Fastest Man In the World

I've got to take my hat off (if I was wearing one) to the magnificent win by Usain Bolt of Jamaica in the 100m final this afternoon. He won it half way through and started powering down ages from the line and still managed to set a new world record. He was miles ahead of the other runners and made it look so easy. Should I make a witty comment about his surname and bolting to the finish line? Naah.

Go on, find the video online somewhere - it'll take all of 9.69 seconds to watch. There'll be a-skankin' in Kingston tonight!

Well done Usain!

Chris Hoy & Bradley Wiggins - More GOLD!

It's been a great day in the velodrome with two more gold medals, a silver and two bronzes.

Chris Hoy won gold in the track cycling Keirin race with Ross Edgar getting silver in the same race. It's great to see Chris overtaking the field and moving away at incredible speed, making it look so easy.

Bradley Wiggins won gold in the individual pursuit with bronze going to Steven Burke. Chris Newton also won bronze in the track cycling points race, so well done to him as well.

Well done, lads!

Men's Fours GOLD!

And another gold won just a few minutes ago by the Men's Fours rowing crew, a great race with Australia in the lead most of the way until the GB crew just eased up and passed the Ozzies. The annoying commentator did the usual thing of talking us up before we'd won and I was cursing the screen - shut up until it's in the bag! But they did it!

Well done to Tom James, Steve Williams, Peter Reed and Andy Triggs-Hodge, a great, tense and breath-taking race!

We also got two rowing bronzes this morning, firstly Elise Laverick and Anna Bebington in the women’s double scull, and didn't they look like they'd explode with joy at the medal ceremony, and also Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham in the men’s double sculls (they'd been tipped for gold so they were a bit disappointed). Gold is shinier, but bronze is still a tremendous achievement.

Well done to all!

Rebecca Adlington - Congratulations Again!

That's another gold for Rebecca Adlington, this time in the 800m freestyle and she smashed the world record in easy-peasy stylee! After the first few lengths she started pulling away in front and kept on doing it, the rest of the field falling behind. What a great race!

Well done Becky!

Chris Hoy & Team - Congratulations!

Another gold today, this time in the velodrome (a nice word). Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff won the team sprint cycling gold.

Well done to Chris, Jason and Jamie!

I've also seen bits'n'bobs of the rowing and it's nice to see that we're in 10 out of the 14 rowing finals, and that's without Redgrave and Pinsett for the first time in many years.

I'm also enjoying the start of the track and field events in the Birdsnest.

Emma Pooley - Congratulations!

Congrats go to Emma Pooley for winning a silver medal in the road cycling individual time trial yesterday. I didn't se the race but congrats anyway!

David Florence - Congratulations!

Congratulations to David Florence for winning the silver medal in the canoe slalom this morning - I saw the heats but not the final and it looks like a blast to ride the waves at such speed. Something I'll never experience.

And congratulations also go to Tina Cook (and Miner's Frolic, her horse) for an individual bronze in the equestrian eventing and to Tina and the rest of the GB team for the team bronze in eventing as well. The stadium looked packed.

Well done all!

Rebecca Adlington - Congratulations!

I woke this morning to the news that we'd won another gold, this time in the pool, the 400m freestyle with the gold won by Becky Adlington. It was lovely to see her in the pool with best friend and bronze medal winner, Joanne Jackson, when she couldn't believe it and almost seemed more excited that Jo had won a medal as well.

What makes this even more special is that it's our first women's gold in the pool in 48 years, since Anita Lonsbrough in Rome in 1960. And who was in the studio in Beijing this morning? None other than Anita herself.


Congrats to Becky and Jo - well done!

Beijing Olympics 2008

I think I'm an addict. No sooner did I watch the opening ceremony online yesterday than I find my telly seems to be glued to the Olympic channels. The telly has been on most of today. I've watched the girl gymnasts (I think I prefer the girls to the lads - the girls demonstrate skill, the lads is about strength), the girl 3m synchronised diving (a sport I didn't know existed), the roadrace cycling and am now watching the 49ers boat race...

I usually become addicted in the second week of the 'lympics, but maybe it's because, with digital telly, I can now choose which sport to watch? I'm enjoying the outdoor sports at the moment since it gives me a glimpse of the Chinese countryside. I've always wanted to go to China but not done so - so far.

Earlier on this evening there was a series of clips of great Olympians of the past from the '70s and early '80s, up to Daly Thompson. They were all so familiar and it's odd to think of the years passing. The early '80s when GB ruled middle distance running and Seb Coe and Steve Cram are still around in different guises, but whatever happened to Steve Ovett? Mind you, I remember David Hemery from Mexico 1968 and Mary Peters from Munich 1972. It's strange how things stick in the mind. I'm looking forward to seeing Dame Kelly Holmes over the next couple of weeks - her winning twice in Athens 2004 still brings a tear to the eye.

Nicole Cooke - Congratulations!

Well done to Nicole Cooke for winning our first gold medal of the Beijing Games. She won it this morning in the women's cycling road race and she looked overjoyed and proud when she got her medal in the rain.

Well done!