Rewind to August 1st 1996, I was 15 years old and sitting watching the Atlanta Olympics. That day I saw history being made as American sprinter Michael Johnson crossed the finishing line in the 200m final in 19.32 seconds. People thought this would last a century and it was definitely supposed to last my lifetime. Everyone said how they’d remember where they were when he won and broke the record. Just days earlier he had also won Gold in the 400m with another record time of 43.49 seconds.
Fast forward to the Beijing Olympics of 2008 and there came Usain Bolt. He stormed to Gold in the 100m with a record time of 9.69 seconds. It was talked about before the 200m race that Bolt would get Gold in the 200m and even Michael Johnson believed his 200m record would stay in place. It didn’t, Usain Bolt won Gold and won with a record of 19.30 seconds. The Jamaican sprinter has now got these down to 9.58s for the 100m and 19.19s for the 200m.
Michael Johnson’s record lastest for twelve years. It didn’t last for my lifetime and there will be many more sporting records broken at the upcoming Olympics. So many more sporting moments that will capture the world, you’ll find yourself caught up in a sport that you didn’t really know much about let alone know the rules of.
I remember sitting up past midnight watching the British Curling team in the Winter Olympics of 2002, a sport I knew very little about but I was caught up in the buzz of what was happening. I still get goosebumps whenever I see the video of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and the Bolero. Didn’t everyone want to skate after seeing that performance? Just this weekend Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France, will we now see an increase in people wanting to emulate these moments. I hope so!
These great sporting moments will stay with you for years to come and you’ll always remember where you were when a record was broken or London hosted the Olympics.
I’m excited* to share in this Olympic spirit with friends and family, I can’t believe it’s so close!
COME ON TEAM GB!
*I have tickets to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the process was not easy. The pessimistic review from me will come after the Games are finished. But for now, BRING IT ON!