David Ashdown's sports picture diary: Beijing Olympics - Usain Bolt

(DAVID ASHDOWN)

David Ashdown was in Beijing covering the 2008 Olympic Games

On the same evening as the men's 100m final at 22.30 I was at the velodrome covering Bradley Wiggins and Chris How getting their gold medals, so time was going to be tight to get back from there, a 45 minute bus ride away from the Main Press Centre. We have to go everywhere by bus as they take us right into the venues.

At the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 I was in a similar situation as this Saturday. Then, I shot Linford Christie winning from a stairwell that was side on to the finish line, a place easy to get at, but not a place still photographers are supposed to go; then yesterday I did some reconnaissance on the morning of the race at the stadium; so I used the memory of 1992 and applied it to 2008 with, as you can see, a very worthwhile result showing Usain Bolt way in front.

I try at big sporting events to look for a different angle, when possible. My thinking here was if I broke cover into my unofficial position as the gun went for the start of the 100m I only had to stay there for 9.69 seconds before I got noticed: not a bad punt.