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The Games of the 30th Olympiad 2012... | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
The biggest sporting event the UK has ever seen starts this week. | 0:00:04 | 0:00:08 | |
And it all begins here. | 0:00:08 | 0:00:10 | |
# It's the final countdown... # | 0:00:10 | 0:00:13 | |
..the City of London! | 0:00:13 | 0:00:16 | |
It's the final countdown. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:19 | |
So this week, as we count down to the start of the Olympic Games, | 0:00:19 | 0:00:23 | |
we speak to one competitor about her medal hopes for 2012. | 0:00:23 | 0:00:27 | |
We take a sneak preview at some of the Olympic venues | 0:00:27 | 0:00:31 | |
and we enjoy winning hymns that will take us to the finish. | 0:00:31 | 0:00:34 | |
MUSIC: "Waiting For A Star To Fall" by Boy Meets Girl | 0:00:40 | 0:00:44 | |
This Friday, the eyes of the world will be on the stadium behind me | 0:00:54 | 0:00:58 | |
as London launches the 30th Olympic Games. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:00 | |
This whole area will be buzzing with excitement | 0:01:00 | 0:01:03 | |
as London welcomes the best athletes in the world. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:05 | |
All of them going for gold. | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
The lucky winners will stand on top of the podium for the special moment | 0:01:07 | 0:01:11 | |
when their national anthem is played in celebration. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
Our first hymn has become the unofficial national anthem of Wales. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:18 | |
It's Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:21 | |
The Olympic Park is home to nine competition venues, | 0:03:59 | 0:04:02 | |
including the Aquatic Centre, the Basketball Arena, | 0:04:02 | 0:04:05 | |
the Velodrome and, of course, the Olympic Stadium. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:09 | |
The area it covers is equivalent to 357 football pitches. | 0:04:10 | 0:04:15 | |
And over 46,000 people have worked on the project | 0:04:15 | 0:04:18 | |
to get it ready for this spectacular sporting event. | 0:04:18 | 0:04:22 | |
Construction began on the stadium behind me back in 2008. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:30 | |
And with less than a week to go, it looks impressive, doesn't it? | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
As the location for the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics, | 0:04:34 | 0:04:37 | |
the stadium will be the centrepiece of the Games. | 0:04:37 | 0:04:40 | |
It'll be broadcast around the world | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
as races are fought on the track and records are rewritten. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
Let's hope Team GB win plenty of medals. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:49 | |
COMMENTATOR: It's going to be Britain one and two...! | 0:04:49 | 0:04:54 | |
As the winner of two Olympic gold medals, | 0:04:54 | 0:04:56 | |
Lord Coe knows all about glory. | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
His vision for London 2012 is just days away from becoming a reality. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:04 | |
We started with three people sitting in a pub thinking it's a good idea. | 0:05:04 | 0:05:08 | |
When we get to the opening ceremony, | 0:05:08 | 0:05:10 | |
we'll have 6,000 people in the organisation. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
It's a sobering thought you've done the count down from seven years, | 0:05:13 | 0:05:17 | |
but really, now it's close, it's going to be there. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:20 | |
The story really only starts at the time of the Games, in terms of legacy. | 0:05:21 | 0:05:27 | |
I really want people to feel they came to London, had fantastic sport | 0:05:27 | 0:05:31 | |
and went away feeling they'd had a big celebration. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:36 | |
In a funny sort of way, it feels a bit like | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
being thrown back 30-odd years to my competitive days | 0:05:38 | 0:05:41 | |
where I'm now thinking I'm in the countdown to an Olympic final. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:45 | |
I hope that we are able to say that we delivered a fantastic Games. | 0:05:47 | 0:05:51 | |
I really want the athletes to be able to look at me | 0:05:51 | 0:05:55 | |
and genuinely say, "Look, there were no stones left unturned." | 0:05:55 | 0:05:59 | |
And I guess I see this through the eyes of a former competitor | 0:05:59 | 0:06:03 | |
because every time you see an athlete walk out here, | 0:06:03 | 0:06:06 | |
you just have to remember they've probably | 0:06:06 | 0:06:08 | |
devoted half their young lives to that one moment. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:11 | |
You can't, by conscience, give them anything other than | 0:06:11 | 0:06:15 | |
the very best level of service that you can possibly provide them. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:19 | |
COMMENTATOR: Coe wins! | 0:06:19 | 0:06:21 | |
Second is Straub, third is Ovett, fourth is Busse. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:23 | |
And what a comeback for Sebastian Coe! | 0:06:24 | 0:06:28 | |
The sound inside locations like this velodrome will be electric | 0:06:30 | 0:06:34 | |
as spectators cheer on their athletes as they strive for victory. | 0:06:34 | 0:06:37 | |
Our next hymn is about overcoming the odds. | 0:06:37 | 0:06:40 | |
It's become a sporting anthem, particularly for English rugby fans. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:43 | |
It often echoes around stadiums. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:45 | |
It's Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:47 | |
MUSIC: "Waiting For A Star To Fall" by Boy Meets Girl | 0:08:44 | 0:08:48 | |
The finishing touches are being put in place. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 | |
At Friday's opening ceremony, | 0:08:51 | 0:08:53 | |
the best athletes in the world will enter this stadium. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
And all of them will have huge ambitions for London 2012. | 0:08:56 | 0:09:00 | |
I don't know about you, but it's making me nervous thinking about it. | 0:09:00 | 0:09:03 | |
Well, for all those athletes in it to win it, | 0:09:03 | 0:09:06 | |
our next hymn is one of great hope. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:08 | |
The Aquatics Centre is one of 34 venues | 0:11:12 | 0:11:15 | |
that will host sporting events during the Olympic Games. | 0:11:15 | 0:11:18 | |
At all the venues, athletes will compete who've spent years | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
preparing for their moment to shine. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:23 | |
All eyes will be on Great Britain hopeful Tom Daley | 0:11:23 | 0:11:26 | |
as he takes to the diving board in the hope of winning his first Olympic medal. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:30 | |
And having won eight, yes, eight medals at the Beijing Olympics, | 0:11:30 | 0:11:33 | |
American swimmer Michael Phelps | 0:11:33 | 0:11:35 | |
will be hoping to make waves in this very pool. | 0:11:35 | 0:11:38 | |
It's an opportunity for us to be inspired. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:40 | |
With venues like this one opening to the public at the end of the Games, | 0:11:40 | 0:11:43 | |
a legacy will of course remain. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:45 | |
Look out for me in Rio in 2016(!) | 0:11:45 | 0:11:48 | |
Someone else taking to the water and going for gold | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
is Team GB veteran Debbie Flood. | 0:11:55 | 0:11:59 | |
I've done sport all my life. I did lots of things through school. | 0:12:01 | 0:12:05 | |
It wasn't until I started on a rowing machine that somebody said, "You're really good." | 0:12:05 | 0:12:10 | |
And that really showed the potential there. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:12 | |
But in the boat, it was so, so different. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:15 | |
It really is not easy. | 0:12:15 | 0:12:17 | |
I spent most of my first week swimming because I fell in so much. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:21 | |
-It sounds horrendous. -THEY LAUGH | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
But you love it. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:25 | |
I train three times a day and it's full-on all year round. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:29 | |
I don't want to be sat on the start line thinking, | 0:12:29 | 0:12:32 | |
"I should have trained harder this year." | 0:12:32 | 0:12:34 | |
I want to be sat there knowing I've done everything possible | 0:12:34 | 0:12:37 | |
to be the best that I can be and have no regrets, really. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
-Do you think what you've got is a God-given gift? -Definitely. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
I really believe that God has given me my abilities. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:47 | |
Everyone has something they're good at. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:49 | |
And for me, God's given me the gift to be able to row | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
and the opportunity to do that. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:54 | |
I definitely feel this is where God wants me at the moment. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
London 2012 will be Debbie's third Olympic games. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:02 | |
Having already won two silver medals, let's hope it's a gold. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:05 | |
My first Olympic medal in Athens, | 0:13:07 | 0:13:09 | |
that was my first competitive Olympics. | 0:13:09 | 0:13:11 | |
COMMENTATOR: Great Britain are coming! It's a sprint to the line! | 0:13:11 | 0:13:14 | |
But Germany will get it...! | 0:13:14 | 0:13:17 | |
The four of us in our crew, we'd never won a senior medal before. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:20 | |
We'd never won a world championships' medal or anything. | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
On the medal podium, we stood there with our arms around each other. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:27 | |
We all knew how much it meant. How many years we'd put into it. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:30 | |
The ups and downs we'd gone through to get there. | 0:13:30 | 0:13:33 | |
And you share that as a team. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
How do you cope as an athlete when the medal isn't gold? | 0:13:36 | 0:13:39 | |
I really trust in God that he's got my life in his hands. | 0:13:39 | 0:13:42 | |
And winning or losing, you know, | 0:13:42 | 0:13:45 | |
will define me in people's eyes temporarily, | 0:13:45 | 0:13:48 | |
but, um...for me, it's not going to shape me inside or change who I am. | 0:13:48 | 0:13:53 | |
COMMENTATOR: They now move into a territory | 0:13:53 | 0:13:56 | |
they've never been in before here | 0:13:56 | 0:13:58 | |
in this women's quadruple scull! | 0:13:58 | 0:14:00 | |
What springs to mind is Beijing. My second silver Olympic medal. | 0:14:00 | 0:14:03 | |
And Great Britain now have allowed China to go through! | 0:14:03 | 0:14:07 | |
We crossed the line and we were absolutely gutted. | 0:14:07 | 0:14:10 | |
Inconsolable, really. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:11 | |
It is China for the gold medal! | 0:14:11 | 0:14:14 | |
It will be another time, another silver for Great Britain! | 0:14:14 | 0:14:17 | |
I'll always look back on that race and be disappointed we didn't win. | 0:14:17 | 0:14:21 | |
That's what we wanted to do. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:22 | |
Medals are fantastic and I love winning, | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
but I'm not going to take my medals with me when I pass away. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
In the light of eternity, Jesus surpasses everything else. | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
Let's talk some more about the all-important Olympics | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
after we've heard from the Maria Fidelis Convent School | 0:14:35 | 0:14:38 | |
and their singing in the glorious setting of St Paul's. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:41 | |
We Shall Overcome. | 0:14:41 | 0:14:43 | |
# We shall overcome | 0:14:47 | 0:14:54 | |
# We shall overcome | 0:14:54 | 0:15:00 | |
# We shall overcome | 0:15:00 | 0:15:05 | |
# Some day | 0:15:05 | 0:15:13 | |
# Deep in my heart | 0:15:13 | 0:15:20 | |
# I do believe | 0:15:20 | 0:15:27 | |
# We shall overcome | 0:15:27 | 0:15:32 | |
# Some day | 0:15:32 | 0:15:36 | |
# We'll walk hand in hand | 0:15:41 | 0:15:47 | |
# We'll walk hand in hand | 0:15:47 | 0:15:53 | |
# We'll walk hand in hand | 0:15:53 | 0:15:59 | |
# Some day | 0:15:59 | 0:16:06 | |
# Deep in my heart | 0:16:06 | 0:16:13 | |
# I do believe | 0:16:13 | 0:16:19 | |
# We'll walk hand in hand | 0:16:19 | 0:16:24 | |
# Some day | 0:16:24 | 0:16:29 | |
# We are not alone | 0:16:32 | 0:16:38 | |
# We are not alone | 0:16:38 | 0:16:44 | |
# We are not alone | 0:16:44 | 0:16:50 | |
# Today | 0:16:50 | 0:16:56 | |
# Ohhhhhhhhh | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
# Deep in my heart | 0:16:58 | 0:17:04 | |
# I do believe | 0:17:04 | 0:17:10 | |
# We are not alone | 0:17:10 | 0:17:15 | |
# Today | 0:17:15 | 0:17:21 | |
# Deep in my heart | 0:17:24 | 0:17:29 | |
# I do believe | 0:17:29 | 0:17:36 | |
# We shall overcome | 0:17:36 | 0:17:41 | |
# Some day. # | 0:17:41 | 0:17:48 | |
Debbie has her eyes firmly on the finish line | 0:17:52 | 0:17:55 | |
and is hoping for an extra-special win on home soil. | 0:17:55 | 0:17:58 | |
My ambition for 2012 is to come back with a gold medal, definitely. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:03 | |
Training is going really well. It's very full-on. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:05 | |
But we're really, really excited about racing. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:09 | |
For me, it's going to be the greatest honour of my career | 0:18:09 | 0:18:11 | |
to represent my country in front of a home crowd. | 0:18:11 | 0:18:14 | |
The atmosphere will be electric. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:16 | |
When you're on that start line, do you pray for a win? | 0:18:16 | 0:18:19 | |
I would never pray for a win. I would always pray that | 0:18:19 | 0:18:21 | |
I can absolutely do my best and glorify God in that. | 0:18:21 | 0:18:24 | |
I think to pray for a win would be wrong. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:27 | |
Because in sport, if someone else is better than you, then they win. | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
We have that will to want to do it and belief that we can do it, but | 0:18:30 | 0:18:35 | |
win or lose will depend on how fast everyone else goes. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:39 | |
Do you find that as you are getting closer to the main event | 0:18:39 | 0:18:42 | |
that you return to your faith more? | 0:18:42 | 0:18:44 | |
Yeah. The pressure is building. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:46 | |
For me, I come back to my favourite Bible passage in Proverbs - | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
"Lean not on your own understanding. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:53 | |
"But in all your ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your path." | 0:18:53 | 0:18:57 | |
We know that you've got a faith. What about Christian music? | 0:18:59 | 0:19:02 | |
-Do you have a favourite hymn? -Yeah. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:04 | |
My favourite hymn is In Christ Alone. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:06 | |
-It's a fantastic song. -By Stuart Townend. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:09 | |
It just sums up everything for me. | 0:19:09 | 0:19:11 | |
"From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny." | 0:19:11 | 0:19:14 | |
It's just fantastic words. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:16 | |
All these venues will be bursting with activity over the coming weeks. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:51 | |
Almost 15,000 athletes will take part | 0:22:51 | 0:22:53 | |
in the Olympics and Paralympics. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:55 | |
Competing for just 800 gold medals. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:58 | |
They'll all be hoping to make their mark in history. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
Just imagine being a member of Team GB | 0:23:01 | 0:23:03 | |
and stepping out in front of your home crowd. | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
It doesn't get better than that, does it? | 0:23:05 | 0:23:07 | |
Eternal God, we pray for those preparing for the London Olympic | 0:26:33 | 0:26:37 | |
and Paralympic Games. | 0:26:37 | 0:26:40 | |
For the competitors, their loved ones, | 0:26:40 | 0:26:42 | |
and for the thousands who will support them. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:45 | |
We pray for the spirit of humility, both in success and defeat. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:51 | |
And may the love of God transcend all competition. | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
Amen. | 0:26:54 | 0:26:56 | |
# Amazing grace | 0:27:05 | 0:27:11 | |
# How sweet the sound | 0:27:11 | 0:27:17 | |
# That saved | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
# A wretch | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
# Like me | 0:27:23 | 0:27:28 | |
# I once was lost | 0:27:28 | 0:27:34 | |
# But now I'm found | 0:27:34 | 0:27:39 | |
# Was blind | 0:27:39 | 0:27:42 | |
# But now | 0:27:42 | 0:27:46 | |
# I see | 0:27:46 | 0:27:51 | |
# 'Twas grace | 0:27:51 | 0:27:54 | |
# That taught | 0:27:54 | 0:27:56 | |
# My heart to fear | 0:27:56 | 0:28:02 | |
# And grace | 0:28:02 | 0:28:05 | |
# My fears | 0:28:05 | 0:28:08 | |
# Relieved | 0:28:08 | 0:28:14 | |
# How precious | 0:28:14 | 0:28:18 | |
# Did that | 0:28:18 | 0:28:21 | |
# Grace appear | 0:28:21 | 0:28:26 | |
# The hour | 0:28:26 | 0:28:28 | |
# I first believed | 0:28:28 | 0:28:36 | |
# When we've been there | 0:28:36 | 0:28:41 | |
# 10,000 years | 0:28:41 | 0:28:45 | |
# Bright shining | 0:28:45 | 0:28:49 | |
# As the sun | 0:28:49 | 0:28:54 | |
# We've no less days | 0:28:54 | 0:28:59 | |
# To sing God's praise | 0:28:59 | 0:29:03 | |
# Than when | 0:29:03 | 0:29:06 | |
# We'd first begun | 0:29:06 | 0:29:13 | |
# Than when | 0:29:13 | 0:29:17 | |
# We'd first | 0:29:17 | 0:29:20 | |
# Begun. # | 0:29:20 | 0:29:28 | |
It's really not that long now. | 0:29:32 | 0:29:34 | |
The final team selections have been made, | 0:29:34 | 0:29:36 | |
the training is nearly complete and the tickets have all been sold. | 0:29:36 | 0:29:40 | |
Up to 80,000 spectators will fill that stadium on Friday | 0:29:40 | 0:29:44 | |
to welcome the world's finest athletes. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:47 | |
The final countdown to an event | 0:29:47 | 0:29:49 | |
that will go down in sporting history really has begun. | 0:29:49 | 0:29:52 | |
I don't know about you, but I can't wait. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:54 | |
Let's finish on a high note with a great hymn, To God Be The Glory. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:58 | |
On next week's programme, a subject we've not dared talk about before, | 0:33:26 | 0:33:30 | |
even though many experience it. We'll be thinking about loneliness. | 0:33:30 | 0:33:34 | |
We'll discuss the agonies of waiting for Mr or Mrs Right | 0:33:34 | 0:33:38 | |
and hear about a Bible-based initiative | 0:33:38 | 0:33:40 | |
that tackles loneliness head-on. | 0:33:40 | 0:33:42 | |
Plus, of course, more heavenly hymns. | 0:33:42 | 0:33:44 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:33:50 | 0:33:53 |