The return of the curse

It's been a decent week for Britain at the Olympics, but it's been hard to sustain the medal run since last week. And not for lack of trying on the BBC's part. Don't get me wrong, you know I love the BBC and you surely know by now I love the Olympics, but sometimes I just wish the BBC would talk something down. I'm sorry to say, the curse has returned. Just ask Shanaze Reade.

Reade is the world champion in BMX and in all the build up to the event, the way the BBC talked about it, it seemed all she had to do was show up and she'd be given the gold medal. If I heard one more time about her explosive power and superior thighs...

I've never watched BMX before. It's like the street has come to Olympics, tattoos and piercings a-go-go. Although I think my mum said it best when she said 'I still can't get past the fact that they look like they're riding kids' bikes!' 

But my goodness, it is brutal! To think they took away the nice, safe, and indeed simple 1km time trial for this carnage! It's not a word of a lie to say I watched some of the races through my fingers. If you didn't see any of it, I think this will sum it up nicely for you. An Australian rider has legally changed his name to 'Kamakazi', you know like the Japanese suicide pilots from World War Two. I wish I was joking.

It's a complicated system of qualifying individuals rounds, 3 rounds of group semi finals and a group put-your-life-in-your-hands-and-race-for-glory final. Poor Shanaze, after the build up the BBC gave her, you just knew it couldn't end well. 

She fell in her first qualifying round. And remember this isn't just falling. This is full on over the handlebars stuff. She fell again in the first semi-final (this time someone even rode over her ankle). Somehow she put it together and got into the final, only to tip the back wheel of the French girl leading in the last corner to go went crashing out again.

I haven't quite fallen in love with it, and it's definitely not my favourite Olympic sports, although I'd rate it above sailing, which seems just plain unsporting, calculating meanness (but you know, ra ra Team GB with 6 medals and all that. And in fairness, sailing is better than Judges Score the Points sports). That said, you can't help be slightly addicted to guts and glory stuff of BMX. And hopefully come 2012, Shanaze Reade will not have the BBC curse upon her.

The BBC didn't just scupper Shanaze of course. They took out whole teams in the relays. 

I honestly think it was one of my favourite Olympic moments ever when Britain won the Men's 4 x 100m in Athens. It even surprised Steve Cram commenting. All the talk was of the Americans, but there GB were, quietly working away with good changeovers. Take a moment now to remember that Britain (and indeed America) can get the baton round.

No doubt you'll know of the absolute havoc which ended with both the men's and women's American and British teams going out. And today, even the Jamaican sprinting women couldn't withstand all the BBC talk of medals and messed it up.

Mind you, it did bring about one of my favourite Michael Johnson punditry moments (on the iPlayer, go to 51.20 in )while he was talking over the slow motion of the USA slow baton drop. 'Why doesn't he just put it in there? Put it in there! Ok he didn't do it then, put it in now! Well put it it now! Don't just drop it!!' 

He's so up there with Adrian Chiles.

Digital picture magic

Another good day. And just for a change I'm not going to comment on the Olympics (but still feel free to comment Chris!). Today was a good day for 2 reasons.

1. I got my new camera. My old camera which, bless it, had taken about 80% of the photos on here died right before Castlewellan (which I still need to talk about by the way). I was trying to show my mum photos from a wedding I was at and the lens came out and stopped...and nothing. I had the brightest minds on it, well ok, I got my dad to look at it but alas, it could not be revived. 

So I had to choose a new one. For this I needed the help of the brightest minds, well ok, I asked Karen Next Door to help. She pointed towards a couple and this past weekend I researched the options and picked one which arrived today! Of course, It didn't arrive until after my mum's wool arrived. Talk about anti-climax. Doorbell rings, delivery man stands with parcel...which turns out to be wool.

Of course, when you get a new gadget the excitement is put on hold until the battery is charged. After two hours of looking longingly at the silver sleek body of my camera it was ready! So here are a few choice high quality shots from it.

It has a 'children and animals' scene. I told Sox, but he wasn't that bothered.

Bloody wool. (It should be noted that my mum had already started this before the wool arrived. She'd be the first to admit she's not that quick. At knitting, folks, at knitting. You should know she's razor sharp in everything else, well most other things, ok at a lot of things.)

2. The other excitement came via email. Yesterday I updated my status on Facebook to reveal my love of Adrian Chiles. And today, thanks to Brian, a dream came true. Kind of.

Please don't mention my shoulder abnormality, I'm quite sensitive about it.

Just you wait

This week I've been watching a lot of the Olympics. The Olympics is pretty much the backdrop to this week. So much so I don't really know what to do when it's 6.00pm and coverage is over. Thank goodness the highlights come on at 7.00pm.

It's been so exciting though. And Britain are doing so well! 3rd in the medal table, only behind the big guns of China and the USA!! I doubt we'll stay there by the end of it but still! Coming from the relatively recent misery of Atlanta this is big stuff! 

As you'll no doubt be aware, if you've even just caught 3 minutes worth of coverage, the 2012 Olympics are in London.

This has two responses by the media (and indeed Joe Public):

1. 'Wowzer, imagine what we are going to do come 2012...home crowd support...more experiences athletes...younger athletes catching the dream.'

2. 'How are we ever go to match these Games?...there's no way they'll be as good.'

I fall into the former. (Was there ever a doubt?)

I think it's about time the negativity stopped. I, for one, am fed up with it. Britain, all too often, has a bad attitude. Just look at what happens to celebrities. We build them up to knock them down. And what's worse, we take some sort of perverse pleasure in doing so.

I think it's about time we all started talking about how fantastic the London Games are going to be, to build the excitement and anticipation. I read this article interviewing Seb Coe and it fills me with confidence (mostly about the Opening Ceremony). 

You should read it too. And make the necessary attitude adjustment, if required.

Bored of being sick

I know, so rarely it is I come on here and have a moan but this has to be said. I am fed up of being sick. Seriously, if the Olympics weren't on I'd wonder what I'd do all day. 

All this Olympic watching has led me to wonder the quadrennial question of 'if I were to go to the Olympics what would I do?' Obviously skill is not a factor, but I think something like archery would be good. Mostly because it'd be over dead quick and no major heart rate achieved. 

Today, as mum and I watched the canoe slalom I realised that if there was to be one Olympic sport I'd be totally rubbish at it would be that. Some of the others, if I were magically transported to Beijing and told to have a go, I think I could. I mean, sure I'd be well last in all of them but the canoe slalom, that just looks like something I'd be crap at. Water in your eyes, fear of capsizing and gates to negotiate would just make it hateful.

That was all until the weightlifting came on. That's what I'd be crappest at. 

For. Sure.

This is worthy of a separate blog

I'm going to be an (actual) aunt!!!!! At the end of January! Cool Aunt Tina is so on the way! (I plan a programme of indoctrination so that the child actually calls me that. No, seriously.)

Although I think I have a lot to learn. I was round with friends the other day and was asked to make the formula. Who knew you don't put ordinary tap water in?! Yeah, ok the rest of the world, just not me. Still as long as I'm supervised until they are, oh say 12, I'd say we should be ok.