i Editor's Letter: The Games will be worth it

 

Stefano Hatfield
Thursday 26 July 2012 00:20 BST
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So, Great Britain v New Zealand women's football. We were glued. I was already in Olympics cheerleader mode, after our cracking 16-page preview, but if anything brought home how the Games are all about caring about things you didn't, it was the cheer at i when GB's Steph Houghton bent a free kick like Beckham into the bottom left corner. Get in!

Now, i is not a local paper, so I can't rant about Transport for London's craven changing of the light sequencing in Chiswick High Road (near where I live) in order to "protect" Chiswick Roundabout and the A4 Olympics lane!

Shame, because I'd like to ask if anyone has noticed that the new NCP Car Park of Chiswick, west London, to Stratford, east London, is 12 miles as the crow flies and 14.6 if you're crazy enough to drive. But I also have a duty to entertain all you millions of smug non-Londoners. As Wiggo would say: "Job done, really".

Thank God it's started. I know we've already had a mis-tweeter sent home and the first nine drugs bans. But those are the right sort of negative stories - they're about the athletes. As for the flags...

Let's be blunt. Security chaos? The military will do a better job than G4S. Travel chaos? Sorry TfL, it's here, it's real, and I don't think you don't care about "us".

That said, I really do believe it will be worth it. Come on Jess, Rebecca, Victoria, Mo, Cav, Bradley... change the narrative. The enthusiastic hordes that have turned out to see the torch relay prove the Games can capture Britain's imagination. And, maybe, just maybe, someone at TfL will admit they got it wrong in Chiswick! So, that's all good!

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