If today's papers are to be believed (always a dangerous assumption) it seems the honour of lighting the Olympic flame is coming down to a straight choice between Steve Redgrave or Daley Thompson.
Assuming this is correct, who would you choose ?
Personally, I would pick Daley, mainly on the grounds that rowing is a pretty exclusive sport worldwide and doesn't have the level of competition that athletics does, so Daley's 2 golds are "worth more" relatively speaking. In his heyday, Daley Thompson was inspirational and a magnificent athlete and competitor - even if Steve Ovett (no friend of his by all accounts) described the decathlon as "9 mickey-mouse events followed by a painfully slow 1500 metres" !
Comments
I vote for Eddie the Eagle.
Possibly David Beckham. Redgrave has already had a go on the flame.
I favour an unknown 8year old girl from the east end who can sing and dance well and looks pretty in a pink Olympic tracksuit.
Beckham said he wouldn't be doing it. Redgrave has already carried it.
Dame Kelly? Has she run with it yet?
I like the idea of Dame Kelly or another olympc athlete... I thought Steve Redgrave has already done the lighting bit?
Because he looks good in a pair of pants? He's never son anything at the Olympics ad far as I know.
In keeping with the whole spirit of the torch 'relay' I think it will be either the chief exec of Coca Cola (other gut destroying beverages are avaialble) , or the fuckwits Jedward will get a triumphant second go at disgracing the nation.
actually further inkeeping with the whole 'relay' ideal , my vote now goes to ertgdsf Chris for his services to spamming
Didn't Beckham already do his bit with bringing the flame to the UK?
Personally, if Dame Kelly hasn't already done it, then it should either be her, or Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson
I'd go for Redgrave, if not him then how about Roger Bannister? The four minute mile is perhps something even more iconic than gold medals
Big Daddy.
yes
how about Tally Ho Kaye then ?
Dr Roger Bannister gets my vote.I did not know he was still alive until he was on TV the other evening. He is widely acknowledged for breaking the four minute mile despite some grumbles from elsewhere (e.g.USA, Russia) that are largely ignored. I think overseas viewers would be thrilled to see such a renowned athlete from history and realise he was still with us. But maybe people are only interested in modern era celebrity athletes?
steve redgrave for me
Bannister's not a bad shout but I think it should be an Olympic icon. Thompson gets my vote, but then I'm a man of a certain age.
Daley Thompson because sometimes it good that the best dont just be the best but look the part.
Bannister only went for the 4 minute mile because he had a stinker of an olympics - he started plotting it after failing to medal at Helsinki. So maybe he would be appropriate - there's more to life than winning gold?
If your in the Olympics thats the whole point. You dont turn up for the goody bag!
More people fail at the Olympics than win medals which lends weight to Helen Liz post! i.e. Keep trying don't beat yourself up because you had a poor experience.
No it doesn't
Saying there is more to life than winning gold is true, there is more to life than cornflakes and new shoes as well, but in the closed context of the Olympics no its not.
The fact that most fail just makes it even more important for those that compete.
In fact Mr B probably would never had pushed himself to run a mile in under 4 minutes if he had not failed at the Olympics. An indication of how important it is to those who fail to win.
Never be seduced by the self effacing ever so humble demeanour of many athletes. If you qualify for Team GB you have somewhere crushed someone in defeat and probably enjoyed it.
Cant say that on TV, whould though frighten the horses.
Unless your Daley
It should be the Queen.
Its her birthday year !
She might drop it though.
Her sister would have used it to light a fag.
Next you'll be telling me she was born on a day ending in 'y'.
Daley T for me.
birkmyre - I think we'd both love it to be Steve Ovett, but I can't see it somehow !!
Bannister deserved for his iconic status but unfortunately he has no Olympic pedigree.
We live in a popularist world so I doubt it'l be a big surprise to any one. So in order of preference:
1. Redgrave
2. Ainsley
3. Thompson
4. Holmes
5. Cracknell
Coe won't get it (due to his perceived position of influence), nor will Beckham (lack of Olympic background - though if he were to get it, that would say a lot about the degraded British attitude to sport). I just can't think of any UK sportsman who would get anywhere near the legendary status of Mohamed Ali, quite simply the greatest!
I'm also extremely pissed of that Ron Hill didn't even get to carry the torch.
And as a dark horse, David Bedford - who fails every test in my previous post.