With only four days to go, the London 2012 Olympic games are almost over. It seems to have flown by, and for someone who was so initially skeptical about the Olympic games as myself, I think I will actually miss them when they are gone.
I've never really paid attention to an Olympic games since I've been old enough to know when it was on- if anything, I've usually tried to avoid it. I have previously claimed that the Olympics is the only time when anyone actually cares about these niche sports, and that it's also a huge waste of money that has been spent during the middle of a serious recession. However, I will now take most of this back- waste of money aside, I have actually paid attention to the Olympics, embraced it, and have even enjoyed it.
For a start, it's in Britain! It's in my country! And I don't know about you, but I'm proud of this country, and of the fact that we're hosting the biggest sporting event in history
The Olympics has been pervading every area of the media, and it has been very hard to get away from it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing- it seems to have created an energy which is uplifting, particularly when Great Britain is winning. How great has it been to hear our national anthem on TV or the radio so often? Our opening ceremony was fantastic, perhaps the best we could have hoped for for our own Olympics, and our medal success has made us realise that we are actually good at sports- with an exception to football, of course. And while sports is a good way to bring nations together, it's also a good way for your country to win bragging rights over the others. In all seriousness, I welcome the sense of unity and patriotism. A bit more pride for our nation wouldn't go a miss, I reckon.
Now for the events themselves; I'm not really a sports fan, save for football, but I've surprisingly found myself interested in a lot of the events at the Olympics. In particular it's reignited my interest in hockey- which I haven't played since I was in school, and is pretty much never televised- and has introduced me to handball, which looks like fun. It's a shame that there isn't more mainstream coverage of the Olympic sports, particularly athletics and gymnastics, which require genuine skill and dedication beyond kicking or throwing a ball. Football only scratches the surface.
Oh, and equestrianism- what is that all about?
Yes, I will miss the Olympics when it is gone. While I'm sure some of my interest is based on it being held in my home country, consider this skeptic enlightened, and warmed to the spectacle that is the Olympic games.
