Record holder

A mix of emotions today.

As we reach the final days of competition the training venue is becoming much quieter as fewer and fewer athletes need to train.

We are saying our goodbyes to the athletes now.

For the athletes it's now all about focusing on the competition.

So their planning changes.

With the competition being at Hampden Park they focus now on bring there.

They are planning their journey from the athlete village; working out how long it takes, familiarising themselves with landmarks on the route, seeing the stadium, track and layout of the warm up area. They need to understand the atmosphere in the stadium so they will probably spend some time in there too.

Their needs have changed.

The training venue takes on a different role now, and so do we.

With less training going on the athletes at the training site use it as a place to come and relax. It is away from the hussle and noise of the village. It's a change of scenery and gives them something to do to relieve boredom.

Our role now is to facilitate that. So we may be called on just to have a chat with them, or just to make sure they have the peace and quiet they need.

After my shift a friend invited me for a drink in town.
My text reply was "last time we went for a drink we both got p*****! What time are we meeting??"

This is where tonight's blip starts.

The athlete on the left is Heamatangi Tuaivi from Tonga. On the right, his coach. Everyone calls him Big T.

They are both former Tongan rugby players who turned to sprinting.

Both have represented Tonga at both rugby and in the commonwealth games.

In his 400m heat Heamatangi set a time of 46.1 seconds. He didn't get through but he did set a record for the whole of the South Pacific Islands.

All very impressive but Heamatangi is such a quiet boy and was very modest about his achievement.

Big T wanted him to develop as a person and gain confidence with people so he brought him out to town. The plan worked. By the end of the evening he was chatting with everyone.

But he never told anyone just how great his achievement was.

I found it so humbling that he was so modest.

After a great night I left this new national hero.

Or was he?????

You see, this is a back blip. So I be now had time to check it all out. We've been had :)

Hook line and sinker ha ha!
The more I reflect the more I laugh. Big T spun us so many tales and he told them all very well and very convincingly.

Perhaps I should have twigged when Big T said he was coached by Linford Christie in 1994. Linford wasn't coaching in 94 :)

Heamatangi never told anyone what time he ran. Probably because he couldn't remember what his coach had told him to say!

Tall tales well told or not we still had a great night with the guys.