Saturday 9 June 2012

A 'Must visit' stadium - Berlin Olympic



Wednesday 6th June 2012
Visit to Berlin Olympic Stadium





If you visit one new ground in Europe this year make it the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The right mixture- sport, politics, world history and architecture.

The whole experience was positive from the cheap admission, the site plan and then the self-guided tour. You can take the organised tour and see the superb changing rooms, chapel and all the other parts of the UEFA Grade 5 stadium but it is the park itself that is amazing, the way they have kept the fell of the 19436 stadium by not letting the building of a roof for the 2006 World Cup take away the fine design of Werner March.




The statues, the outdoor swimming pool and then the reminders of Hitler and the Nazi era- the Bell tower and the Olympic Bell.





The 1940 Olympics was meant to be in Tokyo but from 1944 Hitler declared all further Olympics would be held in Berlin – thankfully he was proved wrong but I do hope that London 2012 Olympic Park is still as good as the Berlin Olympic Stadium and Park after 76 years.





Just visit as you will be amazed, enjoy the photographs.







Saturday 2 June 2012

Beth Tweddle- an inspiration

Saturday 2nd June - GB v Spain v Finland, Womens Artistic Gymnastics International at Pipers Vale Gymnastics centre in Ipswich

Today I attended the Gymnastics international in Ipswich, but this was more than just a match against spain and Finland. GB fielded three teams as times is running out for the gymnasts before selection for the 2012 Olympics.

The standard was outstanding, and great to Beth Tweddle back from injury - 3 weeks early.

Beth boosted her chances of selection for London 2012 just six weeks after undergoing knee surgery by posting the highest scoring bars routine at Olympic trials.

The three-time world champion scored 15.450 on the apparatus - the only piece she competed on - in her first competition since she had keyhole surgery which ruled her out of the European Championships.




But I was not only impressed by her comeback as later in the evening I was fortunate enough to meet the lady herself- and I was even more impressed- she had time to talk to everyone and was so level headed- a true inspiration to any young promising athelete.