With the 2020 Olympics on hold, Simon Lace’s retrospective from 2016 might bring back some happy memories.
Rio: An Olympic Retrospective
The stadium’s closed, the flags now are furled
Brazil says farewell to the youth of the world
At home we give thanks to our girls and our boys
The Team GB stars – and the Baldings and Hoys
Who lit up our screens in the dead of the night
While we watched and we gasped and we cheered with delight
For each bronze, every silver, above all the golds
As Olympian drama before us unfolds
On the floor and the horse super-Max reigned supreme
(How on earth do those girls land their flips on that beam?)
In the pool was young Adam, the first among men,
On the track there was Mo – and the double again
Nicola Adams, all fists and big smiles
And Jade with her feet, both winners by miles
Maddie Hinch keeping goal with imperious ease
Will Justin from now on use solid-gold tees?
And don’t let your years make you think it’s too late
Look to Nick Skelton at age 58!
In the ‘Tri’ the young Brownlees saw off the others
Surely the fittest of all the world’s brothers?
Charlotte Dujardin took first prize of course
With the help of her own Fred Astaire of a horse
Andy was smashing again in the tennis
And silver – so close! – for super-mum Ennis
As ever our cyclists blitzed round the ‘drome
Inspiring the middle-aged dad back at home
There he goes now, the lycra-clad Gaffer,
Climbing Man’s Hill, refulgent in Rapha
For Tom there was triumph as well as some tears
Thank goodness for Burghfield’s golden Chris Mears!
Who sprang to the rescue with nary a splash
(Who’ll paint the postbox – a mad moonlit dash?)
Look at those Brits, just look at ‘em go!
How they sail, how they ride, how they fight, how they row!
Our nation’s fat elephant sits in the room
And shivers in fear as he foresees his doom
For the ladies are stirred by those diving-board hunks
With rippling abs and ridonculous trunks
While blokes all are drawn by the strange siren call
Of Copacabana… and beach volleyball
They’ve inspired our nation by making sport fun
Now we all want to swim, or to row or to run
Mums save their cash for a new set of spikes
Dads furtively browse late at night… but for bikes!
From London to Rio, and even to Reading
The spirit is stirring, so cast off your bedding
A run before breakfast and weights after tea
A healthier you and a friskier me
We’ll take on the hills, we’ll pass on the pies
As we look in the mirror, stare in our eyes
And see all that could be, and all that still can
If we each give our best – every girl, every man
We all have our gifts, each unique from the rest
The secret of life is to give of our best
And waste not a minute, but try with all might
To fulfil our dreams, to fight the good fight
And now a last thought from the Games we have seen
Did you spot it, I wonder, betwixt and between
The drama and triumph, the joy and despair
Up there on a mountain-top, high in the air?
Above all of Rio, a lone figure stands
With open arms and outstretched hands
Bringing each one of us grace to stand tall
Christ the Redeemer blesses us all.
