Today I woke up, and asked myself "what am I going to do without the Olympics?". That sounds crazy, I know. But the last 16 days have seen the UK turn into a sport-obsessed, energetic place, and I'm sad it's over!
It is true that I only attended one event, and that was only a football match - a quarter final between Brazil and Honduras, which sounds much more exciting than it actually was. I don't think the Brazilian team did themselves justice, but they won anyway, as Honduras finished the game with only nine players on the field. Despite being hundreds of miles from London, the atmosphere has been palpable, and the games a triumph.
Maybe you have a favourite moment from the games, where an athlete from your country really excelled. If you want to share it, please do! I'll tell mine first. It may have been a bronze medal, rather than silver or gold, but watching Tom Daley diving had me on the edge of my seat, shouting at the television and essentially praying for that 18-year-old, who has shouldered more in the last year than I have had to do in my whole life. And he's done it with a smile. I was "Team Tom" from before the Olympics even started, and felt like a proud older sister as his medal was confirmed.
I had two friends volunteering for the duration of the games. One in the press office, the other outside venues. It sounds like the volunteers did a fantastic job. Like most other Brits, I was questioning whether London was capable of hosting the games, whether Team GB would put on a satisfactory show, whether there wouldn't be some complete disaster following the security and ticketing problems. Thankfully, I was shown that London was more than capable of hosting the games, Team GB could succeed emphatically, and that the whole two weeks seem to have passed disaster-free. I am happiness itself.
I hope the "legacy" of these games will be that young people, like you guys, continue in your sports and are inspired by the people who can now say "job done". I remember thinking it was too late to get involved in a new sport during my teens, but it absolutely wasn't. There have been many stories these games of athletes who started late. Who knows what you could do. Try something new, whatever takes your fancy!
Did you watch much of the Olympic Games? Did your country win many medals?
