‘So proud’ of 2012 Olympic legacy

Friday, August 10, 2012
2:59 PM

a media merry-go-round followed the eventing team’s exciting silver medal performance at Greenwich Park.

The riders were straight into a press conference straight away - bar Mary King who was whisked off for a routine dope test and her horse Imperial Cavalier was also tested.

She said: “I caught up with the others after that, and we were taken from interview to interview at Greenwich Park and then the Olympic Park and didn’t finish until 11.30pm. We got back to the athletes’ village, and sat down to watch the highlights on TV but were too tired to do any celebrating .

“ We had to be up at 6.30am for our first press call the next day which was surreal as we had bodyguards. Our timings were so tight that we had no time to stop for autographs and pictures and we would have been swamped without the bodyguards.

“We did have a break in the afternoon when we got taken in to watch three quarters of an hour of gymnastics, then it was on to the Hyde Park Live concert. We were treated like VIPs, and went up on stage where we were cheered by the crowd, who I am sure weren’t a bit ‘horsey’ but still cheered us!

“Then we were interviewed on stage and showed off our medals.

“The next day I didn’t really know what to do so got an early train home. People kept recognising me and saying well done and when I got off at Honiton, the people waiting to get on started cheering and clapping! When I got home there were about 50 people there to greet me.”

“It was a truly amazing experience. It was the best ever Olympics of the six I have been to. I am so proud of GB for turning what was a ‘forgotten’ area of London that was stagnant canal and truly disgusting, into such a fabulous area that will be affordable housing. It is so beautiful, spacious and well-landscaped

“I don’t think the medal will change my life. I still have an urge to compete at the top level. Gold would have had more impact. I just want to carry on. The sport in general has had such a boost. We were lucky as Britain hadn’t won a medal until us , we were early on and we had Zara (Phillips) in the team which all created media interest. It was such a fantastic week, indescribable. The home crowd support was wonderful and gave us all a massive boost.”