I remember # 5 (London 2012 special)

Sarah Attar of Saudi Arabia in the women's 800m heats
Sarah Attar of Saudi Arabia in the women’s 800m heats

120. I remember directions marked out in pink wherever you went.

121. I remember Nicola Adams’ smile.

122. I remember the radio-controlled cars which were used to retrieve javelins and shots.

123. I remember the Olympic posters designed by various celebrated artists, and how poor most of them were, showing how very little said artists cared about the Games.

124. I remember the purple smoke from the clay pigeons when they were hit.

125. I remember Jessica Ennis’ look of absolute concentration, despite the cameras that followed her everywhere.

126. I remember channel after channel showing sport every hour of the day.

127. I remember the IDs that every organiser and competitor wore around their necks.

128. I remember Boris Johnson’s voice giving public announcements on the Underground.

129. I remember Oscar Pistorious complaining about the length of his rival’s artificial legs and feeling that that particular dream had been tarnished.

130. I remember a blur that was Bradley Wiggins.

131. I remember not quite grasping the full importance of the opening ceremony first time around but seeing the light when watching it the following day on iPlayer.

132. I remember the despair when I thought I wouldn’t get any tickets for the Games and eventually buying (at exorbitant price) a ticket for 1st round men’s table tennis from a German travel agent.

133. I remember Chad Le Clos’ dad.

134. I remember #london2012.

135. I remember the bored OBS camera operators.

136. I remember the ringing of bells on the first day, which didn’t entirely take off as an idea.

137. I remember people desperately searching for tickets once the Games started, not having realised what a huge impact it was going to have. Others of us always knew.

138. I remember Games Makers with rubber hand signs to show you where to go.

139. I remember that there was no litter anywhere at the Olympic Park.

140. I remember seeing an African sprinter who was false-started in round of one some sprint – years of training, lost in a second.

141. I remember thinking that blind runners competing hand-in-hand with their guides was the most beautiful metaphor imaginable.

142. I remember David Rudisha. Now there was an athlete.

143. I remember 7/7.

144. I remember Alex Zanardi, racing driver turned champion hand-cyclist.

145. I remember beach volleyball in Horse Guards’ Parade, the perfect example of the organisers’ wit.

146. I remember thinking how wrong it was to have loud music playing in between the events, then completely changing my mind once I was actually there.

147. I remember the badminton players who were disqualified for playing to lose.

148. I remember being disappointed at how small the cauldron looked in the stadium, in contrast to its televisual perfection.

149. I remember no-one checking rail tickets.

150. I remember police motorbike riders high-fiving with the crowds lined up to watch the Olympic torch go by.

151. I remember the hooded Sarah Attar of Saudi Arabia coming last in the 800m and getting the loudest cheer of the day.

152. I remember Tom Daley being so happy when he got a bronze medal.

153. I remember that the world’s news stopped and that only the Games mattered.

154. I remember standing with an entire stadium-full of people clapping along to the Cuban national anthem.

155. I remember being gripped watching Taekwondo at 11pm at night.

156. I remember wishing it would never end, and then it did.

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