The Golden Hour – Mark II

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1960 Summer Olympics, Arthru Lydiard, Eric Murray, Gary Moller, Golden hour, Hamish Bond, London, Mahe Drysdale, Murray Halberg, New Zealand, Olympics, Peter Snell, Rome Olympics

Last weekend I watched an outstanding documentary featuring Sir Peter Snell and Sir Murray Halberg looking back on their incredible performances during what has been termed the “Golden Hour” at the 1960 Rome Olympics – I thought at the time, how amazing it must have been to see those two brilliant athletes win gold for New Zealand.

Last night I was privileged to see and hear something even better – three brilliant athletes winning gold for their country.  As I drove home during the Double Skulls race, I was willing Eric Murray and Hamish Bond to win. Most seemed to think it was a foregone conclusion.  The race commentator ran out of superlatives trying to describe not only their winning record – unbeaten over the last four years, but also their progress on the water during the race. I had goosebumps listening to him assert that no-one could catch them – it seemed like tempting fate, but he could see what I couldn’t see …  When I arrived home just in time to catch the race replay on television,  I understood why the commentator was so confident. The pair’s  dominance was obvious and the Gold was theirs…how sweet it was.

Then came Mahe – the ultimate triumph – my husband and I were willing him to win with every stroke, but really his winning never seemed in doubt, and now the gold medal that should have been his in Beijing, is finally hanging around his neck… it was heart-stopping viewing – heart-rending and joyous all at the same time.  Seeing Mahe crawl out of the boat and then lying down on the pontoon, we were left in no doubt that he had given absolutely every ounce of his physical and emotional stores to get across that line – the mark of a true champion and the stuff of legends.  Mahe, you are a hero in my book!

The victor the spoils… Mahe wins gold.

Related articles

• Drysdale starts golden day throwing up (3news.co.nz)
• Gold for Eric Murray, Hamish Bond (3news.co.nz)
• You can link to The Golden Hour  Documentary via Gary Moller’s blog here : http://blog.garymoller.com/2012/07/the-golden-hour-documentary-snell-and.html

Golden boys…..

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Beijing, Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, Joseph Sullivan, Mahe Drysdale, Nathan Cohen, New Zealand, Olympics, SKY TV

Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan -you are  legends!  this pair of Southern men had me riveted to the televsion screen last night watching them win Gold. I have sat up much later than usual since this fantastic spectacle that is the London Olympics began. It is a chance every four years to appreciate the absolute dedication and commitment of the world’s best athletes to their chosen sport, and to get a birdseye view of the world’s best athletes competing for the ultimate prize. Sky TV have being showing amazing slow-motion montages of the athletes – such a  brilliant vehicle for reading emotions – the elation, the hope, the pain, the despair, the anguish, the triumph, literally the agony and the ecstacy – its magic.

Watching Cohen and Sullivan win gold in the men’s Double Skulls at Eton Dorney was so tense and exciting, so uttering gripping and ultimately rewarding. It was nailbiting stuff- especially since they seemed to leave their run quite late.  What does Rowing New Zealand  feed its athletes?  they are an incredible squad – like so many before them. Tonight, there is a promise of adding more gold to the tally….  GO Eric, GO Hamish , GO Mahe! Go New Zealand!  I am guessing there will one of these tonight – this photo was taken by my daughter at the Beijing Olympics – team Haka!

The New Zealand Herald has some great reactions from other New Zealand Olympians here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10824309

I particularly like Greg Henderson’s comment ” Double Scullers will be double sculling tonight.”

Dressage- a good watch or not?

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Andrew Nicholson, dressage, Equestrian, Eric Murray, Eventing, Hamish Bond, Jonathan Paget, London Olympics, Mark Todd, Rowing

I recently heard criticism of the dressage stage of equestrian eventing at The Olympics – someone on the radio said it was boring to watch. Well, I have just watched a replay of Jock Paget’s debut dressage round and I beg to differ – I think it is fascinating to watch. I have no idea at all about the rules of dressage, but with the help of the commentators, you can get a pretty good idea of what is supposed to happen. Jock looked very elegant on his mount – it must be so hard to control the horse, and to remain relaxed, while asking it to perform such precise movements. Not only that, Paget’s mount,  Clifton Promise,  was so beautifully groomed, so poised while executing the required elements. I can’t wait to see more of this event – it represents a superb partnership between horse and rider – sure,  it is less vigorous than the cross-country and show-jumping, which both make for brilliant viewing, but we can still surely appreciate the skills and horsemanship required to compete successfully in dressage.   I looking foward to seeing Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson tonight.

And as for our rowers!! Well done Eric Murray and Hamish Bond!