4 August - Hyde Park and Olympic Triathlon
Today we got up at 5.30am and got dressed and had a quick bite to eat and walked across Brockwell Park to Herne Hill Station to catch the train into London. The train took about 10 minutes and we got off at Victoria station. We came out of the station and we were excited with our first view of the city. The first things we saw were the double decker buses, london taxis, red telephone boxes and a theatre where the show Wicked was playing.
We walked for about half an hour to Hyde Park where we got a really good spot on the edge of the triathlon course near the Serpentine River, where we watched the Ladies Olympic Triathlon race. We were excited because we met big sis Alana and her partner Ben there. They have been travelling the world. We also met their London friends Dan and Lizzie.
We watched the race. The triathletes raced past us 8 times on the bike and then 4 (x2) times running. We cheered loudly for Emma Moffat, Emma Jackson and Erin Densham. Erin comes from Camden/Campbelltown.
They were going well until Emma Moffat crashed on the bike and she had to withdraw. We were sad because she has long been a favourite of ours. We found out later froma team manager that she was in top shape and the team were expecting a podium from her. But Erin and Emma J kept going strong and with a lap or so to go were in the top 6 or 7, Erin at the front. Then a group of 5 broke away including Erin. We cheered louder and louder and the noise from all the spectators was deafening each time they came past. One Japanese lady was particuarly noisy and she didn't even have a Japanese triathlete in the top 20. We think she was barracking for all of the competitors but she just loved yelling into her plastic loud haler.
Erin ended up coming 3rd and won a bronze medal. Emma J came 8th. We were really excited. It was almost a dead heat for the gold but Nicola Spirig from Switzerland just beat Lisa Norden from Norway. That was great watching the triathlon, we love triathlon so much.
We had a picnic in Hyde Park near Princess Diana's memorial water feature with Alana, Ben, Dan and Lizzie. That was great. We kicked a soccer ball around until the Park Attendant told us no ball games in the fenced memorial area. Huh, those aussies again!
Then we left and waited for Erin to come out of the finish area. We had just seen Emma J ride past and Nicola Spirig walked right past us with her gold medal around her neck. We waited for a fair while for Erin. We met the Aussie olympic triathlon team "High Performance Manager" and his assistant who gave us some info on the triathletes and the race. He said Erin was going through routine drug testing and might be out soon.
We watched the men triathletes training on the bike course and we cheered the aussie men every time they passed us. We later read a tweet from Aussie triathlete Courtney Atkinson who said it was unbelievable that there were aussies watching them and cheering them as they trained. He said in his tweet that he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. It was very inspirational he said. We were excited to read that.
We waited for a bit longer then decided to move on. We met some swiss and swedish fans and muscled into their party and had a photo taken with them - that was the countries making up the triathlon podium.
Then we went to The Swan pub at the west end of Hyde Park and had a late lunch with Alana and Ben. Mum and dad had a beer.
Incredibly Erin Densham's family including her parents from Camden were there and dad went and got the goss from them. He congratulated them. There were aunties and uncles there too. They were all so happy. Apparently we had just missed seeing Erin with her medal as she came out just after we left. We got photos with Erin's mum and dad. Our Erin told them that her name was Erin and they thought that was great. Erin said she wants to be a triathlete just like their daughter.
Then we walked back through Hyde Park with Alana and Ben and caught the tube then the train home. We walked the dogs with Suzy and mum and dad went shopping for some food. We had dinner and watched a dvd.
We had a great day.
The Creber Girls xxx
Today we got up at 5.30am and got dressed and had a quick bite to eat and walked across Brockwell Park to Herne Hill Station to catch the train into London. The train took about 10 minutes and we got off at Victoria station. We came out of the station and we were excited with our first view of the city. The first things we saw were the double decker buses, london taxis, red telephone boxes and a theatre where the show Wicked was playing.
We walked for about half an hour to Hyde Park where we got a really good spot on the edge of the triathlon course near the Serpentine River, where we watched the Ladies Olympic Triathlon race. We were excited because we met big sis Alana and her partner Ben there. They have been travelling the world. We also met their London friends Dan and Lizzie.
We watched the race. The triathletes raced past us 8 times on the bike and then 4 (x2) times running. We cheered loudly for Emma Moffat, Emma Jackson and Erin Densham. Erin comes from Camden/Campbelltown.
They were going well until Emma Moffat crashed on the bike and she had to withdraw. We were sad because she has long been a favourite of ours. We found out later froma team manager that she was in top shape and the team were expecting a podium from her. But Erin and Emma J kept going strong and with a lap or so to go were in the top 6 or 7, Erin at the front. Then a group of 5 broke away including Erin. We cheered louder and louder and the noise from all the spectators was deafening each time they came past. One Japanese lady was particuarly noisy and she didn't even have a Japanese triathlete in the top 20. We think she was barracking for all of the competitors but she just loved yelling into her plastic loud haler.
Erin ended up coming 3rd and won a bronze medal. Emma J came 8th. We were really excited. It was almost a dead heat for the gold but Nicola Spirig from Switzerland just beat Lisa Norden from Norway. That was great watching the triathlon, we love triathlon so much.
We had a picnic in Hyde Park near Princess Diana's memorial water feature with Alana, Ben, Dan and Lizzie. That was great. We kicked a soccer ball around until the Park Attendant told us no ball games in the fenced memorial area. Huh, those aussies again!
Then we left and waited for Erin to come out of the finish area. We had just seen Emma J ride past and Nicola Spirig walked right past us with her gold medal around her neck. We waited for a fair while for Erin. We met the Aussie olympic triathlon team "High Performance Manager" and his assistant who gave us some info on the triathletes and the race. He said Erin was going through routine drug testing and might be out soon.
We watched the men triathletes training on the bike course and we cheered the aussie men every time they passed us. We later read a tweet from Aussie triathlete Courtney Atkinson who said it was unbelievable that there were aussies watching them and cheering them as they trained. He said in his tweet that he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. It was very inspirational he said. We were excited to read that.
We waited for a bit longer then decided to move on. We met some swiss and swedish fans and muscled into their party and had a photo taken with them - that was the countries making up the triathlon podium.
Then we went to The Swan pub at the west end of Hyde Park and had a late lunch with Alana and Ben. Mum and dad had a beer.
Incredibly Erin Densham's family including her parents from Camden were there and dad went and got the goss from them. He congratulated them. There were aunties and uncles there too. They were all so happy. Apparently we had just missed seeing Erin with her medal as she came out just after we left. We got photos with Erin's mum and dad. Our Erin told them that her name was Erin and they thought that was great. Erin said she wants to be a triathlete just like their daughter.
Then we walked back through Hyde Park with Alana and Ben and caught the tube then the train home. We walked the dogs with Suzy and mum and dad went shopping for some food. We had dinner and watched a dvd.
We had a great day.
The Creber Girls xxx
How lovely to catch up with Alana and Ben - I bet they are enjoying their holiday too! All those London icons - Erin, were you trying to ring me or Lachie?? !! Poor Emma Moffatt, coming off her bike like that - just the wrong angle on a wet road - she came off it a bit like Granny did when we all went bike riding in Harrington Park!!! You are meeting SO many people and having great fun - it is so lovely to read these blogs, I know I keep saying how much I love them, but I do!!! Miss you xxx love you xx envy you !!!!!
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