By Ian Chadband Published: 8:07PM GMT 01 March 2010
Smiling now: but Mellisa Hollingsworth pennyless down and offering Canada an reparation when she unsuccessful to award in the women"s structure of the body Photo: GETTY IMAGES The Games did humour the majority abominable start, with an avoidable tragedy in the luge followed by early organisational problems.
Yet the flourishing open unrestrained and courage could not assistance but brush the neutral in to savouring the majority enchanting of new Olympics. I have been to 10 summer and winter editions and these were as superb and beguiling as any club Sydney.
London 2012 contingency constraint Vancouver sorcery Canada goes wild after Olympic ice hockey bullion London"s difficult action to follow Austrian skiing goes downhill Coe warns athletes over vigour Sport on radioI cannot recollect any being followed with as majority joie de vivre.
If Londons organisers can bottle the nationalistic suggestion of the Canadian hosts, they will have won half the battle. Clearly, bringing the celebration to venues over the foe arenas to safeguard a wider welcome of the Games is a must.
Downtown Vancouver and Whistlers award piazza were buzzing night and day. How about Trafalgar Square as the identical focal point?
Canadians did get really het up about any spirit of criticism, to the point where they overreacted as majority as a little of their critics.
There was a doctrine for Londoners here; dont get overly suspicious when people begin carrying a go at your city.
You can pledge it will happen; British host city-bashing is firm to be an Olympic competition all of the own. The usually disproportion in London is that we might well be the Games harshest critics.
Seb Coe shielded Canadas assertive "Own the Podium" campaign, observant British athletes would have to accept identical home republic vigour as inevitable.
True, but what they dont need is the counter-productive additional weight that Canadas sports authorities placed on their performers, shortening one, Mellisa Hollingsworth, to mangle down and suggest a republic an reparation when she unsuccessful to medal.
No contestant should ever be done to feel that. Britain do have a identical programme, but it is being called with essential blandness "Project Leap" rather than something warrant to happening similar to "Own the Podium" which, with the majority un-Canadian miss of liberality to the guests, generated critical general ill-will.
Lets not stifle the athletes. They will be putting sufficient vigour on themselves but carrying to put up with this sort of silly sporting refurbish of Lord Kitcheners wagging finger.
