So as 2012 draws to a close, I am going to reflect one final time on an issue of the year. I felt after the 12 months we have just experienced, it ought to be Olympic or Paralympic based, after all, they have certainly been the talking point and inspiration of this year, so I am going to reflect on the TV broadcast of Superstars that occurred on Saturday evening. The show was a huge hit in the 1970’s and 1980’s, with names such as Kevin Keegan and Brian Jacks being involved in incidents that have forever been etched in sports fans minds. A brief revival occurred between 2002 and 2004 but since then the show has been cast into the archives. This year though, filmed at the University of Bath over a wet weekend at the end of November, 16 British Olympic medallists fought for the female and male titles.
The format of the 2012 competition differed from those in the past. Seven events were on show, the 100m, archery, kayaking, 800m, swimming, javelin and gym tests. Previously the competition would have 8 to 10 events. Each athlete was pulled out from two (normally one of their own choice, and one by producers – an event most similar to their own profession), although they all had to compete in the 100m and gym tests. The competition was divided into the eight men and eight females who then underwent the gruelling demands of an all-round sporting champion.
I was fortunate enough to be in Bath on the Saturday the competition began. Being an alumni of the university, I knew my way around the Sports Training Village where most of the events took place, and my friend and I soon discovered that the organisation, control and security of the audience was not particularly good, and as such we wandered around to many areas that you would have thought to be deemed out of bounds. In such time we managed to meet Nicola Adams and Christine Ohuruogu. Both were extremely pleasant (especially when you consider we had got ourselves into an area they probably did not expect to be disturbed) and gave off a vibe that they were really enjoying participating in the show. Adams, in particular, with her huge smile and humour, was becoming a bit of a favourite with us. We embraced our time back at the university. Later on we were making banterous comments outside towards Denise Lewis and Gabby Logan as well, the latter of whom, gets a lot of attention before every link she was recorded on. Do they not know how attractive she already is?! Particularly when the spectators were looking like drowned rats outside!
The time we were around for coincided with the 800m, although we got a sneaky peek of some of the archery thanks to the crane camera that filmed most of the athlete’s attempts. However, we eventually succumbed ourselves to the rain outside but positioned ourselves right on the start/finish line, a perfect viewing station, and one where we could pick ourselves out from in the televised broadcast. The ladies emerged first, and Adams was certainly not up for it, based on how much she had wrapped herself up. Ohuruogu was removed from this event (as was Mo Farah for the men), but I was backing Jade Jones, simply because, as I told Iwan Thomas later on, she’s beautiful. Jade came second, with Helen Glover, the eventual winner of the women’s title, running a great race to take the win. It’s perhaps no surprise that Glover was champion. A rowing gold medallist and a former member of the military, the woman was clearly going to possess speed, power and endurance.
The men’s event was one to eagerly anticipate as both the Brownlee brothers were competing head-to-head. I think everyone knew already that it would be a two horse race, and my what a show they put on, with Alistair overtaking Jonathan in the final 100m to beat him by inches. It was an incredible speed that the two men put on throughout, and it would have been interesting to see how Farah would have done against the pair. Unsurprisingly, the BBC knew who to interview beforehand and as Iwan spoke to the pair, you hopefully heard a chant of “Brownlee’s, give us a wave!” in the background. I am proud to say I was a major instigator in that, and for it to be picked up by Iwan in the interview was very cool.
The event and having seen the programme back, whole show, was stolen by Peter Wilson. As a shooter, all he does is stand still in his sport and fire a gun, so all of these events were basically beyond his talents. However, he embraced every one, went out and had fun, and made many others laugh along the way. He was our cult hero for the 800m, and despite knowing he’d finish last we cheered him on all the way, again instigating a “Wilson, give us a wave” as he came down the final stretch which was acknowledged. Afterwards, we were praised by a BBC producer, and Wilson himself came over and gave us all a big bear hug, a moment, I’m gutted missed the final edit. One guy amongst us even got to keep Wilson’s woolly ‘Superstars’ branded hat!
Antony Joshua, the super-heavyweight gold medal boxer was the men’s champion. An unsurprising result when you consider the fitness boxers need to possess, whilst Joshua is a tall, powerful specimen, who even in the 800m, managed to carry his hefty frame around comfortably to take third. The competition is all about consistency, and the big man certainly delivered there. I was particularly surprised that the Brownlee brothers did not feature more prominently towards the top, considering their all-round prowess in their own sport.
All in all though, my day watching the broadcast was great. Yes, we got wet, but the crowds certainly turned out on both days. The television audience too also seems to have reacted very positively. The show dominated the ratings at the time, achieving over 6 million viewers, and hopefully, the success of it all, will lead to the BBC commissioning a regular annual series once more. The athletes clearly enjoyed themselves; their twitter feeds afterwards as well as interviews during the show are proof of this. It is a fun, entertaining television and a different perspective for sport enthusiasts to look at their idols from. Superstars 2012, topping off the best sporting year ever...?!
Monday 31 December 2012
Sunday 23 December 2012
A fitting finale to an incredible sporting year
This time last week, I was sat amongst a 16,000 strong audience for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012. What an evening it was. The atmosphere inside the ExCel Arena was fantastic, with many memorable moments. From the opening montage with Emilie Sandé, to the crowning of the charismatic Bradley Wiggins, with the likes of a beautiful Jade Jones and Jessica Ennis along with Bert le Clos’ pride and humour being sandwiched in the middle, the night just served up incredible moment after incredible moment as the unbelievable British sporting year was brought to a close. It is hard to imagine a year like this ever being replicated in our lifetime, and as such, the event was one not to be missed.
The build-up to the event was probably the greatest it has ever been at. The shortlist was expanded from its traditional ten to twelve, with major names from the year, such as Laura Trott still being able to be omitted. Although Wiggins was the favourite early on, the likes of Ennis, Mo Farah, Andy Murray and David Weir were all being touted as winners; such was the level of achievement accomplished in 2012. However, I feel it is always worth noting that the title is named as ‘Sports Personality’, and yes, that normally means the most successful as it is the one that inspires the nation. However, in a year when so many Britain’s managed to achieve such a feat, the actual personality of the shortlist I think was a vital determinant to the vote, and my, does Bradley Wiggins have a personality. During his opening interview with Sue Barker, he referred to her as ‘Susan’, joked about Gary Lineker, and pretended to collect the trophy. The man makes people laugh and is keen to be seen as just an ordinary man privileged enough to lead a successful sporting career. He was an athlete who really deserved to win. On the other hand though, if any able-bodied athlete had achieved the feats of David Weir (gold in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon) they would have been a shoe-in for the title. It is an incredible physical feat particularly with the restricted recovery time. So although this year has once again made the public become more accepting and interested in the Paralympic movement, I would argue there is still work to be done before the athletes are seen on par with their able-bodied compatriots.
Similarly, the likes of Andy Murray, gold medallist, silver medallist, US Grand Slam winner, Wimbledon runner-up would waltz the award normally, such has been the long wait for British male tennis success. Let us not forget Greg Rusedski won the award in 1997 for being the US Grand Slam runner-up! They normally state that winning the award is much tougher in an ‘even’ year and I think that statistic sums it up perfectly. Murray was also a part of one of the most comical moments of the evening too. Lennox Lewis was brought in to present his award, but clearly did not hear his cue through the satellite link from London, which resulted in Murray just taking the award for himself. Poor Lennox must have been hugely embarrassed, but I think everyone could understand. Again though, I anticipate this will be something the BBC tries to address somehow in future years if they have contenders who cannot make the occasion personally. It also said a lot, in my opinion, that the BBC’s Sport Relief charity evening was given a mere couple of seconds mention, such was the amount of sporting stories that had to be crammed into the two and a half hour show, which eventually ran on to three hours. Similarly, the Ryder Cup team missing out on ‘Team of the Year’ as the selection panel broke their own rules in order to reward Team GB and Paralympic GB for those unforgettable couple of summer months. Complaints have also emerged as people struggled to get through to vote for their favourite. The landslide victory suggests it would have made no difference, but it makes me query whether the BBC should maybe open the lines from the start of the show rather than wait until they have interviewed each member on the shortlist. But these are in essence just minor quibbles that have emerged following the night, where I refuse to believe anybody did not enjoy themselves, whether they were a member of the live audience or watching from the comfort of their homes.
One of my unforgettable moments, will be the story, interview, and speech provided by Martine Wright, the winner of the Helen Rollason award. It touched the heart-strings and was inspirational, demonstrating that whilst your heart beats and your brain operates, you should still be able to achieve your dreams. It was remarkable. In the face of such adversity, having been a part of the most disturbing moment in recent British history, she made something special happen. She was always going to be a part of the London 2012 journey, and in the end, managed to participate and what I hope is a huge inspiration to many others. Despite having lost her legs, she was determined to still walk up on to that stage to accept her award. Amazing. As was the moment with Fabrice Muamba, taking the time to embrace all those on stage with him and then to address them to their faces, rather than the camera. If ever there was a man more grateful for his health this year, and of the luck he had with his tragic incident, it would be Fabrice. A time when your health is more important than sport and the career you could have in it.
I will never forget the evening however, my seat did not provide a fantastic view (I got a regular look at Sue Barker and Gary Lineker’s rear-end!) but everyone was just buzzing off the excitement at reliving the year of sport. I was able to watch all the stars walk into the arena right by me, the likes of the England Woman’s Cricket team, Louis Smith, Bert le Clos and Mick McCarthy just to name a few. I participated in a Poznan and was part of many standing ovations, of which each one I thought was justified. I saw many members of sporting fame and saluted the top three, and in particular, ‘Wiggo’, the deserved winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012.
The build-up to the event was probably the greatest it has ever been at. The shortlist was expanded from its traditional ten to twelve, with major names from the year, such as Laura Trott still being able to be omitted. Although Wiggins was the favourite early on, the likes of Ennis, Mo Farah, Andy Murray and David Weir were all being touted as winners; such was the level of achievement accomplished in 2012. However, I feel it is always worth noting that the title is named as ‘Sports Personality’, and yes, that normally means the most successful as it is the one that inspires the nation. However, in a year when so many Britain’s managed to achieve such a feat, the actual personality of the shortlist I think was a vital determinant to the vote, and my, does Bradley Wiggins have a personality. During his opening interview with Sue Barker, he referred to her as ‘Susan’, joked about Gary Lineker, and pretended to collect the trophy. The man makes people laugh and is keen to be seen as just an ordinary man privileged enough to lead a successful sporting career. He was an athlete who really deserved to win. On the other hand though, if any able-bodied athlete had achieved the feats of David Weir (gold in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon) they would have been a shoe-in for the title. It is an incredible physical feat particularly with the restricted recovery time. So although this year has once again made the public become more accepting and interested in the Paralympic movement, I would argue there is still work to be done before the athletes are seen on par with their able-bodied compatriots.
Similarly, the likes of Andy Murray, gold medallist, silver medallist, US Grand Slam winner, Wimbledon runner-up would waltz the award normally, such has been the long wait for British male tennis success. Let us not forget Greg Rusedski won the award in 1997 for being the US Grand Slam runner-up! They normally state that winning the award is much tougher in an ‘even’ year and I think that statistic sums it up perfectly. Murray was also a part of one of the most comical moments of the evening too. Lennox Lewis was brought in to present his award, but clearly did not hear his cue through the satellite link from London, which resulted in Murray just taking the award for himself. Poor Lennox must have been hugely embarrassed, but I think everyone could understand. Again though, I anticipate this will be something the BBC tries to address somehow in future years if they have contenders who cannot make the occasion personally. It also said a lot, in my opinion, that the BBC’s Sport Relief charity evening was given a mere couple of seconds mention, such was the amount of sporting stories that had to be crammed into the two and a half hour show, which eventually ran on to three hours. Similarly, the Ryder Cup team missing out on ‘Team of the Year’ as the selection panel broke their own rules in order to reward Team GB and Paralympic GB for those unforgettable couple of summer months. Complaints have also emerged as people struggled to get through to vote for their favourite. The landslide victory suggests it would have made no difference, but it makes me query whether the BBC should maybe open the lines from the start of the show rather than wait until they have interviewed each member on the shortlist. But these are in essence just minor quibbles that have emerged following the night, where I refuse to believe anybody did not enjoy themselves, whether they were a member of the live audience or watching from the comfort of their homes.
One of my unforgettable moments, will be the story, interview, and speech provided by Martine Wright, the winner of the Helen Rollason award. It touched the heart-strings and was inspirational, demonstrating that whilst your heart beats and your brain operates, you should still be able to achieve your dreams. It was remarkable. In the face of such adversity, having been a part of the most disturbing moment in recent British history, she made something special happen. She was always going to be a part of the London 2012 journey, and in the end, managed to participate and what I hope is a huge inspiration to many others. Despite having lost her legs, she was determined to still walk up on to that stage to accept her award. Amazing. As was the moment with Fabrice Muamba, taking the time to embrace all those on stage with him and then to address them to their faces, rather than the camera. If ever there was a man more grateful for his health this year, and of the luck he had with his tragic incident, it would be Fabrice. A time when your health is more important than sport and the career you could have in it.
I will never forget the evening however, my seat did not provide a fantastic view (I got a regular look at Sue Barker and Gary Lineker’s rear-end!) but everyone was just buzzing off the excitement at reliving the year of sport. I was able to watch all the stars walk into the arena right by me, the likes of the England Woman’s Cricket team, Louis Smith, Bert le Clos and Mick McCarthy just to name a few. I participated in a Poznan and was part of many standing ovations, of which each one I thought was justified. I saw many members of sporting fame and saluted the top three, and in particular, ‘Wiggo’, the deserved winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012.
Monday 3 December 2012
A ray of light at the end of Autumn
It is probably fair to say that into the lead up of this weekend’s final Autumn internationals, the Home Nations had not had a particularly good time of it. Yet, after one blistering and incredible England display, the final international games of the 2012 rugby calendar have left everyone in a buoyant and optimistic mood ahead of the Six Nations competition in the New Year. That is not to say that the feeling is universal, with the likes of Wales and Scotland having suffered painfully and now holding grave causes for concern.
But let us revel in the stunning England victory over New Zealand on Saturday. It was unprecedented, unexpected, but truly magnificent. The stats and history regarding the game make it even more astounding. It was the biggest winning margin an England side has ever had over the Kiwi’s, whilst the All Blacks have only lost by a heavier score on one other occasion in their illustrious 498 Test match career. They were unbeaten in 20 matches and had not lost an Autumn international to European opposition in a decade, whilst this was the first time this century they had not managed to make a mark on the scoreboard before half-time. To say that England defeated the hot favourites is an understatement. The best side in the world won the World Cup in their own backyard in fantastic fashion this time last year and their juggernaut had been just as forceful ever since. Yet England demolished them with a performance of style, power and determination. They were like a rash over the Kiwi’s and were strong enough to withstand the mini revival just after half-time that brought the sides within a point of one another. Three quick tries later and it was going to be one of England’s truly greatest hours, so much so that Matt Dawson described it as the greatest England victory at Twickenham ever. That was some statement.
After a positive honeymoon period during this year’s Six Nations, Stuart Lancaster has recently been on the receiving end of less positive comments from supporters. No-one was calling for his head, but question marks were being held about some of his decision-making and inexperience. Interestingly enough, the same concerns were also directed towards his team as defeats to South Africa and Australia demonstrated that the rollercoaster England fans have endured their team on over the past decade was still in full flow. Long gone are the days of the World Cup winning XV in 2003, this side is full of youthful, fresh individuals looking to make their stamp on the international game. Beating New Zealand has shown that they can be up to the task and that Lancaster could actually be moulding together a great side. Like all successful teams he is going to need time, but Saturday’s performance has provided a fantastic indicator as to the pathway they are on. Now they just need to show they can consistently put on such performances. It is all well and good defeating the All Blacks when you have nothing to lose, but it is against the other Six Nations sides that the next step will either be demonstrated or shown to be a flash in the pan. After what we have seen over the past month, you would have to say that Ireland possesses the greatest threat in the New Year, but England must now fancy themselves and be looking to reclaim the title.
At the heart of this England side now is Manu Tuilagi. The powerful centre may not have been awarded the Man of the Match award on Saturday but he played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring one of the tries and assisting two others as he drove through the Kiwi defence. He is, in my opinion, the key and most impressive member of the side nowadays and has the potential to carry this mantle for some time. But like the rest of his team-mates, he needs to demonstrate a high level of performance consistently before he can be touted as a world-class star. Though, as Dan Carter demonstrated on Saturday, even the best in the world can have a shocker every so often. The highest point scorer in international rugby managed to miss two simple kicks in the match, which at the time could have maybe affected the momentum of the game. Owen Farrell on the other hand, was a picture of composure as he kicked seventeen of the 38 points. The country also used to rely on a certain Mr Wilkinson, could Farrell become the man to now be as consistent as the man with the stance?!
So we approach Christmas with England’s rugby hopes far more optimistic than after the South Africa and Australia games which determined that the country would be in the pool of second seeds for the World Cup draw (the fact a draw takes place many years before the event in 2015 is bizarre though I must say). Having said that the Grand Slam winners of Wales are in the third pool after losing to both Samoa and Argentina, opponents they would be hoping to despatch, particularly in the Millennium Stadium. Scotland are in a catastrophic situation though. Now manager-less, the country must be relieved to still be in the third pool after defeat to Tonga, arguably one of the most damaging results they have suffered in their history. For a country with such a rich rugby pedigree, they will hope to not be sat in this slump for too much longer. After acquiring the wooden spoon in the Six Nations this year, I expect they will fulfil the same position again in 2013. England on the other hand will be entering the competition on the back of one of their best ever results. The All Blacks defeated. Not just defeated but thrashed, trounced, humiliated. Let us hope this is the start of something special once more.
But let us revel in the stunning England victory over New Zealand on Saturday. It was unprecedented, unexpected, but truly magnificent. The stats and history regarding the game make it even more astounding. It was the biggest winning margin an England side has ever had over the Kiwi’s, whilst the All Blacks have only lost by a heavier score on one other occasion in their illustrious 498 Test match career. They were unbeaten in 20 matches and had not lost an Autumn international to European opposition in a decade, whilst this was the first time this century they had not managed to make a mark on the scoreboard before half-time. To say that England defeated the hot favourites is an understatement. The best side in the world won the World Cup in their own backyard in fantastic fashion this time last year and their juggernaut had been just as forceful ever since. Yet England demolished them with a performance of style, power and determination. They were like a rash over the Kiwi’s and were strong enough to withstand the mini revival just after half-time that brought the sides within a point of one another. Three quick tries later and it was going to be one of England’s truly greatest hours, so much so that Matt Dawson described it as the greatest England victory at Twickenham ever. That was some statement.
After a positive honeymoon period during this year’s Six Nations, Stuart Lancaster has recently been on the receiving end of less positive comments from supporters. No-one was calling for his head, but question marks were being held about some of his decision-making and inexperience. Interestingly enough, the same concerns were also directed towards his team as defeats to South Africa and Australia demonstrated that the rollercoaster England fans have endured their team on over the past decade was still in full flow. Long gone are the days of the World Cup winning XV in 2003, this side is full of youthful, fresh individuals looking to make their stamp on the international game. Beating New Zealand has shown that they can be up to the task and that Lancaster could actually be moulding together a great side. Like all successful teams he is going to need time, but Saturday’s performance has provided a fantastic indicator as to the pathway they are on. Now they just need to show they can consistently put on such performances. It is all well and good defeating the All Blacks when you have nothing to lose, but it is against the other Six Nations sides that the next step will either be demonstrated or shown to be a flash in the pan. After what we have seen over the past month, you would have to say that Ireland possesses the greatest threat in the New Year, but England must now fancy themselves and be looking to reclaim the title.
At the heart of this England side now is Manu Tuilagi. The powerful centre may not have been awarded the Man of the Match award on Saturday but he played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring one of the tries and assisting two others as he drove through the Kiwi defence. He is, in my opinion, the key and most impressive member of the side nowadays and has the potential to carry this mantle for some time. But like the rest of his team-mates, he needs to demonstrate a high level of performance consistently before he can be touted as a world-class star. Though, as Dan Carter demonstrated on Saturday, even the best in the world can have a shocker every so often. The highest point scorer in international rugby managed to miss two simple kicks in the match, which at the time could have maybe affected the momentum of the game. Owen Farrell on the other hand, was a picture of composure as he kicked seventeen of the 38 points. The country also used to rely on a certain Mr Wilkinson, could Farrell become the man to now be as consistent as the man with the stance?!
So we approach Christmas with England’s rugby hopes far more optimistic than after the South Africa and Australia games which determined that the country would be in the pool of second seeds for the World Cup draw (the fact a draw takes place many years before the event in 2015 is bizarre though I must say). Having said that the Grand Slam winners of Wales are in the third pool after losing to both Samoa and Argentina, opponents they would be hoping to despatch, particularly in the Millennium Stadium. Scotland are in a catastrophic situation though. Now manager-less, the country must be relieved to still be in the third pool after defeat to Tonga, arguably one of the most damaging results they have suffered in their history. For a country with such a rich rugby pedigree, they will hope to not be sat in this slump for too much longer. After acquiring the wooden spoon in the Six Nations this year, I expect they will fulfil the same position again in 2013. England on the other hand will be entering the competition on the back of one of their best ever results. The All Blacks defeated. Not just defeated but thrashed, trounced, humiliated. Let us hope this is the start of something special once more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)