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Our man at the Beijing Olympics - 13/8/08

Matthew Davis
15/ 8/2008

IT IS the fifth day of competition, Britain have won seven medals to date and I have seen none of them live.

There has been no chance for me to celebrate with the athletes on the back in their glory. No all I have had so far is tears, tears, and more tears. Instead of bringing champagne to these events I think a packet of Kleenex would be more appropriate.

I seem to bring out the worst in the athletes' performance. I was not there when Nicole Cooke won the road race, I was the other side of town when Rebecca Adlington put her name in the record books winning the 400m.

But rest assured I was there when the archers finished fourth and the waterworks began, or when we lost out in canoeing, weightlifting, judo, badminton. The list is endless.

The problem I have when interviewing them when they are on the verge of tears or bursting into them is what can I actually do.

They don’t really want to talk, which is fair enough because they have just had their Olympic dream shattered for another four years but the problem is I need to get some quotes.

The worst is when they actually start crying and there is that awkward moment when you feel you should give them a hug but that would just be inappropriate.

The Olympic organisers are clearly prepared for such moments – at the rowing there is the appropriately entitled ‘kiss and cry’ area. This is full of the rowers families, friends and rowing wags – or should that be rags?

Rowers either celebrate with their beloved ones or commiserate - either way that is the place to watch the emotions come out.

However, this Saturday could put an end to my Olympic jinx and be the windfall I was waiting for. Britain could win golds in swimming, rowing and cycling – it’s a golden weekend and Team GB could have the midas touch.

Being driven around in the Olympic buses or the two unforgettable taxi journeys I have taken, I feel I have looked death in the face.

Driving around China is perhaps one of the most nerve-racking things I have ever done.

The buses take the law into their own hands, they pull out whenever they want to and no obstacle will get in their way. Half the time I feel like standing up and shouting as we nearly veer into a car.

At the rowing the other day, a driver attempting an audacious reverse around a corner went straight back into a tree. He then continued to reverse into the poor tree until he was at the right angle and the tree was horizontal and then he drove off with the tree pinging back upright.

And I am pretty sure that getting on a bus and finding the driver asleep at the wheel is not the best start to a journey.

Taxis are another hazard and one which I stepped into with the utmost caution.

The drivers never use their indicators - they instead use their horn, it would be like sticking your head out the window and shouting “watch out, I am pulling out” or “careful I am coming through” but through the language of horns.

These tactics seem to work somehow, as they drift in and out beeping their horns.

And the taxi drivers do it in style as they have been told to smarten up their act for the Olympics. Over 10,000 new yellow shirts have been being issued complete with striped tie.

Chinese officials are also telling their cabbies to brush up on the personal odour and be as polite as possible to all foreigners.

To be honest I didn’t really notice what it was like in my taxi – I had my eyes shut.