Life after London 2012

Well it's over. The days after the weeks before. We've seen it all, triumph and disaster, greatness and disappointment. But as we withdraw back to normal life we can safely say it was an unforgettable experience and one that is unlikely to happen in our lifetimes again.

It all ended with a pretty crazy closing ceremony last night consisting of Russell Brand, The Who, George Michael and an inflatable octopus among a few things that set the Olympic stadium alight. It was another show spectacularly put on by the London organisers and a fitting conclusion to a magnificent 2 weeks of sport. Sport at its most pure and competitive; no spoilt brats, no arrogance, just the results of unimaginable hard work and dedication over the years.

Great Britain put on a show worthy of the greatest sporting event in the world and London was a picture of colour and excitement due to the brilliant range of venues draped around the capital. But as is the case with most big sporting events the decoration and entertainment are the side-show compared to the sport taking place. The pure dedication on show was something to behold and it is this that will form the solid foundation for the legacy formed after the Games. Watching Mo Farah push himself over the line for 2 gold medals and seeing the GB rowers force themselves into exhaustion to win would inspire anyone. These games were about athletes willing to focus on a single goal and do everything to achieve it - in Mo Farah's case uproot his family abroad to improve his training. Or Katherine Grainger who had to endure 3 silver medals in previous games before one final push to get her sought-after gold in London at the age of 36.

This was the people's games. A games in which its end result was due to the sum of its smaller working parts. Those parts being the endless families and groups of excited fans filing into the Olympic venues, the security and the 70,000 volunteers transiting the Olympic spirit to the swathes of people coming from their normal home life to experience it. Crowds were turning out at 10am to watch qualifying heats in the Olympic stadium when previously it would just be the knock out stages that drew all the crowds. The passion to support not just the home athletes but everyone on show is common in Britain and it seems this attitude spread to spectators of all nations.

The people who made the Games

The performances at London 2012 more than lived up to our expectations. The sporting greats of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps lit up the games, particularly Bolt who defended his 100m and 200m crowns, the first time it had been done. Phelps meanwhile concluded his Olympic career as the most decorated Olympian ever with 22 medals in total. Chris Hoy became the most successful British Olympian ever, overtaking Sir Steve Redgrave by taking his tally to 6 gold medals and one silver.

For Team GB overall however it was the most successful Olympic Games in history with 29 golds and third place in the medal table, an amazing feat proportionally compared to China and USA. 'Super Saturday' was our best day culminating in Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford all getting golds. It was an atmosphere around the country never seen before, like the country had all come together to push them faster and further to win gold. We also excelled in sports we expected; them being cycling and rowing especially. What was even more refreshing was how Team GB excelled in other sports no one knew much about like taekwondo, showjumping, dressage and triathlon. But when it came to the crunch everyone got behind the team and I've no doubt the support of the London crowd pushed them the fraction more to achieve their potential.

Jennis delivered under huge home-games pressure

The Olympics always throws out some amazing and inspiring moments. Remember Derek Redmond getting helped to the finish line by his dad in the 1992 400m? One of the most astonishing at London has to be Manteo Mitchell of the USA running in the 4x400m relay with a broken leg.. Drogba watch and learn.

Now all that's left of London 2012 is the legacy. The whole reason we won the bid to host the games in the first place. Many things during the last 2 weeks will have inspired not only sportspeople to work harder for their dreams, but also the every day person living the daily grind. You see people silently travelling to work everyday but during the games people were talking, chatting about the latest hero, comparing stats and exuding collective optimism. The power of sport is immeasurable in some ways, only when the dust settles and the last bit of Olympic advertising is taken down will you be able to see the legacy of the games. How many children will take up new sports? Will schools put more emphasis on sport from now on? Will more girls be encouraged to play sport?

We won't know for some time and indeed the 'legacy' put forward by Lord Coe actually started back when London won the bid. It will be interesting to see the results but what will be pivotal is how facilities are utilised by schools and clubs throughout the country. Facilities ensure sport can be played to better and better standards and there lies the problem with school sport. Kids play for a little bit when they're interested or forced to but it's not made part of their lifestyle when they get older into secondary school and beyond, where good facilities make the difference. The cynics will say the hysteria of the games will burn out in a few weeks and months but I think the magnitude of Britain's accomplishment here will make a lasting impact on the way sport is viewed in this country, especially Olympic sports. Lord Coe promised and he delivered, leaving vivid memories of Bolt, Ennis, Ainslie and Hoy emblazoned in our minds. All this inspiration has to go somewhere right?