FINAL MEDALS TABLE
Snowboarder Billy Morgan shook off a hangover of Olympic proportions to play the starring role in last night’s closing ceremony.
After winning big air bronze, the 28-year old admitted to hitting the town hard and not remembering that mates had taken him back to the Olympic Village on a luggage trolley.
Indeed, when team bosses called him in for a meeting, to reveal he would carry the British flag, he thought he was in trouble after posting a hangover picture on Instagram.
“We went out for a party and everyone came, we had a great time,” he said, after being named as the first snowboarder to carry the flag.
“I was actually in bed pretty early. I sent it too hard, too early and peaked out. I don’t remember the trolley but apparently it happened.
“This morning I got called into the room and I thought I was in trouble but they gave me the honour of being the Olympic flag bearer. It’s crazy.
“The flag is heavier than I thought it would be and I don’t use my arms much snowboarding. I was just thinking – don’t mess this up Billy.”
Morgan, who started snowboarding aged 14, certainly brings some colour to the Olympics and admits there were times his equally entertaining dad – known by his friends as Mad Eddie – despaired. He also admitted the medal was extra special to his father, who suffered a heart aneurism earlier this year.
“My dad, grandad and brother were all in the Navy but I’m the odd one out,” he added.
“I didn’t really get on well with academic stuff but I hope we’ve inspired everyone to do their sports.
“It all comes down to facilities and we need more if we want to push the sport further. Freestyle academies have been popping up all over the world and it would be amazing if we had something like that.”
Morgan is certainly not your every day sportsman. He doesn’t talk about ‘processes’ or ‘controlling the controllables’ or ‘staying in the moment’.
He freely admitted enjoying a drink between his disappointing performance in the slopestyle, where he was considered a medal contender, and his podium place in the big air, where he wasn’t.
“I hope people think of me as a normal guy, a bloke you could meet in the pub and have a chat with,” he said. “The Olympics was never part of my ambitions when I started because our event wasn’t in the Games. I know how much it means now though. All my mates were watching back in the pub in Southampton. I think they had a pretty big one.”
Team GB were set a target of five medals at these Games – more than they’ve ever previously won – and partyloving Morgan was the man who delivered the target. “I was slightly worried if he’d get to the right stadium and carry the flag the right way but he did a great job,” joked chef de mission Mike Hay.
Team bosses were quick to declaremissionaccomplished after these Games, though will wonder what might have been had speed skater Elise Christie stood up and top snowboarding medal hope Katie Ormerod not got crocked before the flame was even lit. And that gives Hay reason for confidence in four years’ time.
“We want to get into that top 15 and we feel we have individuals that can win gold medals for us, a number of sports will have learned from their experiences and come back stronger for Beijing,” he added. ● Relive every moment of the Olympic Winter Games at Eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app. Ben Stokes’ memorable return to action in England’s near miss against New Zealand left his captain Eoin Morgan measuring delight and frustration after an eventful day in Hamilton.
Stokes, in his first international match since he was arrested outside a Bristol nightclub five months ago, hauled England back into contention with two wickets. But New Zealand chaseddownatargetof284 for eight with four balls to spare, thanks to Ross Taylor’s 18th one-day international century in a stand of 178 with Tom Latham (79) and then some late muscle from Mitchell Santner – who hit an unbeaten 45.
New Zealand therefore clinched their ninth successive ODI victory to go 1-0 up with four to play.
“When you lose, it’s always frustrating but there are big positives to take,” said Morgan.
Jos Buttler (79) and Joe Root (71) contributed the majority of England’s runs in a patchy total after they were put in. Stokes could muster only 12 but bowled admirably for figures of two for 43, including the wicket of Latham.
Reflecting on the allrounder’s return, Morgan said: “I’m really pleased. I thought he adapted to conditions perfectly well, using slower balls well.”