At lunch time I have a first look in Breitscheidplatz, the square where the shot put qualifications will take place, along with the awards and other events: at 2.15 pm I already see people entering the arena of the race, which starts at 5.30. Then I head towards the stadium.
I get to the stadium around 2.50. The races start at 4.05, but I decided to arrive early because I do not know how many people there will be, with free admission. I find the gates still closed, even if they said they would open them at 2.30 pm: the waiting crowd is still less than I feared. So I have a bit of time to contemplate the stadium, which always gives a great emotion, full of history as it is, and for a ride around: I find out that the Olympic pool is open to the public and I think to get thee in the coming days , maybe already tomorrow.
Just during the 400hs I decide to take a break, and I find out that both to go to the bathroom, and to have drink, you have to get out of the stadium and walk a quite long way. So I give up drinking, despite the heat.
After the 100 women, most of the public leaves. I remain, instead, to cheer against the second group of hammer throwers: Lingua is already 11th after the first round, but then he remains so even after the second, so I am confident in a bis of London. Instead he ends up 13th.
After leaving the stadium, I try to go and see the second group of shot put in the square, but I knew it would be difficult, and in fact there is no place. After dinner I try with the opening ceremony, but all the entrances to the steands are blocked, although there are empty seats. from a gate they let me in, but I discover that from there you can only stand under the stage, and I'm too tired. I go out and watch a bit from the screen, until the athletes' parade (for Italy Scotti), then I go back to the hotel (without air conditioning!).
And tomorrow we start at dawn with the race walk …
I get to the stadium around 2.50. The races start at 4.05, but I decided to arrive early because I do not know how many people there will be, with free admission. I find the gates still closed, even if they said they would open them at 2.30 pm: the waiting crowd is still less than I feared. So I have a bit of time to contemplate the stadium, which always gives a great emotion, full of history as it is, and for a ride around: I find out that the Olympic pool is open to the public and I think to get thee in the coming days , maybe already tomorrow.
I find out that to enter you must still first collect a ticket, even if it's free. The ticket assigns the sector, which however no one will check, not the single seat. Shortly after 3.00 the gates open: I take a short tour of the kiosks, I take a first look at the merchandising and around 3.30 am I'm inside. My sector is one of the luxury ones: I'm in a good position for hammer throw, quite good for the 100, although I will find it a little 'hard to understand the order of arrival. I will not see much instead of the long jump, which is on the other side and the landing hole is covered by the metric bar: to understand something, you have to look at the screens.
After a bit of talk, in which the mascot Berlino briefly appears, he has changed his jersey with respect to 2009, it begins with the qualifications of hammer. The throwers are not introduced, either by the speaker, or on the scoreboard. The information on the scoreboards will be incomplete throughout the afternoon: even in the 400hs heats the starting lists will not be given and in LJ for a while they will give only the ranking of group B (Ojaku of Italy was in A). Lingua throws second, and just during his first throw someone decides to pass in front of me. It was a disaster throw, anyway. There are many throws on 72-73 meters, which look longer to the eye (there are markers on 70 and 76), including Lingua's third throw at 73.09. With that throw he was placed sixth, then he became seventh, but after having seen him in London I am confident that he will qualify.
The public continues to arrive until the beginning of the heats of 100, at 4.30. There is Cattaneo, who seems to lose contact, but then gets back into the group, closes fourth and qualifies. A similar race will be made by Bongiorni among the women, while Siragusa starts strong and then goes off, still managing to qualify. Bad race also for Bencosme in 400hs, who is barely qualifying.
After the 100 women, most of the public leaves. I remain, instead, to cheer against the second group of hammer throwers: Lingua is already 11th after the first round, but then he remains so even after the second, so I am confident in a bis of London. Instead he ends up 13th.
After leaving the stadium, I try to go and see the second group of shot put in the square, but I knew it would be difficult, and in fact there is no place. After dinner I try with the opening ceremony, but all the entrances to the steands are blocked, although there are empty seats. from a gate they let me in, but I discover that from there you can only stand under the stage, and I'm too tired. I go out and watch a bit from the screen, until the athletes' parade (for Italy Scotti), then I go back to the hotel (without air conditioning!).
And tomorrow we start at dawn with the race walk …
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento