Chris Dalton's Personal Development Blog

The party’s over, the orgy (of sport) is spent, the last Big Mac and fries served, and the athletes, crowds and hordes of the rather oddly named ‘Olympic Family’ have been sped back along the special lanes to wherever it was they came from. London 2012 is finished and we are all feeling a bit, well, bereft, actually. So here are my top eight and bottom three things from the Olympics…

1. The Olympic Park experience. We weren’t expecting the level of organisation and levels of welcome when we went to the Park to watch some handball in the Copper Box during the first week of the games (before the TeamGB medal surge feel-good factor had been invented). There were huge crowds, for sure, but virtually no queues and definitely no confusion. Information was everywhere (it was almost like being in Tokyo!). What’s more, Brits with smiles on their faces? That took some getting used to.

2. The Opening Ceremony. Thank you Danny Boyle and team, you did the impossible and directed a cast of thousands and our attention/feelings through a really good narrative, with just the right mix of ingredients to have something for everyone. The lack of story, point or class in the closing ceremony just showed how good the opening one was.

3. Lots of sporting highs, but my fave was the Jamaica 1-2-3 in the 4 x 100 relay final. Not just a world record, not just beating the USA into second place, but the laid back way that the quartet answered questions afterwards at the trackside. And Usain Bolt breaking away mid question (perhaps after his 200m win) to respect the national anthem being played for David Rudisha’s gold. And the Jess and Mo show, of course, which were inspirational performances. And special mention to Nicola Adams and Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Well, the list goes on…

4. Sports we don’t normally see that are much more than we thought they’d be. Handball (and I’m going to have to declare a soft spot here for the Norwegian women’s handball team – yes, all of them), taekwondo, dressage, modern pentathlon and volleyball were excellent. The BMX bike was – well, what was that all about?!? The same course over and over, the same riders over and over, race over in seconds, and medals all on the last race, which was a lottery! Hmmm, not convinced.

5. Clare Balding. Ian Thorpe. Michael Jordan.

6. The BBC Olympics website. Every venue, every event, on demand. Incredible.

7. All the athletes who weren’t there to win but to challenge themselves by taking part.

8. The Paralympics still to come! Inspiration times 10!

And my bottom three? The Closing Yawnomony (already pilloried) aside:

1. The Great Britain men’s football team. Why even have soccer as an Olympic sport at all? There’s already a world cup and regional competitions, and it’s now become the most overpaid (US men’s Basketball notwithstanding) sport in the world. When there were so many amazing performances going on everywhere else, I think no-one minded or cared when GB lost to, whoever they lost to… Whatever, etc… (I reserve the right to praise the women’s games, though, as they were actually much better to watch. More gutsy and committed). Ban football from the Olympics, I say.

2. Trying to write a Phd despite all seven points listed above, especially number 6.

3. Boris Johnson.