This weekend saw the best athletes in the world mark the one-year anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games.
Held in what is now known as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Olympic Stadium saw more magical moments from Mo Farah and Usain Bolt as capacity 65,000 crowds cheered them on.
Team GB medallists from the London 2012 Olympic Games attended the event and completed a celebratory lap of honour on Saturday, shortly before the athletics got going.
Rower Alex Partridge won bronze in the men’s eight at Eton Dorney last year and having now retired, he said the day brought back fond memories.
“It was amazing being on the track, the closing ceremony was great last year but you didn’t get that feel of what track and field was like,” said the 32-year-old.
“I was in the stadium for Super Saturday and I came here pretty much every day after I finished racing, I loved it.
“But doing that one lap was one of the most special moments for me because I now know what it feels like to be in athletics.
“The whole day was just great and it was brilliant to see the number of people that were here to support British sport in what is probably an already sport-exhausted summer.
“It just shows how interested the public are and why we need to do more events like this, it also made me feel a bit gutted that I’m not involved in sport anymore.”
Karina Bryant won judo bronze in 2012 but saw very little of the other sporting festival going on all around her and was delighted to get the Olympic buzz back.
“Judo was the first week so we were focussed on that and then I was doing a lot of media bits and pieces after I won my medal,” said the four-time Olympian.
“I managed to see the gymnastics the day Louis Smith and Max Whitlock won silver and bronze on the pommel which was really great, but it was the only thing I got to see unfortunately.
“But that makes being invited to the Anniversary Games by the BOA and British Athletics even more special because the whole feeling brings back the Olympic spirit, it’s pretty wicked.”
Karina Bryant:
“Seeing how fast people can run, even the guys that are running the 3km. I probably couldn’t even sprint as fast as they can for 50m and they’re doing it for 3,000!
“It’s been unreal, to be able to see what other people do in their events up close, and how good they are is unbelievable
“It’s just phenomenal seeing everyone in their own field and the best of the best.”
Alex Partridge:
“There’s a different kind of pressure to rowing, in a different environment and I got an insight into what it’s like to perform in that atmosphere – it was pretty cool.
“The Closing Ceremony was a very sad experience. Both of them that I’ve been to are really sad moment because you build and build to this one event and then in London the flames went down and the phoenix rose up and for me I was thinking it would probably be the last time I would be standing there in the Olympic Arena so it was very sad.”