Coming 3rd is certainly not a failure!

In the past when there has been a gig or event that I wanted to go to, I loved to torture myself by looking up train times and ticket prices even though I knew it would be totally impossible.
So when I mentioned to Nik on MSN that I had been looking up train times to Sheffield, I had absolutely no idea that Friday afternoon along with DD & DS, we would be on the way the Sheffield on a very crowded train.

At 7pm we were stood at the end of a very long queue that seemed to be stretched around the whole city, in the pouring rain. Our spirits weren't dampened though...My legs were wobbly and my stomach was in a world of its own. We were hoping that the rain would stop eventually, after all the work that Nik and DS had done on the banners we at least wanted to be able to hold them up so JK could see them. I couldn't believe I was really here and that we were going to see JK in the flesh.

It felt like forever in that queue but by 7.45 we were in the stadium. We were soaked anyway so we went to the front where we were likely to get a lot wetter...I wanted the best view I could possibly get at whatever cost...I don't think I actually voiced that at the time but Boy, I got soaked more times than I could remember in the name of Griffin so I knew I could take it. If I had said Let's stay back here undercover, I know I/We would have regretted it later.

They were still rehearsing the show when we got in there but unfortunately we had just missed the boys bit. We saw the girls come out. They were waving at the crowd and smiling even though they were all getting as soaked as we were. There was a lot of crowd support for Bernie Nolan. She seemed the most receptive and she was waving frantically and smiling and shouting things to the crowd. I think there was a lot of support for Julia Goldsworthy(MP) too.

Things get a little blurry I have to say as there was a lot of waiting around whilst rehearsals finished and cameras were put in place and links were recorded by the Inside track presenters Caroline Flack and JLC. I know that around 8.20pm the 2 radio presenters from Hallam FM came out to warm up the crowd. It was obvious that the female presenter Michelle Dignan fancied JK too because when she was getting the crowd to shout out for their favourite, Jason was the only one she called "The lovely" JK

Finally 9pm and the show began. I didn't really know If I was going to last the distance myself. I was soaked and freezing. My legs ached and my feet had been replaced by blocks of ice. My stomach had been replaced by massive bats that were flapping their wings furiously and my heart was beating so fast that I thought it might even explode. It was so loud that I could hardly hear myself think and having to shout to make myself heard was part of why my throat is so sore now.
I thought I was going to pass out in anticipation of seeing Jason run out..We weren't too far from the tunnel and as the announcer called his name I actually stopped breathing, then I remembered to start clapping and generally go mad. Hyper-ventilation is something that I haven't experienced for quite a while. The celebs stood waving at the crowd and pointing out their banners, I am sure Jason noticed Nik's banner..she said he was pointing at another one but I am sure it was her. Someone in the crowd had a banner that said The person behind me can't see...this is a suggestion he made himself on the Moyles show and he obviously loved that they had taken notice and started bowing towards it.


The competition started with the women's hammer. We were all disappointed with this as it was right at the other side of the stadium which was lit up for the cameras but there were these huge ground lights which were pointed right at the crowd so we were practically blinded. The screen was so small too that we couldn't really see that either. The only result I actually saw for myself was when Amanda Lamb hit the side of the cage resulting in a no-throw. Needless to say that Javine won the event and Julia came second.

Then all the celebs came past us as they walked to the Javelin track. Woo! we would actually get to see JK throw his javelin as it was in good enough range that I didn't have to strain my eyes too much. We shouted and screamed as they went past us then it was an ad break or back to Jamie in the studio as the 2 DJs came out again to keep the crowd occupied. There was a point that was silent and Nik dared me to shout out but I wimped out. Then I felt bad because I really wanted Jason to know that we love him, so at the next opportunity I shouted as loud as I could "We love you JK" MY GOD!!! that really hurt and I felt my whole throat vibrating.

Once it got down to the Javelin comp to start I was so glad that I hadn't actually eaten that day as I suddenly felt very sick. JK had thrown really well in the Heats and only been beaten by Peter Duncan. He had a personal best of 25 and it was really important that he beat that. Jade Jones had failed to score at all in the heats although there was a suspicion that he had done it on purpose. As soon as he threw it was obvious that he had been playing games as he threw a massive 30 metres. Personally I knew inside that Jason could beat him. His technique seemed really strong and although he was having a little trouble with his elbow, He did have a lot of power behind his throw. As JK took his run up, I was struggling to breathe.......then it just flew through the air. It was amazing...I was sure that he had beat Jones' throw...Not quite but he got the PB which is all important as it gets an extra point.
Adam and MacPlatnum threw average throws but Peter was the one to fear...He did throw a great distance ...but he stepped over the line which meant JK came second!!!!!

Blurry -blurry -blurry...raining, wet,cold....fast forward to the sprinting.
As the girls were getting ready to run I am afraid I wasn't taking much notice It was much more interesting to watch JK and Pete warming up. I was trying very hard to get a good picture but this is all i got

Believe me, that is JK in the hat with Pete in the red. My zoom on my camera is really pants and I need to get a new and better camera, although I have been wanting a new camera for ages so I can go on wanting......

I was watching the boys as the Girls were being announced. JK really clapped and cheered as Bernie Nolan was announced. He clapped for the other girls half-heartedly...except for Javine, He didn't show any reaction at all when her name was read out...
Javine won that anyway and Kirty Gallacher announced that she was the Women's champion..blah blah blah Julia Goldsworthy came 2nd over all and Michelle Gayle won 3rd place.
Finally the men's sprint. To be quite honest I didn't think that this would be a good result for JK. Platnum was most likely to literally run away with it and Jade Jones just seemed to be good at everything so with Peter Duncan proving himself throughout I though JK was doomed for 4th. I decided I was going to try and video the race on my camera as it was right in front of us.
As they came out of the blocks, Jason took first place and was really going some as MacPlatnum seemed to struggle to catch him. My little piece of footage
I couldn't bare it I turned the camera off so I could cheer him on. From where we were it looked like he ended 3rd but as we saw on the screen, he was in fact 2nd and not far behind the 6 ft legs of Platnum. So we just went wild...I felt so proud of him. I think it was me and Nik being there that spurred him on. 2nd in both events which means he won the Bronze medal and the chance to stand up on the podium.



I desperately wished we could have stayed behind and try and get to meet JK...Well many of them really but we didn't have much time until the last train home so we had to disappear pretty quick.
We got back to Derby around midnight. We had been very wet and very cold but I think I speak for all of us when I say we were also very happy. After some hot drinks and cheese on toast, Nik and I settled into some classic streaming clips of the wonderful Mr King in the Athlete's village.

So as my good friend Abby has just said to me on MSN....And so it begins.....