London 2012

[gaggedLouise]

The women's vault final was exciting like back in the 80s. ;D Those of us who have been following the sport for any length of time, of course, feel a bit smug to see the hotshot favourite shot down and the steady veteran win... ;)

But Elena Isinbayeva is one of the coolest of all contemporary women athletes, that can't be denied. And she doesn't seem to let her long string of gold medals run to her head. I'm looking forward to the pole vault final.

[Torch]

Finally! Andy has his day at Wimbledon for the Gold Medal!  ;D

[Lilias]

But Elena Isinbayeva is one of the coolest of all contemporary women athletes, that can't be denied. And she doesn't seem to let her long string of gold medals run to her head. I'm looking forward to the pole vault final.

Ishinbayeva is just like Sergei Bubka. :-) I hope she has the same sense to quit while she's still ahead.

Still, the vault I was talking about was in gymnastics, which included that legend, Oksana Chusovitina.

To date, Chusovitina's career in elite gymnastics has spanned more than 20 years. She won the USSR Junior Nationals in 1988 and began competing at the international level in 1989, before many of her current rivals were even born. She is the only female gymnast ever to compete in six Olympic Games, and is one of only two female gymnasts to compete at the Olympics under three different national teams: the Unified Team in 1992; Uzbekistan in 1996, 2000 and 2004; and Germany in 2008 and 2012. Chusovitina has also competed in 10 World Championships, three Asian Games and three Goodwill Games. In addition, Chusovitina holds the record for the most individual world championships medals on a single event (9, on the vault).

Chusovitina is also one of only a handful of women, along with Cuban Leyanet Gonzalez, Soviet legend Larisa Latynina, and Dutch Olympian Suzanne Harmes, to return to high-level gymnastics and international competition after becoming a mother. Australia's head women's coach, Peggy Liddick, said Chusovitina is a role model and an inspiration.

[CastorTroy]

Totally agree! I missed out on much of the heptahtlon because of going out in the countryside to attend a jazz festival, but knew beforehand that Ennis was going to have a field day. A worthy successor of our own great Carolina Klüft, who for some years won everything that could be won in heptathlon in similar power style. I'd happily buy a dvd of that event.

And kudos to Lisa Nordén, who emerged from obscurity in the same neck of the woods I live in, to win a silver medal at the triathlon - getting within inches of the gold medal. Literally a breast-to-breast photo finish!

Completely forgot about Carolina Kluft. Heptathletes are so adorable!

Finally! Andy has his day at Wimbledon for the Gold Medal!  ;D

So happy for him, shame he couldn't add another gold with Laura Robson...was oh so close.

[gaggedLouise]

Completely forgot about Carolina Kluft. Heptathletes are so adorable!

Yes, Carolina was amazing back in the day. Strong and committed as a pinewood tree, supple as a bow and arrows, a real comeback kid too, a joy to watch. She really should have been in London, it would have been amazing to see her and Jessica Ennis in the same competition, but she stated a few years ago that she had lost the hardcore motivation for heptathlon after she had won everything there was to win, and defended much of it, including an Olympic gold. I don't think she can be faulted for feeling that way. She switched to long jump and triple jump as separate events but never reached the same heights there and recently exited her active career after a bad tendon ache (she had planned to be in London to compete in the long jump).



And...



BOLT BOLT BOLT!!!  :D :D

[CastorTroy]

Yes, Carolina was amazing back in the day. Strong and committed as a pinewood tree, supple as a bow and arrows, a real comeback kid too, a joy to watch. She really should have been in London, it would have been amazing to see her and Jessica Ennis in the same competition, but she stated a few years ago that she had lost the hardcore motivation for heptathlon after she had won everything there was to win, and defended much of it, including an Olympic gold. I don't think she can be faulted for feeling that way. She switched to long jump and triple jump as separate events but never reached the same heights there and recently exited her active career after a bad tendon ache (she had planned to be in London to compete in the long jump).



And...



BOLT BOLT BOLT!!!  :D :D

Thanks for that brief report of what Carolina has been up to! Was going to ask what had happened to her, but Wikipedia informed me that she was still active so I assume she was somewhere out there. I imagine Heptathlon must get tiresome once you've achieved what she has. It's a lot of events to focus on and your body has to be in optimum condition.

BOLT was amazing, he's so cool, incredibly calm when he's under so much pressure.  8-)

[Nico]

Usain is awesome, indeed!

[gaggedLouise]

Heard on the live comment track during a trial heat of the 5.000 meters:

"When there's a bunch of Kenyan gentlemen in the lead, it's normally a fast game. Not so this time, but I guess when we get to the final and they have Mo Farra chasing them there will be more gears put in."  :-)

(Actually Farra was in the same heat, but neither he nor the best of the Kenyans were going to waste any strength here, they knew they would settle the score on the final laps of this heat and everyone could afford to keep a moderate pace for a while)

[Remy]

Our collection of medals is small, but we're very proud of our athletes. Well done to Cian O'Connor today. My best wishes to  our boxers, Taylor and Conlon tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.  ;)

[Izu]

Bulgaria killed Germany at the men's volleyball quarter finals tonight. 3:0 for us :3 Going to semifinals up against Russia.

[Avis habilis]

"When there's a bunch of Kenyan gentlemen in the lead, it's normally a fast game. Not so this time, but I guess when we get to the final and they have Mo Farra chasing them there will be more gears put in."

I had no idea the Top Gear crew were doing the announcing.

[Lilias]

Watching rhythmic gymnastics (individual all-around qualification, rotations 1-2) right now. Evgenia Kanaeva is poetry in motion, as usual. <3

[Avis habilis]

TKD is experiencing some technical difficulties. The Taiwanese fighter somehow got 5 points out of one kick to her opponent's head...

Now they've dialled it back. Maybe one of the scorekeepers has a twitchy mouse finger.

[Remy]

Good girl our girl Katie taylor. So very proud of her.

[gaggedLouise]

Coolest victory gesture so far: the moment after Usain Bolt has raced past the finishing line at 200 m, he gets down on the ground, steadies himself on his hands and does a few push-ups (for the photographers) before getting up and embracing Yohan Blake. Most runners would be absolutely overcome with the effort and adrenalin peak at that moment, but not Bolt. He keeps showing it off as "a day on the job"!  8-)

[Nico]

Coolest victory gesture so far: the moment after Usain Bolt has raced past the finishing line at 200 m, he gets down on the ground, steadies himself on his hands and does a few push-ups (for the photographers) before getting up and embracing Yohan Blake. Most runners would be absolutely overcome with the effort and adrenalin peak at that moment, but not Bolt. He keeps showing it off as "a day on the job"!  8-)

Oh yes, he's awesome!

[Torch]

Oh yeah....a Gold Medal is sweet revenge for the World Cup!  XD

[Lilias]

Evgeniya Kanaeva is the first rhythmic gymnastics Olympic champion to retain her title!

* Lilias is a happy fangirl now.

I'm not going to watch the group final, though. Not after the way the judges shafted the Greek squad in the qualifications. :-(

[Damnedangel]

Closing ceremonys pretty good :D had a lot of good bands and a few old ones I love!!!!

[Lilias]

I'm already looking forward to Rio. Gosh, that's going to be one non-stop party! :D

[gaggedLouise]

I'm already looking forward to Rio. Gosh, that's going to be one non-stop party! :D

The London games were epic, moving, fabulous, fun; and I agree completely about Rio 2016 - not to mention the FIFA football world cup in Brazil, 2014. The Brazzis are one of the heroic nations of football, an inspiration to any country the game is played in.

Next though, expecting to see some of the London track and field top brass at an IAAF diamond league event in Stockholm come Friday (no, I don't have tickets but it's a long-standing live tv date here). I hope they manage to fit in Rudisha and some of the others on the 800 m track (wow, what a final that was in London!); in women's pole vault they seem to have got everybody who should be there including Suhr and Isinbaeva, who will be eager for a rematch.