Anish Kapoor’s ‘Orbit’ sculpture, in the Olympic Park at Stratford. Not universally loved, but I think it’s wonderful .

The following photo needs a preface I think. The competitors in the F11 Mens Triple Jump event are all totally blind, and their ‘eyes’ are provided by a Guide who generally stands in front of the sand pit into which the competitors jump, and effectively shouts verbal instructions to them. In their run-up, the competitors have to stay within the two white track lines leading to the jumping board and pit beyond, otherwise they get a red flag and record a no jump. For the most part, they do run in a straight line, although on some occasions they veer off track, and more than once today, we saw competitors ending up knocking the jumping board judge off his chair! The jumping board itself is much wider than that used in conventional triple jump, but even so, if you are blind, it’s very far from easy to judge your landing point on it to best effect. The gold medallist today was a Russian, Denis Gulin, but I’ve included a photograph here of the silver medallist, China’s Li Duan, who is a bit of a showman, with a great personality, and a party trick of whipping off his tracksuit bottoms in less than a second .

Li Duan, the Chinese silver-medallist today, with his tracksuit bottoms (see text above).

After leaving the Olympic Stadium today, I sauntered around the Olympic Park for a while, and came across this rather eccentric musical entertainment, a band called Perhaps Contraption .

After all the scare stories of travel chaos prior to The Games our journey in from the west, with a few hundred others from this direction, was completely pleasant and trouble free.  Catching the high speed rail link from St.Pancras, the “Javelin” train, as it is known, took us straight across London in about 4 minutes. In new pristine coaches, comfortable, and smelling freshly of cucumber – now there’s a scent you don’t get in a bottle very often.

The crowds approaching the Olympic Park were naturally excited and full of chatter but the first obstacle you have to negotiate before you enter the Park and immediately after leaving the train is a Westfield shopping mall. Shopping being a British Olympic event, of course. Thank you Mary Portas ! We quickly dash the naffness aside. I warn Mrs. Monkey that we are not here to shop and move on.

Through security and into the Park itself the stadium looms impressively, as does the wierd monstrosity that is the Anish Kapoor “Orbit” tower alongside it, though it will take me all day to appreciate it. The organisers had stated they had wanted to create a “village” feel to the Olympic Park and, after being struck by the excitement of being by the stadium itself, almost everybody, it seems, is struck by the wild flowers everywhere.

In strips and swathes and by river banks, trimming walkways and plazas, wild flowers, clearly benefitting from the wettest summer in 100 years, abound. It really is an uplifting surprise and quintessentially British.

…red telephone boxes, how I miss them…

Mrs.Monkey would often benefit from slip-streaming fans to push ahead, leaving me to shuffle in the peloton, but I kept up mostly.

It’s the Olympics. All Nations are here. The Dutch in orange. The Germans (or Belgians) – similar colours. USA. Canada , and so. An international festival, indeed.

…Bobbies and an equestrian fan…

A chilli lunch with two visitors from across the pond and off to our diving. I think we had the pleasure of watching the eventual winner, Xu Minxai of China, who was superb. I guess we’ll see today.

…buskers and Bobbies, everywhere…

…and tourists…

…Aquatic Centre, note the green hillside…

…I didn’t understand the scorings, it all seemed pretty impressive to me…

…come on Team GB…

…wind power, aiming to be the greenest Games…

The heavy clouds threatened – and given the summer we’ve had – we expected – but they delivered their load somewhere else this afternoon, thankfully.

We wandered back to the Big Screen area, which straddles the river that runs through the Park, adorned with wildflower banks and rolling lawns, to join thousands of others to chill out and soak up the atmosphere, fuelled by another cycling gold medal and world record. It’s not everyday we get to whup the USA.

As night fell, and the evening chill set in, staked out on our 4 square feet of grass, fortified by beer and chips, we hung in there to watch the long jump final (another GB gold) and, of course, Jess Ennis in the heptathlon. How could we leave before seeing that ? And it all came good. We were on our feet, applauding a superb performance. Our roar may not have been as loud as the stadium but we made our presence felt.

… our Golden Girl gets us to our feet…

A warming glow lights the Park at night and people still wander around in high spirits.

… I said “Ruuunnnnn” ….

But we were late. We couldn’t stay to see Mo. He won his 10,000 metres gold before we caught our train but it was a PB for us back across London to Paddington for the last 2 seats to the west.

I admit that initially I was an Olympic Doubter. I had performed well in the Pessimism Heats and was working my way through the early rounds. However, having had the experience, I can appreciate the energy generated by what is, by any measure, a Festival where people come together in peace to enjoy. And that, in today’s strife riven world, is not a bad thing.

First up, Anish Kapoor’s “Orbit”. A remarkable construction, but what on earth is it meant to be? Maybe it’s left to us to decide.  I keep thinking of a coffee pot! Or is it an upright wasp?

Foreboding against the gloomy skies…

Detail.

Wouldn’t it be great if the grey spiral was a helter skelter? I think it’s the steps.  Can’t wait to climb them!

The main stadium is pretty much completed.  Looking good. Not exactly the Beijing Bird Nest, but it will do the trick, and I look forward to watching my football team, West Ham, playing there one day.

I wrote about the Aquatic Centre before in my Sportsthoughts 13 post (see right toolbar), so just a single photo reprise.

I like these lights that look like mini wind turbines.  Maybe they are mini wind turbines.  We were speculating that they might generate enough power to light themselves.  Green.

The water polo centre is a temporary structure.  Seems a bit of a shame…

Inside it looks great.  Here’s the pool before the action started.

I’ve never watched water polo before, but my son plays it for his school and I know what the physical demands are like.  Ever tried to raise yourself out of the water, arms raised high? I just sink. I need my arms to float! At this international level a game lasts 32 minutes: four 8 minute quarters.  Players come on and off, and frequently get sin-binned for 20 seconds, but still, this is tough.

And the skill level is high. Catching that ball one handed in the water all the time.  Throwing a hard, accurate pass. Leaping out of the water to aim a shot at goal. Phew!

We watched the last round of the women’s four team group competition: Great Britain, USA, Australia, Hungary.  First game was Australia vs Hungary. Both teams had previously beaten GB but lost to the USA.  They were fighting for the right to play the US again in the final.  The Aussies won 17-12 and looked fast and slick.  I loved the way they surged forward if they regained the ball near their own goal, the Hungarians desperately trying to get back with them.  Worked the other way round too, but there was something dolphin-like about the Aussies.  This photo sort of captures it, but you need to be there really, seeing the back wash of the water as 10-12 people go for it.

Another fun bit is the beginning of each quarter.  The ball is placed in the middle. The teams are all on their goal line. Whistle blows and all six outfield players rush, in arrow formation, to get to the ball first. I think the Hungarians (right, white caps) might have stolen this one.

And then it was time for GB vs USA. On the form of the previous games, it looked like our girls were in for a drubbing. But they got a big, big cheer. And on the first start, they got there first! Right, white caps again.

The US immediately showed their power and quickly drew into a 4-0 lead.  It looked ominous for Team GB.  They got a goal back, let another in and then started to take the Americans on… and clawed it back to 4-5 at half time. There were a couple of guys in the crowd really leading the the GB chants.  The place was rocking.  The sound resonates in these swimming venues.  The team must have been inspired by the support. They kept going in the second half. The US had more chances, but it stayed close.  With two and half minutes left, GB were 6-5 down and had a shot which hit the post! Could have been 6-6. The US then went down the other end and made it 7-5.  Game over, or was it?  GB came back again and got a sixth, but time ran out. 7-6 to the USA.  I suspect the US probably always had another gear if necessary, but my guess, as a non-expert in the game, is that this will be hugely encouraging for the British team. And the crowd, all of us, loved it. Really exciting stuff.

Photo of GB on the attack.  Sorry to American readers for my bias here! USA were worthy winners.

So, the water polo over, and the weather improved, we thought we’d seek out the tennis. Not many of the guides in the park seemed to know much about where it was located and the one thing the park doesn’t yet have is good maps and signage. But we got there in the end.  On the way, we took in two of the most interesting structures on the site, the basketball arena (left) and the velodrome (right). The latter may be the jewel in the crown. Both on design and as the venue where we may have our greatest success.

And some good views of the main stadium.

There’s a multicoloured cork/rubber carpet as you can see.  We were wondering what that might be for.  Maybe for some children’s activities, cushioning the inevitable falls?

In close up. Could be in the Tate Modern!

The wheel chair tennis was amazing.  The mobility of the players, in specially designed chairs, extraordinary.  And their tennis shots were top notch too. Some superb rallies. It was 5.30 and freezing cold, so there weren’t a lot of viewers. But I reckon it could be a big hit in the Paralympics.  The match we watched a part of was between McCarroll and Reid, both British,  and Ammerlan (Dutch) and Simpson (British). What was also striking was how good humoured it was. Doubles always lends itself to that spirit.

On the way back we came close to the basketball arena.  Another temporary structure, I believe.  Even more of a shame than the water polo, if this one is taken down. Close up it is a work of art!

It’s all in the detail.

And roll on August 2012!