What happened next

Twelve months ago, we were a realm transfixed. We knew that the Beijing Olympics would be the greatest show on earth: we had never guessed that Britain would join in such a starring role. From the moment that Nicole Cooke crossed the line in the women's entr race, to James DeGale's middleweight scrap on the penultimate day of the Games, we got up ahead of time, joined Hazel Irvine on the couch, and watched, open-mouthed, as a cortege of British talent took the podium. When Boris Johnson accepted the handover label, Britain had finished the 29th Olympiad fourth in the medal tally with 19 gold medals, and 47 medals in overall - our best performance in exactly 100 years.

A year on, a few have stayed with us - the one who was knighted, the one who wore Jimmy Choos, and the one we mistook for a villain, at least until she won the 400m. For the grab some shut-eye, if we're honest, we would struggle to match the name to the sport, if we remembered the names at all. If we do think of our Olympic champions, we might suspect them basking in their achievements, their perfect physiques wrapped in a contented glow. We watch over to forget that for those who have spent their lives chasing a single, all-but-impossible, goal, achieving it leaves a discharge. As Victoria Pendleton, the track cyclist who took the women's sprint subtitle, puts it: "You don't plan for the next day."

How to spot a fake Burberry watch?

I paucity to buy a burberry watch for my boyfriend on Ebay. How can I know if it is 100%


it should say burberry on the back, and the logo should also be offering on the back. if i were you i would just go to a real store, an ebay version probably isn't...


Return to top