The first week of the Olympics may have provided us with enough drama and sensation to last a lifetime but, for many, the real theatre of the Games is only just beginning. Today the classic track and field events begin, including several sports that the Ancient Greeks would have recognised. And for all the excitement of the Games to date, the historic draw of events such as the heptathlon is evident in the crowds of people attending today.
They are compelling to a unique degree and have an extraordinary hold over the imagination of the public. There is little quite so straightforwardly dramatic as the men’s 100m: the race is to the swiftest, and there is nothing to compare with that simple theatre.
These events are when the Olympic stadium comes into its own, the centrepiece of the London Games. The finals played out there over the next few days will be what most people remember. And British athletes will be among the main contenders for medals to bolster Britain’s already decent standing.
Today, of course, there will be other events besides track and field, including some of the most exciting swimming contests. You could say this is one of the Ladies Days at the Games, when female talent is given its due.
A week in, the Games can already be judged a success in terms of smooth organisation, efficient transport — at least prior to today’s problems on the Central line — enthusiastic audiences , notwithstanding the scandal of the empty seats belonging to the Olympic family, human interest, sheer theatre and our medal tally. Reputations have been made, and diminished. And the drama of the Games is growing. Let’s make the most of them.
Kofi Annan’s despair
There is no gainsaying the failure of the peace process initiated by Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria. His attempt to broker a ceasefire failed within days while his sterling effort to initiate peaceful political change was overtaken by increasingly bloody events. But his departure is nonetheless dispiriting. Mr Annan was, it would seem, utterly depressed by the situation within the UN as well as on the ground. His remarks about “continuous finger-pointing and name-calling” at the UN Security Council ring true. Syria is not just the scene of a civil war between the nation’s factions but a proxy for the great powers’ own disputes, as well as a struggle between regional interests. There can be no doubting the self-interest of Russia and indeed China in backing the Assad regime; equally, the fact that Saudi Arabia has drafted the resolution being adopted by the UN General Assembly tells us something about interests on the other side. It doesn’t help that the new French government is using Syria as a means to prove its own activist credentials.
Mr Annan had the right priorities, namely to negotiate a ceasefire and then to try to create a political settlement that would unite more moderate elements on both sides behind long-term reform and a transfer of power from the Assad regime. Unfortunately, moderates are faring badly in Syria just now; the bloodshed has hardened attitudes, as it always does. But we should still keep those aims at the forefront of our diplomatic efforts.
Royals go for gold
One of the winners from the first week of the Olympics has been the royal family. The younger royals have been much in evidence, including Zara Phillips as competitor. This is where they can come into their own: they’re young, sporty and photogenic. A perfect sideshow, in fact.
