Well it’s been way too long since my last blog post! Work and a whole lot of other
things in between meant I did not have enough time. So let’s try and re-launch
this blog again after a setback. You know, a bit like Andy Murray trying to
re-launch his career with a gold medal after a few setbacks. That’s right; we are talking about the
Games of the 30th Olympiad!
Being
that I am only 22, I have only ever watched three Olympic Games fully - Athens,
Beijing and now, London. And these London games by far have been the most exciting
and enthralling of the lot. What a truly grand spectacle of sport they have
been! I never knew the day would come when I would say I just spent one hour of
my life watching something called Dressage and genuinely enjoyed it! Read that
sentence again to allow it sink in. Dressage!? DRESSAGE?! And that to me is the
beauty of the Olympics. Watching sports you otherwise would never get a chance
to watch and then thoroughly enjoying it for the same reason you enjoy “normal”
sports – regular people showcasing their breathtaking talent and skills,
watching all their passion and hard work play out in front of you and a million
others, and stretching themselves to perform at “superhuman” levels.
I present to you Dressage!
I
have never before been bothered about how coordinated two men jumping from a
10m platform were (Synchronized diving), or how well a lady waved a foot in the
face of another (Taekwondo). Or how hard a lady punched another in the ribs (Boxing),
or how fast someone can canoe downstream through raging rapids (Canoe Slalom).
Or for that matter I never really cared about fencing, table tennis, judo,
sailing and probably a couple more sports. But now after watching these
brilliant Olympics? Well… (Thinking)…OK I still will not actively seek out
these sports, but if it is on TV, I guarantee I will not flip channels as
rapidly as I used to!
I
expected to be thrilled by Bolt, Blake, Phelps, Jessica Ennis (she is
gorgeous!), Bradley Wiggins, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Federer and Murray, the
athletics in general, swimming, track cycling and the US basketball team. I
trusted and knew that these athletes would delight by their utter genius. (Yes
I just included Saina Nehwal in the same sentence with Bolt and Federer along
with the words “utter genius”. That is the partisan Indian in me, sorry!) But I
never expected to find that the moments I will remember would be so varied and
wondrous! That would be my personal legacy of London2012, the way in which my
eyes and mind were opened up to so many other remarkable sports and their
supremely talented athletes.
The
Olympics had its downside, no doubt about it. Swimming has way too many events
and medals to keep track of, synchronized swimming with the cheap glittery
outfits was weird, and team sports like hockey and football were a bit of a
letdown. But it feels a bit churlish to be focusing on this. What I will really
take away from these two weeks is how inspiring it all was. The Olympics was a parade of people trying their
utmost, straining their sinews, testing their minds, and in the case of two
Arabic women, the symbolic gesture of simply being there and crossing a
finishing line, even if it was after the next race had commenced. It was inspiring.
I will never forget the night of the 200m men’s final. With
the final on Friday early hours India time (a working day), I was tired and
made the mistake of thinking I would just record it and watch it the next day.
But then I thought about watching Bolt streak down the track past all his
rivals, in his own inimitable cocky style, as if he were in a race against
himself and the clock, and realized there was no way I am missing the
opportunity to watch one of the greatest athletes ever. Just the mere thought
of what greatness might happen was the adrenalin I needed to bounce back out of
bed and sit glued in front of my TV. No surprise, Bolt waltzed through the
finish line. I was inspired.
The Greatest!
And even if all of us cannot even begin to imagine swinging
on a bar like Epke Zonderland, or pedaling a bike like the awesome Bradley Wiggins
or Laura Trott, or float across the land at top speed like the graceful Allyson
Felix, we can cherish the fact that others can, and relish the moments in which
we give witness to it. And we were all witness to some awe inspiring moments.
I will miss the games of the 30th Olympiad. The
countdown to the 31st has already begun!
