TEAM GB’S GOLD RUSH
IN THE SUMMER, ALONG CAME RIO. For two weeks, we had the joyous diversion of a bafflingly bright green diving pool, athletes from warring nations taking selfies together and Clare Balding’s soothing tones at the press of a red button. The doom squad predicted the Games would be chaotic – and with some justification. In the run-up, Brazil’s president was impeached, Rio de Janeiro was declared bankrupt, venues were unfinished and the mosquito-borne Zika virus hit the region. But then 11,000 athletes arrived from more than 200 nations and, aside from some leaky pipes and grotty toilets, things got off to a surprisingly good start. Two days in, swimmer Adam Peaty won Team GB’S first medal (gold, no less) and, suddenly, there was no stopping us. We were good at, well, everything. Us! Often a dead cert in the velodrome, we were weirdly brilliant at diving, golf, canoeing, boxing, swimming, athletics, gymnastics, hockey,
tennis, trampolining and taekwondo. We had a horse in every race and our horses were awesome.
The Games were particularly historic for Britain’s cycling squad, as every member of the team took home at least one medal, and Laura Trott won two golds, becoming GB’S most successful female Olympian ever (she also brought home two golds in London). Asked how that accolade felt, Laura told
Grazia, ‘I’m still finding it hard to digest, it sounds weird when I hear someone say that! My sport is my passion and to have a title like that makes me proud of my achievements. I am so proud of Team GB and how successful everyone was.’
Her partner – now husband – Jason Kenny equalled Sir Chris Hoy’s record of six gold medals, making them a truly golden couple, although their haul is kept at their parents’ homes. ‘We’re not trusted to keep them,’ Laura confided.
Everywhere you looked, Rio served up inspiring lessons about teamwork, hard work and sacrifice – things that sound decidedly like school assembly fodder but, in the context of 2016, were welcome reminders that humans can be truly great. The first ever team comprising of refugees from across the world performed to standing ovations; fallen competitors limped over the line together; and the hilarious O’donovan brothers from Ireland found themselves on live television talking about how they’d only had ‘a bread roll with some Nutella’ since winning silver in their rowing race. Meanwhile, Usain Bolt did the ‘triple triple’ (winning gold in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay) and Mo Farah achieved the ‘double double’ (gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m), even falling during the latter to add to the drama. After an equally brilliant Paralympics with more inspiring
Team eam GB triumphs, the Games drew to a close and the samba beat faded, and we returned to real life safe in the knowledge that there are superhumans among us.