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Our man at the Beijing Olympics - 15/8/08

Matthew Davis
18/ 8/2008

THE three fastest men in the world have just walked past me.

Though actually they walk pretty fast too – probably because they cant be bothered to be interviewed by the world’s press.

I am in the mixed zone in the basement of the Bird’s Nest Stadium and one by one Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt stroll past me – it was quite a moment.

This was my first taste of the Olympic stadium from the inside and it is mind-blowing.

It is 9 o’clock in the morning and the stadium is full to the rafters. There have been reports that there were too many empty seats at most events despite claims the Olympics were a sell out.

Apparently Chinese authorities are filling these seats with volunteers and professional fans. I have seen a few of them in their yellow t-shirts at the hockey cheering any and every team.

But you would be hard pressed to find one here, this is a sell-out, it is the first morning of athletics – the most anticipated day so far..

The stadium is unlike any I have seen, the ‘birdsnest’ effect is created with hollow steel supports and some of these supports are staircases – it is very clever.

It seats 90,000 but it achieves the amazing affect of putting you on top of the action but not crowding you – it is spacious but in a good way and there is a gentle breeze to keep the crowd and athletes cool.

The torch is impressive I don’t know where they were hiding that for the week before the games began but it burns brightly looking over the action.

I was certain I would see a gold medal today – I just knew it. I was off to the Laoshan Velodrome about half an hour from Beijing.

Britain’s cycling team had been touted highly to clean up at the games and they made the perfect start to their campaign scooping the gold in the men’s team sprint beating three-time world champions France.

One third of that team is Stockport’s Jamie Staff who finally clinched a coveted gold medal – something he has waited for since he made the switch from BMX in 2002.

At 35-years-old Staff deserved a medal after just missing out on one in Athens four years ago.

I couldn’t believe it, gold at last – and a Stockport athlete scooping the first medal I see – it was fitting.