clever, ironic, witty, inclusive – what a way to start, a showcase of Britain. Speak to anyone from the UK about the lump in their throat, and the radiant smile as they tell you how proud they were to be British as they applauded the insight and brilliance of director Danny Boyle . Who will ever forget the pinnacles of the Queen’s “Good evening Mr Bond” and Paul McCartney’s Hey Jude?
- Michael Phelps – continued his dominance in the pool, winning four gold and two silver medals in London. He is now the most decorated Olympian ever, with a career total of 22 medals, 18 of them gold. Unbelievable. Phelps consistent brilliance across a range of swimming races ensures his mark in Olympic history. Phelps is not only blessed with outstanding talent but complete dedication, a role model to people everywhere.
- Usain Bolt – Entertainer extraordinaire, Bolt put his money where his mouth was and became the first man to win the 100, 200 and 4 x100 relay golds in back-to-back Olympics. Bolt, the Beckham of Athletics has championed athletics and his talent and effervescent personality has made him a global phenomenon, providing athletics with the megastar it needed to re-popularise it with fans worldwide. Bolt is the epitomy of excellence and brilliance
- Mo Farah – 5000m and 10,000m Olympic champion – Farah, a Somalian refugee arrived in the UK when he was 8 and preceded to take all the opportunities that were given to him there. Only photographs do justice to his joy as he crossed the line first. This was further encapsulated when his 7 year old daughter & wife joined him on his celebratory lap after winning the 10,000m. Farah is a particular inspiration to the substantial refugee/immigration communities in Britain & worldwide, and a model to all on how to make the most of the opportunities presented to you in life. After his breathtaking performance, social networking sites were bombarded with people celebrating his success. One individual wrote, “Amazing! Years ago when I was a slacker teenager I didn’t have such a positive role model to look up to who was a) in the public eye and b) so proud of being both British AND Muslim. I’m so thrilled the next generation of British Muslim teens have someone like Mo to look up to. A great inspiration for everyone, irrespective of where they’re from and what their faith (or lack of). GO MO!”
- Super Saturday for GB – Golden Saturday became a springboard for GB and its Olympic Quest. Led by the rowers and in the cycling in the morning, Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah then performed spectacularly on the track, winning 3 more gold medals bringing the daily total to 6 Olympic golds. Greg Rutherford won gold in the long jump, a feat which GB had not managed since 1964. Sheffield born heptathlete, Ennis had been the face of the Games and the pressure on her to achieve was immense. She took the weight on her shoulders and showed the strength of a champion, performing brilliantly in all her 7 events. Ennis showed exceptional character and resilience throughout the competition and watching evoked such respect for a young athlete able to cope with the incredible expectations placed upon her. How did she stay focused? What strategies helped her to cope with the pressure? For young people everywhere, especially girls, she has lived up to the hype and become a role model and inspiration for other young people in sport.
- Oscar “Blade Runner” Pistorius – Oscar the double amputee running on carbon-fiber blades won the hearts of the crowd with both his individual performance and his efforts in the South African 4×400-meter relay final. Insprirational. Oscar typifies the importance of inclusion and diversity. People watched in awe at Oscar successfully competing against the fastest men in the world. He opened eyes for many who had no previous exposure to such athletes and has opened the door in future Games for even greater inclusion and diversity of athletes. For many Pistorius’s contribution to the Olympics was the most memorable moment of the Games.
- What it is to be an Olympic parent….. The father of Olympic 200m butterfly swimmer, literally bubbled over with joy and pride as his son Chad le Clos beat Michael Phelps in the Olympic final. Everyone watching could not help but be also so moved by such joy. The power of sport continues…
- Niger rower Hamadou Djibo Issaka, fondly named by media as the “sculling sloth” finished almost two minutes behind the winners in the single scull heats. Issaka had picked up rowing just three months before the Games. As he had no rowing boat, he trained in what was a fishing dinghy. He entered the Olympics as part of a special inclusive program for developing nations. He crossed the line at Eton Dorney, with a beam to light up the Olympic torch and the crowd madly cheering him on. What a difference an inclusive policy can make.
- At the start of the 100m final, a drunken fan threw a plastic bottle which fell behind Yohan Blake. Little did they know they were sitting alongside bronze medal Judo competitor, Edith Bosch who promptly tackled the fan and held them until the police arrived to escort them out..
- What an Olympic moment it was when after easily winning his 400m semi-final heat, world champion Kirani James of Grenada went up hugged Pistorius and swapped race names with him. Pistorius who finished last in the heat, is the first double amputee to run in the Olympics.
- For the first time in Olympic history, all national teams included female athletes. One such athlete, Sarah Attar, became the first woman ever to represent Saudi Arabia in athletics. She ran the 800m in leggings, long sleeves and a head covering. Finishing over 40 seconds behind the winner, the Olympic stadium gave her an ovation. She was overjoyed telling reporters, “For women in Saudi Arabia, I think this can really spark something to get more involved in sports, to become more athletic. Maybe in the next Olympics, we can have a very strong team to come.” Qatar and Brunei also sent female Olympians for the first time. London 2012 will be remembered for its excellent steps towards gender equality and rights.
- Dominican Republic’s Felix Sanchez dedicated his gold in the 400-meter hurdles to his late grandmother Lillian who had passed away just before the 2008 Olympics. With a photo of her under his bib so it could be close to his heart, he broke down in tears at the medal ceremony.
- A point of controversy before the Games was the inclusion of Female Boxing for the first time as an Olympic sport. But this decision appeared vindicated when British flyweight Nicola Adams and Irish lightweight Katie Taylor exemplified their high skill level and technique in front of an ecstatic crowd, both winning golds.
- Sally Pearson’s gold in the 100m hurdles. Up against the best and with all of Australia holding its breath with her, Pearson showed her talent and resolve in torrential rain to make it first over the line.
- The Volunteers – 70,000 volunteers gave up their time to make the Olympic Games possible and were complimented on their enthusiasm and helpfulness. One particular moment of a volunteer helping to ‘make’ the Games, was captured on film by a passerby. The dry British humour became an immediate hit on youtube, with over 1.6 million hits.
- Day 16 did not disappoint with an amazing victory for the unknown Ugandan, Stephen Kiprotich in the men’s marathon. Kiprotich, the son of subsistence farmers in Kapchowra, a region on the Ugandan-Kenyan border, moved to Kenya due to lack of facilities in Uganda. There he trained with former world 5,000m champion Eliud Kipchoge. In the marathon race in London, Kiprotich positioned himself well in the front 3 nestled behind the Kenyan race favourites. With 6 km remaining, Kiprotich broke away and took the lead from the talented Kenyan duo. He would not be caught. It is Uganda’s 2nd ever gold at an Olympics, with the last gold medal having been won 40 years ago in the 1972 Munich Games. “It is our second gold medal. I made history for my people, my coaches, my manager, for Uganda. I am happy,” said Kiprotich. His story is one of adversity, from being a sickly child, missing three years of school, to being lapped as a teenager in a 10,000m race. But his determination, commitment, his courage to change life circumstances allowed him to finally succeed. Kiprotich is a testiment to how through improving his daily environment, and by continuing dedication and unwavering self-belief he put himself in a place where he could attain his golden prize. He mentions in an interview that he had repeatedly requested better facilities for athletes in Uganda so they could reach their potential, his win may just prove to be the springboard needed to inspire action.
Role on Rio.
Thirsty for more? Have a look at the Olympic resources below.
London Olympic Bid – July 6th 2005
Best moments of the London 2012 Olympic Games on video – 2 minutes
Classic – Olympic.org – video footage of great Olympic moments from 1896 to 2008