Right, so the Paralympics have so far been fucking amazing and the wheelchair rugby hasn't even started yet. I'm a little bit addicted to Wheelchair Basketball (largely because the GB team are such LADS) and I've accidentally developed a bit of a thing for Hannah Cockroft... if only the C4 coverage was a liiiiittle bit better (i.e. you could go back and watch what you've missed), I think it'd be trumping the main Olympics for entertainment value about now. We've not had anything else on our telly for the last week!
So as our little thread winds towards a close, am I the only one feeling horrendously proud and a little misty eyed about the show this city's put on over the last month or so? Flawless production, decent telly coverage (even Channel 4's live coverage online lets you skip adverts) and absolutely phenomenal competition all the way through... but the crowds have probably stood out even further than the actual sportspeople. The biggest cheer on the day I spent in the Stadium was for a completely unknown runner coming in over a lap after everyone else and although the crowd are rightly cheering British success, they're so enthusiastic about
everyone, whether it's Ellie Simmonds, Jessica Ennis and Chris Hoy or Usain Bolt, Michael McKillop and Oscar Pistorius or pretty much anyone else that looks like they're trying that the whole event has been given a huge boost.
It's all just been SO beautiful. The Olympics is always hyped as this utopian coming-together for humanity, but I've rarely seen it done in such a friendly and welcoming way... pretty minimal national posturing, just the best facilities we could offer and the best crowd in the fucking world. Well done LOCOG and everyone that's filled up the grandstands... you've done the nation properly proud.
One interesting thing to me is the US performance and coverage. Languishing in 6th place and looking like they'll finish with around half the medals of Britain, let alone put any challenge in to China. NBC, who own the rights to the Games are apparently not showing anything live in favour of showing a few highlights packages once they're all over. I'm prrrrrrretty confused, tbh... has there been any fuss about the lack of coverage, or is America just not that interested in disabled sport?
Anyway, bring on the fucking Murderball!
Shout out Ellie Simmonds too. Multiple golds from two Paralympics by the time you're 17... not.. bad.. at.. all.. - she's going to be the youngest Dame in the country at this rate!
I don't want it to end.
