The real Olympic legacy Londoners would like to see

 
Jessica Ennis
Kara Dolman16 August 2012

The flame has been extinguished, the Brazilians have danced all over our closing ceremony and, now, POD (or, to use its full name, post-Olympic depression) has well and truly set in. That’s right, London 2012 is officially over — but we’re not ready to say goodbye to the Games just yet. Here’s our round-up of the things we are missing most about being the world’s centre of attention. Boris, take note …

THE FANS

They may have been standing on the wrong side of the escalator, they may have been blocking your exit at every stop, but haven’t the Olympic tourists warmed up our Underground and — okay, I’ll say it — lives? From the terrific tangerine of the Dutch (who seemed to be everywhere), to the bold yellow, green and blue of the Brazilians, London suddenly became a brighter and friendlier place. If only the future was still orange.

THE BODIES

What do you get if you take 10,490 athletes from 205 nations and squeeze them into one medium-sized capital? Wall-to-wall totty, that’s what. We’ve barely been able to move on the Tube or flick through the TV channels without being assaulted by rock-hard abs. But while admiring a fine, scantily clad physique is, well, a little pervy, respecting an athlete’s rippling thighs — and how fast they move on them — is a completely different thing. Completely different.

TV OF THE GODS

So, what do you fancy watching tonight? How about five hours of seminal sporting moments, followed by the greatest punditry (look, no one compares) of all time? Sorry, that option was so London 2012. Back in London 2012, the year, we’ve just got to make do with regular TV unenhanced by historic and heroic performances, a red button which allows you to watch 24 million screens at once and, yes, Ian Thorpe.

24-HOUR LONDON (well, almost)

Those of us from the provinces agree that despite London’s centre-of-the-universe perks, there is still one area which is distinctly uncosmopolitan: its opening hours. However, keen to sate our need for Olympic nachos (all the better to watch Thorpe with) post-4pm on a Sunday, the supermarkets have been staying open later — and even the Tubes too. Making that magenta-coloured line Metropolitan by name, metropolitan by nature.

CARLESS HEAVEN

Zil lanes, Olympic lanes, Games lanes — call them what you like, but one thing is for sure: we want to keep them. The introduction of the Olympic highway has, rather than causing traffic meltdown, created a cyclist’s, skater’s, pedestrian’s [insert your own category here] free-roaming nirvana. If you liked it then you should insist Boris put five rings on it.

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