Day 14: London

Day 14: London

Quote of the day:

He don't know if it's right or wrong
Maybe he should tell someone
He's not sure just what it was
Or if it's against the law, something

Something very strange I hear you say
You're talking in a most peculiar way
But something really threw me, something, oh, so groovy
Something happened to me yesterday

Weather: Sunny and hot, temps into the low 80s

Pics: Before the YMCA song and during the YMCA song

Up way too early, this is a short turnaround for THB and KHB because the morning session of T&F starts at 9am, which means we are leaving around 7am. Fill up at M&S, find that our seats are in the shade (phew!), greet the usual number of non-Brits near us (8-10), and get set for a very light schedule on view because the majority of events are for the decathlon.

One of THB’s biggest memories of O’s past is when in Barcelona the decathlon pole vault ran way late and on into the evening session because of a conflict with the Women’s high jump qualifying: they share the same runway, crossing perpendicularly, and thus cannot be run at same time. That’s why now the schedule for today runs from 9am to 4pm! And, sure enough, the high jump goes very long, including a half hour near the end where they are huddling to decide if 12 or 14 women will qualify for the finals. Plus, it is now hot, so the contestants are getting cooked. Finally, one more woman jumps, then another, both failures to clear the bar, and then they have their 12. Why the long delay? Possibly because some of the women are lobbying to expand the finals while others do not want extra contestants (and possibly unexpected medal winners) around.

Eatan and Hardee of US are mauling the competition, with Eaton leading throughout and Hardee having a big spread over third place (rotating among various guys). After the high jump ends and before the pole vaulting, we move almost exactly half-way around the stadium to be nearer the vault, something very few people do. That’s because almost all the attendees are Brits (and their children…there must be a baby boom going on here!), and they are so rule-abiding they would never move into someone else’s spot. And, since it is hot, maybe those in the sun are relishing their first chance to burn off the mold that has been growing on them during this wet summer.

At 4pm, with Hardee done after 3 misses and Eaton stopping (he is so much a lock that he does not have to strain to get more points, there’s only the javelin and 1500 in the evening), we head back for a great home-cooked meal on the terrace and then a chance to watch Bolt on the telly. He doesn’t disappoint, and KHB and THB are tucked in to bed before 10:30….an O’s first!