Stoopidsteve
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Great reports. Thanks for taking the time. Must take issue with the "UK equivalent of Roulettes" however....perhaps vice versa would be more appropriate....
London 2012 Olympics
- Thread starter nlagalle
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Great reports. Thanks for taking the time. Must take issue with the "UK equivalent of Roulettes" however....perhaps vice versa would be more appropriate....
TonyHancock
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Loving the TR.
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Hmm yes, pity the poor sods who had tickets
EDIT: the twitterverse is reporting the 8 athletes have been disqualified
Last edited:
nlagalle
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Ok time to try and update you all as it has been a bit busy over the last few days..
Opening Ceremony Part II
Well I have to admit it was a pretty cool "entrance" by the Queen.. In case you are wondering yes they did have 2 people parachute out but of course they didn't land in the arena - way too many wires around!
The next part was a tribute to British Children's Literature and to the National Health Service. Bit of a quirky act, but included JK Rowling telling a story, Mike Oldfield playing on the other end and a Child reading under the covers where her imagination conjures up the villans of the books, including Voldemort, Captain hook and the Queen of hearts. But in to save the day was Mary Poppins.
View attachment 8725
We are next treated to the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.. The stirring start to Chariots of Fire begins. next next image on the screen is someone playing on the keyboard and as it lifts it shows the face of Mr. Bean.. Along with his usual antics, playing with his phone etc, he dreams off and on the big screen is the scene from the movie except it is re-shot with him in it. Very clever and has the crowd in fits of laughter.. Of course he mucks up the end! very witty and funny part to the proceedings. We did know about Mr. Bean beforehand but it was kept quiet!
The next act was a tribute to not only 4 decades of British music but also Thanks to Tim, or Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web. its a 20 minute sequence of a boy chasing a girl to get her phone back to her.
The last performance is a Memorial wall to people who couldn't join the Olympics followed by Emeli Sande singing Abide with me. I had to attend to a laptop so I missed what was happening.
So we are up to the point where the teams come out. I went downstairs to help out the photographers as they would be filing as the Australian team was out early (unlike Beijing where they were nearly last!). So i managed to snap a shot of myself at the head on stand.
This is the longest part of the night, at least 90 mins of Athletes walking out. The music being played was a great mix, ranged from the Bee Gees to Pet Shop Boys to U2. intermixed was tracks by Underworld and High contrast. For those that like Music the album is on iTunes and cost $17 for 2 1/2 hours of music. Our people were filing for the websites and not the paper as it was early on Saturday morning so there was still an urgency to file quickly. Fortunately there were good comms in place, every tribune and some photo positions had hard wired cabling - WiFi and 3G were not offered as reliability couldn't be guaranteed.
So onto the formalities of the night with the Welcome speeches and the Queen opening the Games. The Torch enters the arena and does the lap by past greats where it is handed over to the next generation. They walk to the middle of the arena where earlier a cover was removed (don't think you saw it on TV) and they proceed to light the ground. The Cauldron then forms up and it turns out it was actually built by the pieces brought out with each team.. Its very graceful but lacks some of the bang than we have come to see in the past.. different though..
The Show is finished off with 2 tracks by Paul McCartney. this was well after 12:30am too!
Our night finished off at about 2.30am with the bus back to the MPC then switching to the shuttle bus back to the Media Hotels in Bloomsbury. I am pretty certain than within 5 mins of the bus leaving everyone on board was fast asleep! I was certainly a long day!
So my thoughts on the Ceremony? Having been to 2 Olympic and 2 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremonies, I have to say it is very hard to compare as there are differences in them all. Beijing was always going to be big, massive scale and spectacle etc. London didn't have that big bang, but was far more polished. It also combined a lot of things that are the "Best of British". I really did enjoy it, probably more so than Beijing
I think in a few years time the one thing that people will always talk about won't be the record breaking swim or run, it will be the Queen with James Bond...
And with that, let the Games begin!
(I'll update more soon!)
Opening Ceremony Part II
Well I have to admit it was a pretty cool "entrance" by the Queen.. In case you are wondering yes they did have 2 people parachute out but of course they didn't land in the arena - way too many wires around!
The next part was a tribute to British Children's Literature and to the National Health Service. Bit of a quirky act, but included JK Rowling telling a story, Mike Oldfield playing on the other end and a Child reading under the covers where her imagination conjures up the villans of the books, including Voldemort, Captain hook and the Queen of hearts. But in to save the day was Mary Poppins.
View attachment 8725
We are next treated to the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.. The stirring start to Chariots of Fire begins. next next image on the screen is someone playing on the keyboard and as it lifts it shows the face of Mr. Bean.. Along with his usual antics, playing with his phone etc, he dreams off and on the big screen is the scene from the movie except it is re-shot with him in it. Very clever and has the crowd in fits of laughter.. Of course he mucks up the end! very witty and funny part to the proceedings. We did know about Mr. Bean beforehand but it was kept quiet!
The next act was a tribute to not only 4 decades of British music but also Thanks to Tim, or Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web. its a 20 minute sequence of a boy chasing a girl to get her phone back to her.
The last performance is a Memorial wall to people who couldn't join the Olympics followed by Emeli Sande singing Abide with me. I had to attend to a laptop so I missed what was happening.
So we are up to the point where the teams come out. I went downstairs to help out the photographers as they would be filing as the Australian team was out early (unlike Beijing where they were nearly last!). So i managed to snap a shot of myself at the head on stand.
This is the longest part of the night, at least 90 mins of Athletes walking out. The music being played was a great mix, ranged from the Bee Gees to Pet Shop Boys to U2. intermixed was tracks by Underworld and High contrast. For those that like Music the album is on iTunes and cost $17 for 2 1/2 hours of music. Our people were filing for the websites and not the paper as it was early on Saturday morning so there was still an urgency to file quickly. Fortunately there were good comms in place, every tribune and some photo positions had hard wired cabling - WiFi and 3G were not offered as reliability couldn't be guaranteed.
So onto the formalities of the night with the Welcome speeches and the Queen opening the Games. The Torch enters the arena and does the lap by past greats where it is handed over to the next generation. They walk to the middle of the arena where earlier a cover was removed (don't think you saw it on TV) and they proceed to light the ground. The Cauldron then forms up and it turns out it was actually built by the pieces brought out with each team.. Its very graceful but lacks some of the bang than we have come to see in the past.. different though..
The Show is finished off with 2 tracks by Paul McCartney. this was well after 12:30am too!
Our night finished off at about 2.30am with the bus back to the MPC then switching to the shuttle bus back to the Media Hotels in Bloomsbury. I am pretty certain than within 5 mins of the bus leaving everyone on board was fast asleep! I was certainly a long day!
So my thoughts on the Ceremony? Having been to 2 Olympic and 2 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremonies, I have to say it is very hard to compare as there are differences in them all. Beijing was always going to be big, massive scale and spectacle etc. London didn't have that big bang, but was far more polished. It also combined a lot of things that are the "Best of British". I really did enjoy it, probably more so than Beijing
I think in a few years time the one thing that people will always talk about won't be the record breaking swim or run, it will be the Queen with James Bond...
And with that, let the Games begin!
(I'll update more soon!)
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nlagalle
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it was! I would have booed too! The 4 teams were disqualified just before which means the Aussie team gets a gong now. Disgraceful performance by the Chinese and Koreans.
nlagalle
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Well it's taken me a few days to play catch up here, but it's been a pretty busy week!
Once the games start everyone is full steam at it and provided I've done my bit properly there should be no technical issues. Fortunately most have been simple user errors and nothing to tricky.
Unfortunately the Australian team hasn't performed as well as my setup here! the editing team in the office would get all fired up when the swimming was on, only to be let down faster than a balloon you forgot to tie properly! Fortunately the Brits are performing as well as us! And the New Zealanders are doing better!
The MPC/IBC is located in the top corner of the Olympic park and we have a few ways to get here. Easiest is a bus that goes door to door. But I hate buses.. The time varied from 30 mins to over 90 on one day in the lead up (before the Games lanes opened). I preferred the train gauntlet as some called it.. Tube from Russell Square to Kings Cross, walk to St. Pancras then jump on the Javelin High speed to Stratford, go through the media security then onto a loop bus to the MPC.. I looked at is why drive direct when I can connect! The gauntlet took around 30-40 mins depending on connections and the javelin train (the longest distance but shortest time) was confortable.. Mind you that confort only lasted 6 minutes as that's all it took to get there! It also made for some variety on the trip...
I had people telling me the bus was faster etc (it leaves on the half hours 24 hours a day). So I start playing tricks on the "the bus is better people" we'd be at breakfast and they'd run off to catch the bus and I'd wave.. Then I'd race and grab my stuff and bolt to the tube and then to the Jav.. on a good run I'd be at security at Stratford in around 20-25 mins. Then a few minute bus ride and at the MPC. So you can imagine their shock when they'd walk in and see me with a coffee at my desk! of course I'd never mention I did have to bolt between stops! Ok so you need something to liven the day up as it gets quiet being a tech when it all works!
Of course there wouldn't be an Olympics with out some scandal.. and I am not talking about someone going on a drunken rampage smashing windows, or tanking a badminton game. No I am talking about the day our staple food - the Burrito, is not available because someone stuffed a delivery up! Of course it was kept under wraps and never made it to the papers!
So far this week I've been fortunate enough to attend the Swimming, Cycling and Rowing. More will come over the weekend. I keep missing the hockey, as Australia has been playing in the morning and I'm usually in the office first thing checking that everything is running as it should be. And I must get to the Beach Volleyball!
One other thing I don't like is the beer.. It got me so angry I did this to the bottle!
ok maybe i exaggerate! the beer is ok, the plastic bottles complete with lids (no twist top so need a bottle opener!) take some getting used to!
The Velodrome
And my view at the Rowing yesterday
more photos to come! (I'm back at the rowing again today!
Once the games start everyone is full steam at it and provided I've done my bit properly there should be no technical issues. Fortunately most have been simple user errors and nothing to tricky.
Unfortunately the Australian team hasn't performed as well as my setup here! the editing team in the office would get all fired up when the swimming was on, only to be let down faster than a balloon you forgot to tie properly! Fortunately the Brits are performing as well as us! And the New Zealanders are doing better!
The MPC/IBC is located in the top corner of the Olympic park and we have a few ways to get here. Easiest is a bus that goes door to door. But I hate buses.. The time varied from 30 mins to over 90 on one day in the lead up (before the Games lanes opened). I preferred the train gauntlet as some called it.. Tube from Russell Square to Kings Cross, walk to St. Pancras then jump on the Javelin High speed to Stratford, go through the media security then onto a loop bus to the MPC.. I looked at is why drive direct when I can connect! The gauntlet took around 30-40 mins depending on connections and the javelin train (the longest distance but shortest time) was confortable.. Mind you that confort only lasted 6 minutes as that's all it took to get there! It also made for some variety on the trip...
I had people telling me the bus was faster etc (it leaves on the half hours 24 hours a day). So I start playing tricks on the "the bus is better people" we'd be at breakfast and they'd run off to catch the bus and I'd wave.. Then I'd race and grab my stuff and bolt to the tube and then to the Jav.. on a good run I'd be at security at Stratford in around 20-25 mins. Then a few minute bus ride and at the MPC. So you can imagine their shock when they'd walk in and see me with a coffee at my desk! of course I'd never mention I did have to bolt between stops! Ok so you need something to liven the day up as it gets quiet being a tech when it all works!
Of course there wouldn't be an Olympics with out some scandal.. and I am not talking about someone going on a drunken rampage smashing windows, or tanking a badminton game. No I am talking about the day our staple food - the Burrito, is not available because someone stuffed a delivery up! Of course it was kept under wraps and never made it to the papers!
So far this week I've been fortunate enough to attend the Swimming, Cycling and Rowing. More will come over the weekend. I keep missing the hockey, as Australia has been playing in the morning and I'm usually in the office first thing checking that everything is running as it should be. And I must get to the Beach Volleyball!
One other thing I don't like is the beer.. It got me so angry I did this to the bottle!
ok maybe i exaggerate! the beer is ok, the plastic bottles complete with lids (no twist top so need a bottle opener!) take some getting used to!
The Velodrome
And my view at the Rowing yesterday
more photos to come! (I'm back at the rowing again today!
Pollywaffle
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Great report and a very different view from what most of us see.
Great coverage Nick and we are there sans the plastic beer bottles. The trains are running well and if any AFF members want to jump on a plane for London then now is the time to do just that. I did a Vodka Martini at Jamies Italian tonight so I left the beer for others.
nlagalle
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We'll have to try and catch up at the park one night.. I'll PM you..
D
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They are everywhere now ( at sporting events) not nice to have some began throw a glass bottle on to a playing field or at another person in the crowd.
nlagalle
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Can i just say how good looking you areI know, I know not proper ettiquitte however first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the pics!
I'll take any compliment!
so thank you!
nlagalle
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There are history making events in sport that for years you can look back to and remember what you were doing when it happened. Thanks to work I’ve been lucky enough to say I was there, Damon Hill winning the Melbourne GP in it’s return to Melbourne, Mick Doohan winning his 5[SUP]th[/SUP] Moto GP and the Phillips Island GP at the same time, Makybe Diva winning her 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Melbourne Cup, Djokovic and Nadal battling out for 6 hours to win the Australian Open and Usain Bolt “jogging” to win the 100m in Beijing (OK I missed Cathy as I had left Sydney by then!)
Tonight was another chapter for me watching Bolt do it again in a packed stadium with the crowd roaring. I thought Beijing erupted but it was nothing on the English crowd last night. Were they loud!
Now for those that wonder how many photographers cover these events, here is a few pictures I took..
Firstly a front on of the head on Platform:
On top of the platform:
The side of the platform, which is were the jubilation happens
part of the Moat (basically a pit where photographers can shoot from.
My spot to watch the race from!
I have to hand it to the photographers. most were in position at about 3pm that afternoon and had to stay there. the race was at 9.50pm. a long time to be in position. It's a hard slog for them. all for less than 10 seconds of racing and about 10 minutes of jubilation! But it is all for that 1 shot. The thing that makes the race harder to shoot is that unlike last time where bolt was the clear favourite, there were two others that could of beaten him. so you have to be on the mark to see how wins. We had 4 photographers covering the race from different angles.
Tonight was another chapter for me watching Bolt do it again in a packed stadium with the crowd roaring. I thought Beijing erupted but it was nothing on the English crowd last night. Were they loud!
Now for those that wonder how many photographers cover these events, here is a few pictures I took..
Firstly a front on of the head on Platform:
On top of the platform:
The side of the platform, which is were the jubilation happens
part of the Moat (basically a pit where photographers can shoot from.
My spot to watch the race from!
I have to hand it to the photographers. most were in position at about 3pm that afternoon and had to stay there. the race was at 9.50pm. a long time to be in position. It's a hard slog for them. all for less than 10 seconds of racing and about 10 minutes of jubilation! But it is all for that 1 shot. The thing that makes the race harder to shoot is that unlike last time where bolt was the clear favourite, there were two others that could of beaten him. so you have to be on the mark to see how wins. We had 4 photographers covering the race from different angles.
nlagalle
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The build up to the race is amazing.. the crowd is hyped, the runners are hyped, even the commentators are hyped! you can feel it. The runners line up and the crowd is asked for quiet. The silence descends over the whole stadium and it's as quiet as the MCG during the minutes silence for ANAZAC day.
You can hear the starter announce take your marks.. then the bang as the gun fires. The runners launch and the crowd are erupting! Everyone, including the volunteers are cheering. I have a few people from the Jamaican team behind me and boy are they cheering with 3 of their compatriots!!! even from my angle I can see Bolt is in front and crosses the line. and just when i thought the crowd couldn't get louder, crikey did they get even louder! Bolt is celebrating with his signature point, doing a lap of the field. the cheering goes for well over 10 minutes! Lucky for me he stopped in front and I was able to snap this pic!
THe scary thing about Bolt is he hasn't even reached the prime age for sprinting. Could he go on to win a third 100m Gold in Rio? Now that would certainly be history making again!
One other good lurk I have at the grounds is getting on and off the track. We walk past the Olympic flame. so i was able to photograph it last night
As I finished writing this we just won a Gold in the sailing! and hopefully a Gold in the shooting a bit later on.
You can hear the starter announce take your marks.. then the bang as the gun fires. The runners launch and the crowd are erupting! Everyone, including the volunteers are cheering. I have a few people from the Jamaican team behind me and boy are they cheering with 3 of their compatriots!!! even from my angle I can see Bolt is in front and crosses the line. and just when i thought the crowd couldn't get louder, crikey did they get even louder! Bolt is celebrating with his signature point, doing a lap of the field. the cheering goes for well over 10 minutes! Lucky for me he stopped in front and I was able to snap this pic!
THe scary thing about Bolt is he hasn't even reached the prime age for sprinting. Could he go on to win a third 100m Gold in Rio? Now that would certainly be history making again!
One other good lurk I have at the grounds is getting on and off the track. We walk past the Olympic flame. so i was able to photograph it last night
As I finished writing this we just won a Gold in the sailing! and hopefully a Gold in the shooting a bit later on.
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