01 Aug Gold Gold Gold – Memories Of Olympics

So The Summer Olympics of 2012 have begun and so do the hope of all competing nations. It takes me back to the great time that we had in Sydney in 2000.

First of all I went to a presentation that Rod McGeoch spoke at – the lengths that the Sydney Olympic organising committee went to, to get the games to Sydney was phenomenal. No stone was left unturned literally.

Then before the games started the Olympic torch relay running through Australia. I remember taking my 2 young children then to view it as it ran past us down Military Road at Grange. The day before the Olympics started I can recall getting out of bed and on Breakfast TV there was Greg Norman being stopped & mobbed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge by passing motorists as he was running with the torch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HK7c2YF7lI

When the Games started our 4×100 Mens relay swimming team on the 1st night of competition beating the USA after Gary Hall Jnr said they were going to “smash us like guitars” – 2 world records Michael Klim on the opening leg & then the whole team as well. I seem to remember the TV shaking at the time as we were all jumping up & down in our lounge rooms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L_jE9rAZAI

What About Rampaging Roy Slaven & HG Nelson with their Nightly TV Show “The Dream” – they interviewed countless athletes of all countries & managed to confuse the lot of them. Or even better Eric “The Eel” Moussambani who almost drowned in the 100 metres freestyle as he broke the Equatorial Guinea world record & can say that he won an Olympic race – I thought Ray “Rabbits” Warren was going to jump in & save The Eel myself as I listened to the race driving to work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zjCc_VyxM4&feature=relmfu

I was lucky enough to go to the Olympics. I remember how happy everybody was & what a great party Sydney was throwing. The 1st night there we paid a visit to Star City & coming out the front door then was Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield. I was trying to work out whether he was small or just that his minders were all around 6 foot 6. Highlight of my time there was meeting 1 of the British swim team who said they finished 7th in the 50 metres (well it was 2.30 am & drink of choice at that stage was vodka & cranberry – so who knows !!!) I was also there the night Cathy Freeman won gold in the 400 metres. It seemed that she carried the weight of the whole country on her shoulders in the lead up to the race & when she won it seemed more relief than jubilation. I can remember the whole stand shaking so much I was praying at the time that it wouldn’t collapse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeXpoRIvDPw

And then to close the Games off we had the Oils at the Closing ceremony. One certain current Federal Member may still wish that he had this job still !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bClJfXpWCs

So enjoy & rejoice in our achievements & cheer our nation on – Come On Aussie Come On !!!!