Anyway, following on from last year's July odyssey following/supporting athletics/athletes around Europe - Cork, Paris, Barcelona - I have been to a trio of big events in recent times, although only one was outside the UK and they were different sports. I started with an excellent day on Wimbledon's Centre Court (Murray; Nadal v Del Potro; Williams, V) with Claudie, courtesy of tickets from running mate Andy Bradley; then forayed down to the French Riviera and a new country for me, Monaco, for the Diamond League athletics meeting; finally to the Cheltenham Cricket Festival for Glos v Surrey. All three were played out in glorious summer sunshine, a real bonus in our fickle weather cycles.
Add to these big events the incomparable Tour de France, superbly compered by ITV4 (athletics broadcasters take note), the ever enjoyable British Open and some exciting Formula One races (I walked through Monaco's F1 tunnel, quite an experience) and you have the usual wonderful summer of sport with still the World Athletics Champs to come.
Whilst both the tennis and cricket were enjoyable, the fitness levels of the male tennis players being of particular interest, the highlight was Monaco. The Diamond League is certainly well marketed - it clearly helps when Usain Bolt is participating - and has to be the best value for money in sport with our tickets, in row one just after the finish line, a mere €6. (I doubt that this week's Diamond League at Crystal Palace will be quite such good value but Monaco was clearly priced to ensure a full house.) The super cool Phillips Idowu was on our plane, he's certainly not the archetypal travelling international athlete, dressed more like a break dancer.
Highlight of the meeting was Mo Farah's superb 12:53 UK 5000 metre record. As is his wont these days, he lay well off the fast pace in the early laps, which I thought a little dangerous given the quality of the field - all the top Africans bar Bekele, plus Rupp, Lagat and Solinsky from the USA - but when the pacemakers pulled out the field concertinaed as the lap times dropped a few seconds from the 62s that were being churned out. Farah then took charge and looked dominant as he outsprinted Lagat down the home straight whilst the other two Americans both tripped over African legs and dropped out of the race, Solinsky taking his anger out on a pot plant and an advertising hording with his fist / foot (not the first fight of the night either ...).
Is Farah's breakthrough this year all down to his move to Alberto Salazar's group in America? I don't think so; it has clearly helped, not least in lifestyle in comparison to Kenya for him and his young family. The breakthrough was coming anyway: I was in Barcelona for his superb win in the European 5000. As with all running, development takes time as conditioning kicks in (club runners be patient and learn!). I just hope that the famed hard task master Salazar gets the balance right and Mo doesn't get tipped over the precipice. Interesting times ahead for the little guy.
The Monaco meeting built to a wonderful crescendo with Bolt and local hero Christophe LeMaitre on the start line of the 100m at the same time as France's other hero, Renaud Lavillenie was attempting 6.07 in the pole vault at the far end of the stadium and right in front of us, the amazing diva Blanka Vlasic was going for 2.01 in the high jump. Then instead of the steeplechase being 'after the Lord Mayor's show' it was an incredibly fast three way race with Brimin Kipruto (Kenyan of course) missing the world record by 0.01 of a second in 7:53.64. Wonderful stuff all for €6 and we got fireworks at the end. I highly recommend Diamond League meets, this was my second, they make for a great weekend away. In a little under three hours there is non-stop track and field action from the finest athletes in the world and there are no interruptions for inane talk from Colin Jackson & Jonathan Edwards - yes you actually get to see field and longer track events develop.
... and the fight? At the end of the men's 1500 and again right in front of us, two French team mates of North African origin, Mehdi Baala and Mahiedine Mekhissi, squared up. First Baala head butted his adversary then they both threw an avalance of punches at each other. There was nothing about that in the programme.
