London 2012 Games Maker: another day, another gold

The velodrome: the scene of a magical
five days of action so far

Another day, another Great Britain gold.

Last night was another breathless day in the velodrome, although you couldn’t help feeling it was the canapé before tonight’s banquet.

Before the racing started we got the opportunity to go and check out the BMX track, as the riders are now training on the track ahead of competition on Wednesday.

Wow – it looks incredible. It has been transformed since I worked at the test event last August. Gone are the mounds of mud, dirt and gravel replaced with limestone, tarmac and grass. It looks stunning.

There is also a colossal sound system which will really pump the crowd up. The downside being our spot in the mixed zone is right by the speakers so we will have trouble hearing what the athletes say. Could be interesting.

The awesome BMX track ready
for competition on Wednesday

After that we were back to the velodrome for the evening session. I was assigned the fourth place rider in the Men’s Sprint. I was hoping it wasn’t Shane Perkins of Australia again, as I had to interview him after coming fourth in the Team Sprint on Thursday.

Luckily he won bronze which meant I had to get Phillip of Trinidad & Tobago. Unluckily for me someone else managed to get him in the broadcast area, so I was immediately tasked with getting anyone from the Women’s Omnium.

My experience was crucial here. Knowing that Laura Trott – the British rider – probably wouldn’t stop, I thought Sarah Hammer – the American – probably would and she was likely to be near the lead after day one.

I therefore positioned myself next to the American press attaché and the journalist from Sports Illustrated and waited. Fortunately for me she stopped where I had guessed and I managed to get some flash quotes from her.

Most other hacks, not realising she was stopping and where, missed her meaning that my ONS quotes were the only ones available. In the throes of all this Jason Kenny was winning the Men’s Sprint so we had the inevitable crowd noise to contend with too.

After filing those I went straight into the press conference for the Men’s Sprint. I was assigned getting the quotes from Jason Kenny of Great Britain. It is always stressful doing a media conference – you have to watch your Dictaphone the whole time to make sure it is recording, whilst making notes in case it isn’t. Being the British rider I felt under even more pressure.

It was an eventful press conference with Bauge looking perplexed at losing and actually asking Kenny some questions of his own. After the press conference finished I was straight off to type up the quotes and my day was done.

Today is the big one: Sir Chris Hoy in the Keirin, Victoria Pendleton in the Women’s Sprint and Laura Trott in the Omnium. It should be a fitting climax to a magical six days of action.