1) The opening ceremony seems like an apt place to start. Rio 2016 is likely to kick off with a relatively low-key affair – the budget for the ceremony is reportedly around 10% of what it was last time around. So do take the time to enjoy Danny Boyle’s hugely acclaimed 2012 effort once again. Less recommended is the closing ceremony from the same Games, unless you fancy staring in horror at the Kaiser Chiefs covering the Who, plus Ed Sheeran and Mike Rutherford (sans Mechanics) desecrating Pink Floyd, former politico Russell Brand doing a Gene Wilder impression and George Michael flogging his new song.
Indeed a quick perusal of other Olympic ceremonies shows how remarkable it was that Boyle’s effort was even competent. You might be forgiven for thinking that Seoul’s effort was curated by Colonel Sanders in 1988. And while there may be questions over the validity of the sport on offer in Rio, we can at least hope the opening ceremony is real. Right, Beijing 2008?
2) Rugby union, in its truncated form, makes its Olympic return with the sevens this year. Noted rugby powerhouse the USA will be looking to defend their gold medal, which they have held since beating the hosts and favourites France in 1924 in the 15-man form. Among those standing in the way of their men’s team are Fiji, the reigning back-to-back World Sevens Series champions, who have called up the brilliant XVs lock Leone Nakarawa. It will be fascinating to see his offloading game up against that of New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams. Meanwhile in the women’s competition, keep an eye out for SBW’s sister Niall Williams, making her debut – those skills seem to run in the family.
3) I’m seeing double here: six Estonian marathon runners! It would be a surprise to see any of them win a medal, but this is an Olympic first.
4) Cynicism about these Games may be abound, but the return of Caster Semenya is a genuine feelgood story. The “poster girl for hyperandrogenism” first became world champion in 2009 and is the nigh-on unbackable favourite for the 800m this year. She ran a new personal best at the IAAF Diamond League in Monaco this year, and coasted to victory in both Rabat and Doha to boot. The conversation around the South African will be fierce and often ugly but that is unlikely to deter her from blowing the field away in Rio.
5) 2016 has been a decent year for Britain’s cyclists and hopes have perhaps never been higher going into any Games. Three of Team GB are going to Rio for one last competition before getting married. Lizzie Armitstead has had a troubled preparation, and the cyclist who missed out on gold to Marianne Vos in the women’s road race in 2012 pulled out of this year’s world championships in Qatar to focus on getting conditioned for the hillier roads in Rio. Also hoping for success and also tying the knot – together in this case – will be Laura Trott and Jason Kenny. The former is looking to defend her double-gold from London and become Britain’s most successful female Olympian on a bike, while Kenny will want to build on his world championship win at Lee Valley earlier this year. There is also some bloke called Froome, who will be hoping to keep his bike for the whole of the Games.
6) Let’s face it, the men’s tennis final is going to be this again, isn’t it? Not that anyone will be complaining with tennis like this.
Highlights from last week’s blog
1) We have had plenty of skydiving videos before, but none quite like what happened on 30 July. Luke Aikins broke new ground by not bothering with such extraneous nonsense as a parachute. In this preview of the death-defying leap, he genuinely uses the phrase “it felt natural to me” to describe this bizarre undertaking.
2) More daredevilism, from someone with a bit more name recognition – one Evel of the Montana Knievels. Here, some priceless footage and background to his infamous attempt to hurtle over Snake River Canyon.
Also: Hell’s Angels + throwing tyre irons at Evel = crowd bedlam.
3) Australia can do cup fairytales too, it seems. Semi-professional Blacktown City – a former haunt of none other than Kevin Keegan – went 2-0 down early on in their FFA Cup tie against Sydney United but fought back to draw 2-2 and take the match into extra-time. You wouldn’t blame them for playing for penalties, but Danny Choi was having none of that. Midway inside his own half after a Sydney attack had broken down, his first instinct was to lump it up the pitch: 70 metres, over the opposition goalkeeper’s head and into the net, to be precise. Blacktown had a man sent off but, inspired no doubt by Choi’s goal, ran riot to win 6-2.
4) John Senden gives golf’s authorities something to think about in the first round of the US PGA: how to combat telekinesis.
5) The unlikely but heartwarming tale of Chris Levesque, third-choice goaltender for the UBC Thunderbirds, who due to several quirks of fate, injury and red tape went from revising for a geography exam to become backup goaltender for Vancouver Canucks in the NHL, for one night only. And very, very nearly found himself at the heart of the action.
6) Finally, and arguably most audaciously, another entrant into the annals of Great Fluffed Tap-Ins right at the business end of European Women’s Under-19 Championship final from Spain captain Nahikari García. The game’s over a minute into injury time at the end of 90 minutes as rain heaves down, with her side losing 2-1 to France. A team-mate tries an effort from distance, it’s parried by the keeper, who can only lie helplessly as García bears down on the loose ball barely three yards out with most of the goal at her mercy, to all but ensure extra-time.
But oh my. Like chipping a beach ball out of a paddling pool over a fence.
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