Paris Olympics 2024 - II

                                     

So far, the second week of the Paris Olympics has been as exciting to watch as the first.

For me,  the brave run by Matthew Hudson-Smith in the 400m final where he was just pipped at the post  from the gold to silver medal, was the most exciting this week.

One of the most significant   competitors from a Team GB perspective though, was the 800m women’s gold medal winner Keely Hodgkinson.

Especially surprising to me was the fact that Keely had suffered  as  13 year old from a  tumour. Thankfully  that  tumour at the time was successfully operated upon.

Another Team GB gold medal winner who was excellent to watch, was Amber Rutter. Amber  won the skeet shooting gold, only three months after giving birth.

Of course having rowed in the (long since closed) Beaumont 2nd VIII the Olympic mens VIII rowing race was great to watch, especally as they just pipped The Netherlands to the winning post for gold.

Shooting is one of the sports which normally is of little interest to me otherwise than at the Olympic games. Similarly, I recall a few years ago, the Scottish ladies winning in an exciting  Olympic curling competition; a sport which  again is normally not one which I notice

There have been one or two downsides in the Paris games though. Swimming in La Seine again expected today, seems absurd when two athletes from the triathlon earlier contracted E coli, though arguably, that could be said to  be from anywhere rather than from La Seine.

One or two have been accused of cheating or drug taking and excluded from the Olympic Park. Others, like the Team GB horse show jumper have been prevented from competing, in her case because she whipped a horse a few years ago. Yet another should in my view, not even have been competing in the Paris games, namely the Dutch  volley ball player despite a childhood rape conviction.

Overall, the French authorities so far at least, are to be congratulated.