An Evening at the Olympic Stadium Author: Maaz; Views: 277; Date: 13-08-2012, 08:29;

I managed to get tickets for the athletics event at  the London 2012 games on Tuesday 7^th August for a 7:00pm start. The stadium was packed; the atmosphere was nothing short of electrifying. It was a loud and busy place to be.

Stratford station was incredibly crowded to the extent that one did not even need to check their ticket through to get out of the train station. Security was tight and many young people were helping out directing and guiding the excited spectators to the Olympic stadium where the regulation check-ups started. Once we got into the Olympic Park there was plenty to see. Everyone was taking photographs of themselves inside it. The surroundings were picturesque, particularly the long red design made by a certain Indian sculptor.

Moving on to the action, many events were taking place, almost simultaneously. We had the long jump, hurdles, and discus. People cheered on the participating athletes, appreciating a good effort and getting behind each and every one of them. Understandably and expectedly, the GB athletes got a roaring reception from the many spectators at the Olympic Stadium. There is nothing quite like experiencing a home games experience for athletes. Few get the chance to do so. For some the pressure of the occasion gets to them, for others it gets the best out of them. It depends. 

The highlight of the evening was the 100 metres women hurdles final. It was an Australian who won gold in that event with USA finishing behind her. The other event I particularly enjoyed was the men’s 1500 metres final. It was an Algerian who achieved the gold medal in that event.

Just to be there and witnessing a part of the spectacle was satisfying and memorable enough. I have kept the ticket safely, it’s not the sort of thing to be throwing away without a care in the world after it’s all over, treasure it as a lasting memory or evidence that you were there and then when looking back in a couple of decades at high profile events you saw in your home country.

There was a huge cheer in the stadium when the news broke through that Sir Chris Hoy had won gold for Britain before the actual athletics in the stadium had started that evening. He is a record Olympian for Britain, the first to achieve 6 gold medals and all celebrated the magical moment with the man honoured of being Team GBs flag bearer at the opening  ceremony. Team GB are going strongly on the medals table, 48 and counting. Sebastian Coe has achieved his mission which he had high hopes for seeing at the beginning of it all. They have bettered their performance at Beijing. 

It seems that the pressure of a home Olympic Games is not getting to the GB Olympians, but instead they are thriving with the home support pulling them through to Olympic medallists and there are inevitably more to follow yet. Surely, as the motto puts it nicely, a generation will be inspired.