Usain Bolt. Photo credit: Usain Bolt (Twitter)
The background
The London 2012 Olympic Games are over. The Games saw the United States vanquish over rivals China in the overall medals table and Team GB perform spectacularly well on home turf.
As the dust settles on a frenetic and fabulous fortnight of sport, the commentariat are endeavoring to select their ultimate highlights from the over-300 events. Here are the top five moments, as selected by The Periscope Post.
Mo Farah’s ‘Mo-Bot’ celebration became one of the indelible images of London 2012. It was so much a feature of London 2012 that Usain Bolt did the ‘Mo-Bot’ shortly after crossing the line in the 4×100 relay (in which Jamaica smashed the world record).
Mo Farah, more medals
The London 2012 Olympics will perhaps be best remembered for Mo Farah’s historic long-distance gold medal double. Somali-born Farah, who moved to west London from war-torn Mogadishu at age eight, electrified the Olympic Park (and the nation) on two successive Saturday nights. As a sporting feat, Farah’s first win – in the 10,000 km – was simply sensational; no Brit had ever won the Olympic event and there had not been a non-African winner since 1984. Farah’s follow-up win a week later in the 5,000 was even more remarkable given he had to recover fast from the 10,000 and had to see off a fleet of strong challengers on the nail-biting final lap.
Farah’s double was made all the more moving by the fact that his heavily pregnant wife – who had been advised by doctors not to attend – watched on from the stands.
Bolt double triple – lightning can strike twice
Usain Bolt went into London 2012 attempting the near-impossible; to defend the three sprint titles he clocked up in Beijing. The challenge was only heightened by the fact that he entered the Games with question marks over both his form and fitness. Indeed, going into the Games, there was much informed chatter about the possibility that Yohan Blake, his teammate and countryman, might upset Bolt in either the 100 metres or 200 metres (or both, as he had done at the Jamaican trials).
But when the going got tough, Bolt got going. The charismatic sprinter set an Olympic record in the 100 metres, won the 200 and was part of the Jamaican foursome which set a new world record in the 4×100 metres relay. Bolt’s unprecedented threepeat cemented his status as the world’s best ever track and field athlete and made him the number one star of London 2012.
Bolt’s partying with members of Swedish handball team after his 100m triumph enhanced his reputation as something of a ladies man.
Jess Ennis, Team GB’s golden girl
After Bolt, no-one went into London 2012 under as much pressure as heptatlete Jessica Ennis, who for years had been flagged up as the face of the Games and identified as one of Team GB’s very best hopes for gold. Despite the weight of public expectation – which could well fell a mentally weaker athlete – Ennis delivered on all the promise, all the hype. Her turn in the opening event of the gruelling seven-event sport – the 100 metres hurdles – set the tone for what was to come; she ran 12.54 seconds, fast enough to have won gold in the individual event at all bar two Olympic Games. Ennis’ achievement, which came early in the Games, set the bar for the rest of Team GB. It also has prompted lots of people to name their newborns Jessica.
Jessica Ennis is the nation’s sweetheart.
Cuban boxers shine brightest at the ExCeL
Team GB boxers fared very well at London 2012. Super heavyweight Anthony Joshua and battomweight Luke Campbell both claimed gold and, in the inaugural women’s boxing Olympic event, flyweight Nicola Adams also tasted gold.
Away from the home turf heroes, it was the Cuban boxers who really lit up the ExCeL arena. Light welterweight Roniel Iglesius Sotolongo and flyweight Robesy Ramirez Carrazana both oozed class in difficult sections en route to gold and a number of other fine Cubans were unfortunate to be on the end of dodgy refereeing decisions. Cuba’s strong showing proved the small Caribbean island, which produced such Olympic greats as Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, is still able to produce tremendous amateur boxers who think as hard as they box.
Bert Le Clos is the world’s proudest dad – ever
London 2012 saw American swimmer Michael Phelps become the most winningest Olympian in history. For all his London 2012 golds, it is his silver medal in the 200 metres butterfly which will perhaps be the best remembered. That’s because South African swimmer Chad Le Clos pulled off one of the shocks of the Games by beating Phelps in that race.
Le Clos’ swim was remarkable but it had nothing on his father’s delightfully overly emotional interview with the BBC. Speaking to Clare Balding, the older Le Cros was fulsome in his praise for his “beautiful,” “down-to-earth” boy and said “I’ve died and went to heaven and whatever happens in my live now, it’s plain sailing, it’s plain sailing.” Bert Le Clos’ emotional reaction took the gold medal for the Games’ most tear-jerking moment. By a mile.
