We attended a mixture of swimming events, thus a combination of day sessions which started at 13:00 Rio time and some Finals which started at 22:00 Rio time also. These late games were purely fuelled by adrenalin and caffeine, luckily not on the forbidden substance list for supporters NOR athletes 🙂 ! Because the night events then finished at about 00:30 and then then the long commute back to the apartment started. Commencing with a very long and brisk walk to get out of the Olympic park to the dedicated Olympics Bus (BRT) then we boarded the Metro Rio in Barra da Tijuka. Finally getting home to down town Rio at 2:30 AM in , by then the unwanted second wind had kicked in and sleep was evasive.
BUT all worth was worth it to see the world’s best in action whether it was warm ups, heats, semis or finals. From very young “baby” Olympians to the likes of all the greats in swimming. All around the same pool deck doing their thing. The vibe at all these events was very festive in the entire Olympic Park which hosted many stunning newly built sports arenas. Food, music dance alongs and many a spot to pose at the Olympic circles and emblems kept spectators busy for many hours before and after events.
The sponsors also added special delights, give aways, celebrations and shows in the main Olympic park, with Coke Cola as usual adding the cherry on top with its special Olympic edition of collectable golden bottles that was given away free plus a photo shoot in its own arena with the Olympic flame, and their famous pin collectors welcoming spectators. See post on the various sporting arenas in the park.
The Warm up
The Business
Photo Credits – Simon Heslop
