Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Mo Farah delivered the signature performances of the Olympics as Great Britain shrugged off its grim economic worries to stage a memorable, record-breaking showpiece. As the curtain came down on the 16-day spectacular at an Olympic Park built on a toxic, east London industrial wasteland, the hosts basked in plaudits. “The country that invented modern sport has helped give new life to the spirit of fair play and competition,” said International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.
“For two weeks, London became the beating heart of the world.” There was a glittering collection of memories from events played in and around some of the city’s iconic sites. Horse Guards Parade, in the shadow of Buckingham Palace and Whitehall, the heart of British political power, hosted beach volleyball.
Tennis was at Wimbledon, archery went to Lord’s, the nerve-centre of cricket, while equestrian enjoyed the spectacular backdrop of Greenwich. At check points, battle-hardened soldiers, fresh from tours of Afghanistan, donned high-visibility jackets instead of bullet-proof vests to patiently screen long lines of athletes and media. On the track, it was Jamaican superstar Bolt who was sprinting into the record books, his double-triple of 100m, 200m and a world-record setting 4x100m relay exhausting superlatives.
“I’m now a legend, I’m the greatest athlete to live,” said Bolt. On the same night, Britain hailed Mo Farah’s 5,000m-10,000m double, an emotional achievement for a man brought up in war-torn Somalia. David Rudisha of Kenya set a world record in the 800m while the United States, who were to finish top of the medals table, shattered the 27-year-old record in the 4x100m womens relay. There was no gold, but there was a slice of Olympic history for Oscar Pistorius on the Olympic track as the double-amputee who races on carbon-fiber blades competed against able-bodied runners in the 400m and 4x400m relay. Phelps brought the curtain down on his career with four gold medals and two silvers, shattering the record for total medals in a career.
In fact, his 18 golds ended up matching the previous record for total medals amassed by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina — he was to finish with 22 altogether. “Everything had to fall into place at the right time and everything had to be perfect. And it was,” said Phelps.
