Games Without Frontiers

Should have been enjoying the Tokyo Olympics now but going to have to wait another twelve months due to the pandemic. Mind, I never used to be bothered with the Olympics due to our usual role as “plucky runners up” in most of the competitions. And, like a lot of people, I was very sceptical and dismissive of the London 2012 Games believing they were doomed to failure. I was actually working in London the day before they started and FB has reminded me that all I could do then was moan about the heat and the packed tube trains, wondering what on Earth the foreigners would make of it.
Of course I had to start eating humble pie as soon as I watched Danny Boyle’s superb opening ceremony and really eat my words through the following weeks of outstanding performances by Team GB. And I was more than happy to watch similar - and better - feats of sporting prowess four years later in Rio. I do hope the Games go ahead next year so all those who have been training hard can have a chance to go for gold.
My tenuous link to Olympic glory is that my employer was a sponsor of Team GB for the Seoul Olympics in 1988. As such, all male employees were given this delightful 100% polyester tie to wear with pride. Can’t recall what the ladies were given - a scarf perhaps (if anything!).
I’ve looked up our results at those games and we were definitely still at the “plucky runners up” stage as medals were mainly Silver and Bronze. Two notable Golds though - men’s hockey (great match) and the first of five gold medals for Steve Redgrave. I like to think he wouldn’t have gone on to have the success he did at the next four Olympic Games, if I hadn’t worn that tie for three weeks in the summer of 1988.....