Congratulations to the USA on winning a wonderful Women’s World Cup. I’ve seen six games and some outstanding play in the 2015 tournament, including a couple of cracking goals in the final. To have been in Vancouver’s stadium with more than 53,000 other spectators on three occasions – less than 25 years after my sister had to campaign to be allowed to play football at school – was a great experience.
The USA celebrates winning the Women’s World Cup 2015
I have just finished watching the most farcical game of American football I can remember in 20 years of watching the sport. The result will make waves in the NFL but also serves as a reminder for other sports that technology can only help, not replace, well trained officials.
For those that did not see the match up between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, the game ended with Seattle throwing a ‘Hail Mary’ pass into the end zone in the hope of getting the touchdown they needed to win the game. Here is how the ball came down (Green Bay in white shirts and yellow helmets):
I wrote the other day about how I was inspired by Bradley Wiggins’s ambition to succeed. It would be remiss of me to let today pass without praising him for fulfilling his ambitions. Today he added Olympic gold in the London 2012 cycling road race to his Tour de France win in Paris last week. Not only did he win, but he won in style by completing the course 42 seconds faster than his nearest rival, Germany’s world champion Tony Martin.
Wiggins fully deserves all the plaudits and any accolades that come his way for his performances this year. His latest gold made him Britain’s most decorated Olympic medalist, with four golds, a silver and two bronze medals from four games. However, like a true champion, he is still not satisfied. I think it says it all that after today’s race one of his first public comments was to say:
“What’s the point of seven medals if they’re not the right colour? The main number is that is gold number four. So I have got to carry on to Rio now and make it five.”
He will be 36 when the Olympics comes to Brazil in 2016, but with ambition like that anything is possible.
In a few hours Bradley Wiggins is set to roll down the Champs-Élysée to complete his dream of winning the world’s most famous cycling race. His Tour de France ride has been a triumph of ambition that I find inspiring.
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