The alpha and the omega

Published on Sunday 29 August 2004 00:56

LIKE the Prodigal Son, Athens 2004 was the Olympics coming home. After gallivanting round the globe, seeking pleasures afar, indulging in greed and commercialism, the scandal and the posturing were all supposed to be left behind as we were reintroduced to more homely joys.

The metaphoric calf was fattened and the International Olympic Committee wanted the watching world to feast on it, while Athens embraced all who returned under the banner of the Olympic Family like a loving parent welcoming home long-lost offspring.

The aim was simple and, as the curtain prepares to fall on these Games, it seems like it has been achieved. Few who have travelled to this city over the past three weeks will leave with anything but positive memories of a sporting community bound together by shared privileges. Because being present as the world’s best go head to head is exactly that.

Everyone will have their own golden nuggets, as priceless as the medals handed out in 301 ceremonies throughout the course of this jamboree. They will, undoubtedly, differ depending on nationality and sporting predilections, but whether observers prefer to remember the masochistic torture of watching the seemingly-immortal Paula Radcliffe hurtle from her pedestal not once but twice or the sheer ecstasy of witnessing Matthew Pinsent guarantee his sporting immortality, the memories will endure.

Yes, there were the drug scandals, which now appear almost obligatory, but while they undoubtedly taint the overall picture, the true success of these Games was the fact that they rarely allowed the negative to overshadow the positive.

There was the shame of Greek heroes Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou failing to appear for their dope test, spouting the kind of "but-the-dog-ate-my-homework" excuses most of us left behind at primary school. Never likely to mirror the huge demand in Sydney four years ago, tickets sales were even slower than anticipated as Athenians clung desperately to a sense of injustice rather than believe the horrible truth.

Eventually, though, the enthusiasm for the spectacle became too contagious and Athens was engulfed in the Olympic spirit. Regardless what their athletes were contesting, the atmosphere was electric and there can have been few chants more heavenly than "Hellas" as the locals willed their own to victory. At the basketball in the wonderful Helliniko Indoor Arena, just one of the many sublime facilities befitting the super sporting battles within, the USA Dream Team looked like they had just walked into a nightmare as a fiercely partisan crowd reminded them that, when heart rules head, NBA egos and college MVPs mean little.

A wonderful display of loyalty, the flip side of that was the farcical men’s 200m final. In protest that Kenteris was not there to claim what his fans considered would be a definite gold medal, they refused to settle. Every time silence was called for, the decibel level simply rose. The sight of Olympic veteran Frankie Fredericks, a man universally accepted by his peers to be completely clean, pleading time and again for hush on the big screens around the stadium, as misguided fans instead lauded a fallen idol, is one of the few enduring images which will shame these Games.

The rest are stories of pain, hard work and celebration. Tales of mental courage backing personal conviction, with a place on the podium the reward. And that is just the British version. Against a picturesque backdrop, our sailors charted the course to glory, confirming their position as the most successful team within the British ranks. Scot Shirley Robertson and her Yngling sidekicks, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, didn’t even need to sail their last race to win gold. For any Brit harbouring an inferiority complex, they helped dispel the doubts.

Then there was the rowing. Without Steve Redgrave trying to rewrite history the fear was the drama and the interest back home would wane. Not a bit of it. Four years of well-documented ups and downs, crew changes, injury and trauma preceded the final of the men’s coxless four, and Matthew Pinsent’s quest for his fourth gold at successive Olympics. The photo finish, the seemingly endless pause and then the euphoria simply made it all the more memorable.

And as for performance- enhancing, perhaps those who are tempted by the drugs should instead follow cyclist Chris Hoy’s more honest lead. The only shot in the arm he required was the high of watching his training partner achieve gold in Sydney. He knew Jason Queally had won without drugs, so knew he could too. Four years on, he did, using inspiration rather than injections. He battled nerves and pressure, watching as his rivals tore strips off the Olympic record and then he set off with the expectations of every Brit in that packed velodrome on his shoulders.

Few could even breathe as he hurtled round towards the finish line, the huge scoreboard illustrating just how close it was, but every second of the rising panic and subsequent relief was worth it as minutes later we watched on proudly as he took to the top step of the podium.

Then we had the badminton couple, who in the space of three sets seemed to have blown it, then salvaged it, but eventually had to settle for silver. Or James Goddard, who finished fourth in the men’s 200m backstroke, was elevated to bronze position when Aaron Peirsol was disqualified for an illegal turn but, oh, no, wait. A silly technicality saw the American reinstated and bang went our medal.

And that’s before we even get to the triumph over adversity. At the velodrome there was a collective groan as Rob Hayles collided with a Dutch rider and clattered down the steep incline in an action replay of an incident which had ended his Olympic dream in Sydney. Torn shorts and a bruised ego - this time, though, he wasn’t giving up.

His Madison partner, Bradley Wiggins, kept on riding, covering for him, while he jumped on a new bike. They then cut back the one-lap deficit and held their nerve in a sprint finish to garner bronze. Hollywood blockbusters have focused on subjects less dramatic.

That medal completed Wiggins’ haul of gold, silver and bronze and the IOC should have awarded another to both Wiggins and Brad McGee for a press conference that proved that, while competition can be fierce on track, off it comradeship and professional respect is alive and well. It’s the Olympic way.

As if the mental time capsule wasn’t already bulging, there were also the household names bowing out while bursting on to the scene was Kid Gloves Amir Khan, a 17-year-old who fought with the toughness of a man, the wisdom of a scholar and all the infectious enthusiasm of the boy he is. It’s incredible to think all this and way, way more was squeezed into just one Olympic Games, which many had predicted would be a shambles, so concerned were they with the aesthetic instead of esoteric.

On an international stage, the USA dominated the sprints and people like Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan dominated our hearts. Lapped by virtually every athlete in the 5,000m field, as she completed a lone lap she was cheered every step of the way by a huge Irish contingent and a crowd who appreciated her appreciation of the adage that it’s the taking part that counts.

But on the track there can only be one heroine. Pre-Games, Paula Radcliffe was touted for the post, but wilted under either the pressure or the heat. But, when we needed her most, Kelly Holmes stood up to be counted. A petite bundle of determination, talent and positivity, for years she has warned us that only injury has held her back. For once she has gone into a major championships unhampered by niggles or strains and proved to the rest of us what she has always known, that on her day she truly is as good as anyone.

Yes, Athens 2004 has succeeded in the quest to imbue us all with more of the Olympic spirit, to remind us that dreams do come real and merely being at an Olympic Games is a privilege. It has been a happy home-coming but if being here is an honour, what the heck is winning a medal and winning it in the style of so many of our British stars? It’s incredible and for any youngsters watching, the message is clear: do try this at home.