Page 35 - Summer2016Gazette

Rio Olympics 2016 33
2016 Olympics…

The President’s personal recollections

Unlike the London Olympics Appreciating Brazil holder at 800m and 1500m),
of 2012 when many club When I look back, I realise and his wife Sonia, stayed in
Air B&B accommodation
members were able to that I was very lucky to visit which worked out really well
experience the thrills and Rio de Janeiro, who put on and was a lot cheaper, so
an excellent Olympic Games.
atmosphere of the competition It was a fantastic show maybe they were the sensible
near to hand the 2016 and allowed the World to ones! It was great to do
some sightseeing with them,
Olympics were an experience appreciate this wonderful city, including visits to “Christ the
the Brazilian people and their
reserved for relatively few. way of life. There were the Redeemer” and “Sugarloaf
One of those was our club usual negative press comments Mountain” which have
spectacular views of the City.
president Bill Foster for before the Games started but
whom the time spent in Rio the worries about security and
the Zika virus disappeared, as
and other places was also a everything ran smoothly and
time to re-new old friendships there weren’t any mosquitoes.
and associations with athletes I had never been to South
against whom he competed America before, so took the
opportunity to have a week’s
against, and those he has holiday before heading to the
influenced in coaching. Here Games. Two of the highlights Watching the competition
are his memories of those were the visits to the 15th For the first time in the
games. Century Inka city ruins at Olympics, some of the
Macchu Pichu, in Peru, and
the amazing Iguazu Falls on finals were held during the
the Argentina/Brazil border. morning sessions and the
women’s 10000m produced a
I then arrived in Rio on 11th fantastic race on my first visit
August in time for the start to the stadium. The weather
of the Athletics programme, conditions were very good for
staying in a small hotel that distance running, being cool
was a short train journey from and not humid. The 10000m
the Athletics stadium. The US is usually a slow tactical race
Volleyball teams also stayed at major championships but
President Bill Foster with friend in the hotel, to avoid the long
Chris McGeorge on the beach. journey from the Olympic in Rio the Kenyan athlete
Alice Aprot Nawowuna led
Village, and their players made through the first 5000m in
me feel very small at Breakfast, 14.46, and then Almaz Ayana
with their women and men from Ethiopia took it on and
towering over me! ran an amazing 29:17 World
It was quite expensive, as not Record! The atmosphere built
surprisingly the hotels were up as the race progressed and
making the most of hosting people realised the record was
the Olympics. My friends Chris possible - it was a great start to
McGeorge (B&B Club record the Athletics.