Rio stars can lift the gloom

It’s no exaggeration to say that the 2012 Olympic Games in London was one of the greatest sporting events I’ve ever seen.

Right from the start of Danny Boyle’s spectacular Opening Ceremony, yours truly was hooked.

Maybe it was because the‘Greatest Show on Earth’was taking place on these shores.

More likely, it was as a result of day after day of stunning sport being served up to stadiums which were packed by a public that just could not get enough.

I’m sure we all have our own special memories from London 2012.

The aforementioned Opening Ceremony was utterly glorious and inspiring. A riot of colour and utterly spell-binding. It showcased all that was best of Britain.

Super Saturday – when Greg Rutherford, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis won gold medals one after the other.

How about Chris Hoy whose sixth gold medal made him Britain’s most successful Olympic athlete of all time?

Or Horse Guards Parade playing host to – of all things – Beach Volleyball?

The cycling road races which zipped past all of London’s landmarks. You could go on and on. It’s only natural to look back to a time when sport put a smile on your face with your admiration for quality athletes absolute.

And when the Olympic Games in Rio begin in the early hours of Saturday morning, it will be hard not to start comparing what they have produced to what we enjoyed.

But it’s important that we appreciate Brazil’s Olympiad for what it is and we can only hope that our focus is not diverted from the competition and battle for medals.

It has not been an easy couple of years for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who appear to never be far from controversy.

Much of it has centred around the issue of doping and Russia’s participation in Rio.

Despite a bombshell report in which Russia was accused of statesponsored doping, the IOC decided against an outright ban.

Individual sporting bodies have been left to make the decision on whether or not Russian athletes can compete.

Such a fudge is not a good look while sport continues its war against performance-enhancing drugs and the usage of them by athletes.

It is not good for any sport if the man in the stand or TV viewer is asking: Do I genuinely believe what I am seeing?

Regrettably, this is something I’ve asked myself in recent years.

And it’s painful. Your enjoyment of sport and great achievement is somewhat diminished.

The world desperately needs a clean Rio Games.

There will always be some who attempt to cheat the system.

But the hope is that they are few in number and quickly rooted out.

There is enough bad news around the world without Rio’s athletes adding to the list.

Brazil’s show may not be as good as ours was.

But I want to feel a little bit of that excitement and energy of 2012.

World stage Rio is ready for the Olympics