Rio Olympics withdrawal syndrome is creeping in. But before I forget everything – following QPR can do that – here are some of my favourite moments (excl. Bolt, Phelps, Minxia Wu) and low points.
FAVOURITE MOMENTS
Diving: Tania Cagnotto (Italy) winning her first medals (bronze and silver ) given Rio was her 5th Games.
Athletics: Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) in the women’s 200m. Gritted her teeth when she felt Schippers coming up to her.
Water polo: The winning US women team handing their gold medals to their coach.
Tennis: The men’s singles semifinal match between Rafael Nadal & Juan Martin Del Potro was dramatic and the spectators added to the atmosphere.
Athletics: Michelle ‘ShotDiva’ Carter (USA) winning with the shot put final with her last throw.
Table Tennis: Men’s semifinal match between Long Ma (China) & Jun Mizutani (Japan). Classic.
Gymnastics: Simon Biles on the floor. Time seems to stand still when you watched her routine.
Natasha Hastings winning gold in the women’s 4×400 relay👏🏿
LOW POINTS
Athletics: Kenya coach who posed as an athlete to provide a urine sample and was expelled.
Athletics: Lynsey Sharp’s (GB) sour grapes reaction to running SIXTH in the Women’s 800m to South Africa’s Caster Semenya.
[sprinter Nigel Levine (GB) supporting Sharp with his prat-induced tweet ‘Happy for Lynsey Sharp for coming 3rd in women’s 800m.’]
Football: Hope Solo’s reaction after losing to Sweden describing them as a ‘bunch of cowards’.
Judo: Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby who refused to shake hands with Israel’s Or Sasson because of the latter’s nationality. [Which is strange giving judo is all about touching]
Gymnastics: Gabby Douglas forgetting her moves half way through her uneven bars exercise. She literally just stopped for seconds before continuing.
Roll on Paralympics.