Day 16: London

Day 16: London

Quote of the day:

I will show another me
Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,
they've come to take me home."

Weather: Sunny and breezy, dropping to low 60s in evening

Pics: Bronze Women’s match, free charging station (conveniently in hallway leading to loo), the best O’s t-shirt (only problem, it is for the wrong O’s), Jamaican seat mate, the train to Raynes Park

RP walk, Grape Nuts with apple, and off to the Women’s VB Bronze match. We pick up veg salads, great seeded rolls (better than Arizmendi!), draft cider and water, to eat during the match. Japan has their way with Korea, 3-0, even though Korea has the best hitter on the floor; Japan is better defensively and has a more diverse offense.

Once again, we are sitting next to the same guy at VB: he’s from Tasmania, coaches women’s VB there, found a hotel right near Earl’s Court for $130/night, and is here for most of the O’s watching mostly the women’s VB. There clearly were some decently priced accommodations if you searched for them.

Tube to OP for the last session of T&F, and we are so early THB heads in to his fave napping spot while KHB relaxes in the mall, finding a quiet spot (not easy), then brings in dinner of M&S chicken with potatoes, more of the great rolls, fruit, and popcorn, then we supplement with bottled cider and water, $25.

The last night is all finals and medal ceremonies, with Bolt pulling Jamaica to a new WR in the 4x100 relay (the US team ties the WR and loses by several large Bolt strides), US going silver in Women’s High Jump, some guy from Trinidad winning the Javelin (defeating 4 or 5 Scandinavian guys), Russian win in the Women’s 800 (way ahead of Semanya, who gets silver), and the big win of the night: Mo Farah of GB (originally Somalia) doubling up in a very slow 5k (he also won the 10K). The crowd, again the vast majority Brits, roared for the last 5 minutes at a decibel level that was astounding, somehow getting louder as Mo ran in front of their part of the stadium.

And, for the fourth time at T&F, our friend from Jamaica is in a seat near us, this time across the aisle from KHB. He’s one happy guy again, as his team produces a gold.

In bed by 11 to rest up for our last day of the O’s, a VB doubleheader.