The 2008 Beijing Olympics
and Paralympics
on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã
Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio team Olympic impressions
John Inverdale
Ìý
John Inverdale began his career as a reporter
on the Lincolnshire Echo before moving to
Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Lincolnshire in 1982.
Ìý
His first job
with network radio was in 1986 as a sports
reporter for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 2 and a news
reporter for Radio 4 on the Today
programme.
Ìý
In 1988 he became presenter of
Sport On 2, which he hosted for six years
until the advent of Radio 5 Live, when he
moved to a daily news programme.
Ìý
During his radio career, he has presented five
Olympic Games, several rugby and football
world cups, 19 Wimbledon championships,
12 Open golf championships, and numerous
other major sporting events.
Ìý
In 1997, he was
named Broadcaster of the Year at the Sony
Awards, and in 1998, Radio Personality of the
Year by the Variety Club.
Ìý
He hosted his own Ö÷²¥´óÐã One sports chat
show, Onside, for seven series, and is a
regular presenter on other sports
programmes including the daily highlights
show from Wimbledon.
Ìý
"For me, the Olympics is a celebration of
being healthy.
Ìý
"My most memorable moment from past
Olympics is watching Adrian Moorhouse
winning his swimming gold in Seoul. I
watched it in a bar in the Korean capital
surrounded by 200 locals who'd turned the
TV over from the taekwando just for me.
Ìý
"I have been to China, but not for 25 years,
when everyone was on bikes!
Ìý
"I'm looking
forward to seeing how accommodating the
Chinese people can be when the world
is watching.
Ìý
"I think the main significance of it being
held in Beijing is the expansion of the
Olympic movement.
Ìý
"As for the action in the Games themselves
this time around, there's one hope I have
above all others. Although I want the rowers
to win loads of medals, I really want Paula
Radcliffe to win the marathon and crown a
glittering career in style.
Ìý
"I'll tentatively predict that, if she's fit, along
with the rowers – and how about the men's
hockey team for an unlikely gold, 20 years
after Seoul?
Ìý
"It will be great to have the Olympics in
London in 2012 because it means I can get to
them by tube! And it will be a real chance to
show the world that London is one of the, if
not the greatest city of them all."
Ìý
Ìý
Printable version