Blink and you will miss it

Day 10 - July 28 (part II)

The men's road race was on the agenda for the Balham bed and breakfast crew so off to Putney for the festivities.

People lined the streets for kilometres and we, (Myself and super Stevie) did our best to stand out from the crowd with our Aussie kit.

There was much anticipation as the parade of cars and cops (waving as they went past the masses) went through but the biggest roar was saved for the riders.

But blink, budge or bend down to get your beer and you would have missed the rapid moving peloton go by. They are seriously moving those guys.

Apparently the winning move was made right in front of us but the pace combined with my fantastic eye sight weren't ideal for spectating such a sport.

Nevertheless, a quick dash to the closest pub to watch the riders go across the line just up the road at Lizzie's house and it was Kazakhstan claiming the honours in front of a disgruntled home town favourite Mark Cavendish. 

Around the grounds from the Olympic opener:

HUNTER WATCH

Newcastle swimmer Thomas Fraser-Holmes finished seventh in the 400m IM final, Newcastle basketballers Suzy Batkovic and Jenni Screen helped the Opals to a 74-58 win against Great Brtiain while Nulkaba shooter Daniel Repacholi crashed out of the men’s 10m air pistol after scoring 575 out of a possible 600 and finishing 28^th.

  

PLAY OF THE DAY 

The Australian girls winning gold in the 4x100 metre freestyle relay was the pick of the bunch. Great swim by Alicia Coutts, Cate Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlanger.

BEST OF THE REST

Irish gymnast Kieran Behan was told he would never walk again after developing a tumour in his leg aged 10, a serious head injury falling from a high bar two years later and another major knee injury recently, but despite being eliminated from the vault and floor events the 23-year-old had finally competed at an Olympics and achieved a lifelong dream.

Links:

*Twitter - @joshuacallinan

*Read the London Eye each day in the Maitland Mercury during the 2012 Olympic Games

*Tune into 1233 ABC Newcastle each morning from 7.30am during the Games period for a live cross from the London Olympics with breakfast presenter Aaron Kearney

*The Hunter's Road To London - 1233 ABC Newcastle