:00:12. > :00:22.and drama of this last year in In Wales, we are united by our love
:00:22. > :00:29.
:00:29. > :00:35.of sport and divided by our We can all be moved by sport, but
:00:35. > :00:42.this was a year apart. We were united, divided, and moved. What
:00:42. > :00:47.sport really did this year was stop us in our tracks. Amazing.
:00:47. > :00:53.Brilliant. Great feeling. Brilliant. Incredible. Beautiful. Wow. Bang!
:00:53. > :00:59.So, let's stop again. Find a seat, the best in the house. Sit back.
:00:59. > :01:03.Relive this sporting year of years. 12 months of gold medals, grand
:01:03. > :01:09.slams, Premier League shocks, knockout punches and penalty
:01:09. > :01:18.shootouts. This is the Welsh Sports Review 2012. Where do we start?
:01:18. > :01:23.Well, at the beginning of course! Cast your minds back to January, if
:01:23. > :01:28.you will. The depths of winter. The heights of the Premiership. With
:01:28. > :01:38.Swansea City still dogged by the question - could they survive up
:01:38. > :01:44.
:01:44. > :01:54.here? Why should a club as grand as Arsenal fear coming here? Arst
:01:54. > :01:58.
:01:58. > :02:03.kneel -- Arsenal lead 1-0. 1-1. It's Dyer. It's 2-1. Nathan Dyer,
:02:03. > :02:09.for Swansea. Here comes Swansea again with Danny Graham. It's 3-2.
:02:09. > :02:15.I don't believe it. It's a day for Swansea to savour. They have beaten
:02:15. > :02:20.Arsenal by 3-2. End to end. It was entertaining and Swansea, you know,
:02:20. > :02:27.out passed Arsenal at times. I was at the game. It was fantastic. What
:02:27. > :02:31.was truly amazing though was that it wasn't like a little team
:02:31. > :02:37.winning a Cup tie against a massive team. Suddenly, there was a belief,
:02:37. > :02:42.yeah, why shouldn't we be here? Swansea City flying high. Here's
:02:42. > :02:47.one of those divisions. A stark sporting contrast. Rugby's January.
:02:47. > :02:57.One by one, the four regions dropped out of European competition.
:02:57. > :02:59.
:02:59. > :03:04.So, which was the national game of February means one thing in this
:03:04. > :03:07.country, well six things, actually. The Six Nations. After Wales'
:03:07. > :03:16.heroics at the World Cup in New Zealand, at the tail end of 2011,
:03:16. > :03:24.expectations were high. Sunday, February 5th, the Aviva Stadium,
:03:24. > :03:33.Dublin. An Irish storm was brewing. Who might ride it? Our prodigy.
:03:33. > :03:37.Gorgeous George. Wask North nrt in that game against Ireland was, it
:03:37. > :03:41.reminded me that the tactic when you were playing rugby in school of
:03:41. > :03:46.giving the ball to the one massive kid that you've got in your team
:03:46. > :03:52.who, there is always one. He is aged 116789 by break time has 5.00
:03:53. > :04:00.shadow. You give him the ball. They run in a straight line, casting the
:04:00. > :04:04.inferior kids out of the way like confetti. George North. Then,
:04:04. > :04:11.crashing over the line and scoring a try with one or two of the more
:04:11. > :04:16.determined ones hanging on. Roberts. Davies. North. Big man, strong man.
:04:17. > :04:26.George North he has all the attributes of being a superstar. I
:04:26. > :04:32.am Rae glad he is Welsh. I'm glad I'm not marking. That little soft,
:04:32. > :04:39.offlow pass. Beautiful. George North, Jonathan Davies. It's
:04:39. > :04:44.happening for Wales all of a sudden. And then, Bradley Davies made that
:04:44. > :04:52.tackle that should have been a red card. You know, it clearly was a
:04:52. > :05:00.red card. You just thought, oh, no. Don't throw it away. We are down to
:05:00. > :05:07.14 men again. When Bradley did that the entire Welsh nation went - did
:05:07. > :05:15.you not learn from Sam? It was as if we were seeing history repeating
:05:15. > :05:18.itself. It's what history does. Stephen Ferris, repeating it.
:05:18. > :05:22.all comes down to Leigh Halfpenny, and a penalty am you think, what is
:05:22. > :05:26.going through his mind? He must be thinking of that World Cup semi-
:05:26. > :05:36.final against France. This is his moment of redemption. He must have
:05:36. > :05:38.
:05:38. > :05:43.that, kind of, oh, God, what if it happens again?
:05:43. > :05:49.COMMENTATOR: Leigh Halfpenny kicks the penalty. Wales have won in
:05:49. > :05:53.Ireland. In a match that has been dramatic from start to finish.
:05:53. > :05:58.you are going to beat Ireland in Dublin, you want to do it in injury
:05:58. > :06:04.time and get off there as quickly as you can. It could easily have
:06:04. > :06:08.gone the other way. Seven days later, the bruises from Dublin
:06:09. > :06:18.still sore, the first home game of the six nation, Scotland and the
:06:18. > :06:26.emergence of a new giant, on the other wing. It's Alex Cuthbert.
:06:27. > :06:31.Alex Cuthbert gets Wales off to a perfect start. Come on! The age of
:06:31. > :06:37.the giant. Brian the Organ of West Wales and the world! Over 100,000
:06:37. > :06:42.internet hits for our maun man doing his bit for -- man doing his
:06:42. > :06:48.bit for our country. He was so funny. He was really excited and
:06:48. > :06:51.excited. I won't repeat what he said. It was absolutely hilarious.
:06:51. > :07:01.Who ever thought of filming him. It was his grandson or something.
:07:01. > :07:09.Brilliant. Should stay on the internet forever! Next stop,
:07:09. > :07:15.Twickers. As long as we beat the English, says the song, smashem,
:07:15. > :07:20.says Jonathan Davies. We have to go to Twickenham really we could
:07:20. > :07:30.absolutely smashem them physically. COMMENTATOR: We are at the heart of
:07:30. > :07:33.
:07:33. > :07:43.the Championship. It is the game at the crossroads, two sides unbeaten.
:07:43. > :07:49.A thumping tackle. What a tackle by Warburton. It was such a tense game.
:07:49. > :07:58.It was nip and tuck. And then, suddenly this little angel dropped
:07:58. > :08:07.from heaven, came into the middle this incredible cauldron and...
:08:07. > :08:11.Artful Dodger, Scot Williams picks the lock. Strips the ball from
:08:11. > :08:18.Courtney Laws. COMMENTATOR: Williams. He's done it.
:08:18. > :08:21.Scot Williams for Wales. He scores the try that might take Wales to
:08:21. > :08:26.their Triple Crown at Twickenham. They have never won a Triple Crown
:08:26. > :08:36.here. This could be their first. But, there was still time for one
:08:36. > :08:42.
:08:42. > :08:45.last twist. I was right up above the corner when there was that
:08:45. > :08:51.final attack. Leigh Halfpenny came from nowhere to get there.
:08:51. > :08:56.COMMENTATOR: Here we go. Again it was Leigh Halfpenny running across
:08:56. > :09:00.the width of the pitch to make that last-minute tackle.
:09:00. > :09:05.COMMENTATOR: Did he get the ball down? Halfpenny, with no kind of
:09:06. > :09:11.thought to his own safety, just throws himself at him. Then, we
:09:11. > :09:18.have to go through the video ref, which seemed to take forever!
:09:18. > :09:28.COMMENTATOR: They will go upstairs. It has been played on the big
:09:28. > :09:39.
:09:39. > :09:45.screen. No try. Inconclusive. try! The game is over.
:09:45. > :09:55.COMMENTATOR: Wales have won here at Twickenham. They complete the
:09:55. > :10:00.
:10:00. > :10:07.Triple Crown. Three wins out of Wales have recruited a bazaar fan,
:10:07. > :10:12.it's the Hoff. It was the most amazing game we have ever seen.
:10:12. > :10:19.When the guys stole the ball and scored the touch down. It was
:10:19. > :10:22.amazing. To stop the try at the end. Halfpenny and Jamie Roberts --
:10:23. > :10:28.George North. George North stopped the try. That very same evening,
:10:28. > :10:32.back in Cardiff, but not so very far from the action at Twickenham,
:10:32. > :10:36.Nathan Cleverly was preparing to defend his WBO Light-heavyweight
:10:36. > :10:44.Title against Tommy Karpency. Now, at the Motorpoint Arena it was
:10:44. > :10:54.Nathan's turn. One way traffic this from the World Champion. Cleverly
:10:54. > :11:02.
:11:02. > :11:07.all over Karpency. The WBO Light- heavyweight Champion of the world,
:11:07. > :11:10.Nathan Cleverly. This weekend wasn't over. The following day,
:11:10. > :11:14.Nathan Cleverly's favourite football team, Cardiff City, were
:11:14. > :11:20.back at Wembley for the fourth time in five seasons.
:11:20. > :11:23.COMMENTATOR: It's a wonderful view. Wembley look as picture. Really
:11:23. > :11:32.good showcase for English football right around the world. This game
:11:32. > :11:35.is being screened in an estimated 151 countries worldwide. I don't
:11:36. > :11:42.think many people gave Cardiff a chance. I think they thought
:11:42. > :11:48.Liverpool would walk over them, it would be 4-0, a Championship side
:11:48. > :11:58.against Premier League side. It was Liverpool. It's mason.
:11:58. > :12:10.
:12:10. > :12:18.COMMENTATOR: Cardiff City lead. Off In it comes again. It's flicked
:12:18. > :12:22.across again. It's in! Cardiff are level. Ben Turner with the goal.
:12:22. > :12:26.The moment that I think about most was, because it happened right in
:12:26. > :12:32.front of me, was Kenny Miller missing, not quite an open goal,
:12:32. > :12:36.nearly an open goal in the last- minute or so.
:12:36. > :12:41.COMMENTATOR: It's Miller. Will Cardiff get a better chance to win
:12:41. > :12:46.it than that? For those of us stood ten yards back from where it
:12:46. > :12:51.happened, it's difficult to get over things like that. Not only did
:12:51. > :13:00.they give them a really good game they took it to penalties. It was
:13:00. > :13:09.an extraordinary situation of the two Gerrards,.
:13:09. > :13:14.COMMENTATOR: It's saved. Gerrard missed one. We thought - it's our
:13:14. > :13:23.day. It's our day. COMMENTATOR: Miller missed as well.
:13:23. > :13:29.That's in. Cardiff one up. No mistake. It hits the post. We are
:13:29. > :13:39.all level again. Stuart Downing scores for Liverpool. Pressure for
:13:39. > :13:45.
:13:45. > :13:55.Johnson. Into the roof! Cardiff have to score. Anthony Gerard has
:13:55. > :14:08.
:14:08. > :14:18.It was pretty agonising, but a great achievement. Life is full of
:14:18. > :14:19.
:14:19. > :14:23.No joy for the Bluebirds against the Reds at Wembley. It wouldn't be
:14:23. > :14:33.the last time this year but below would give way to read at Cardiff
:14:33. > :14:41.
:14:41. > :14:51.On 29th February, Wales played Costa Rica, a memorial match for
:14:51. > :15:05.
:15:05. > :15:15.Spring was in the air. Stage four of the march towards the Grand Slam.
:15:15. > :15:22.
:15:23. > :15:29.-- Italy. And Alex was at it again. Cuthbert, Cuthbert, Cuthbert! Can
:15:29. > :15:34.he make it to the line? Yes, he can! Grand Slam fever could burn,
:15:34. > :15:42.but rugby didn't hold all the headlines. From Cardiff to Swansea,
:15:42. > :15:46.as the swan flies, and they were still flying. For to strike! A win
:15:46. > :15:55.against Wigan, but could they do it against the richest team in the
:15:55. > :15:59.world? When we played man City, four of Manchester City's players,
:15:59. > :16:05.their individual transfer value was worth more than the whole of our
:16:05. > :16:09.team on the pitch. Manchester City's squad, worth over �300
:16:09. > :16:19.million, in the hunt for the title, and here they were at the Liberty
:16:19. > :16:27.
:16:27. > :16:34.And the League leaders are behind. Another masterclass at home from
:16:34. > :16:39.Swansea. To beat the club of the calibre of Manchester City, with
:16:39. > :16:44.all those players that they had available, Swansea was certainly
:16:44. > :16:48.worth the three points that day. was inevitable with all this going
:16:49. > :16:56.on at Swansea that Brendan would soon be courted by the big clubs.
:16:56. > :17:06.But he was here to stay, wasn't he? I am in no hurry to go away from
:17:06. > :17:14.
:17:14. > :17:20.Grand Slam day in Cardiff, anticipation tinged with sadness at
:17:20. > :17:27.the News of the passing of one of rugby's greats. Mervyn Davies. Merv
:17:27. > :17:34.the Swerve. I'd like to think that the boys knew that he knew what it
:17:34. > :17:39.took to win a Grand Slam. With Merv's attitude and passion for
:17:39. > :17:44.playing and winning the game, he would have been touched, and
:17:44. > :17:54.chuffed to think that he might have been mentioned in passing in the
:17:54. > :18:03.
:18:03. > :18:08.changing room, in the team talk, or There was definitely a feeling in
:18:08. > :18:13.Cardiff that day around the stadium that Wales were going to do it. It
:18:13. > :18:16.wasn't even particularly nervous. It was excited, but not nervous.
:18:16. > :18:23.There was absolute belief that Wales were going to win the Grand
:18:23. > :18:28.Slam. I know we have won three times and the last eight years, and
:18:28. > :18:34.it is getting a bit boring now, but it is amazing as a nation, and to
:18:34. > :18:44.see everyone come together, not just in song and in uniform but
:18:44. > :18:50.
:18:50. > :18:54.behind a sport that we are really Priestland, long, to Cuthbert!
:18:54. > :18:59.Wales needed something special, there was some money to provide it.
:18:59. > :19:09.And that somebody in this case was Alex Cuthbert, a lad who not so
:19:09. > :19:09.
:19:09. > :19:14.long ago was looking at football for Gloucester City. And Wales
:19:14. > :19:19.strike against France. A dislike to hurricane has blown through that
:19:19. > :19:29.entire side of the French team. The trail of devastation left in his
:19:29. > :19:38.wake, real cutting-edge stuff. Lee half penny extend the lead. The
:19:38. > :19:44.Welsh players celebrate. Wales have won the Grand Slam. It is a second
:19:44. > :19:50.for Warren Gatland, a third for Wales. What I loved about it was,
:19:50. > :19:56.it was a meeting of two generations. You had Adam Jones and Gethin and
:19:56. > :20:06.Ryan, doing the three-fingered salute. But the kids had arrived as
:20:06. > :20:11.well. George North, Alex Cuthbert, Priestland. It was their win, too.
:20:11. > :20:21.Another grand slam. Dan Lydiate, the player of the tournament. And
:20:21. > :20:22.
:20:22. > :20:25.George North, our Gorgeous George. I think George's agent needs to get
:20:25. > :20:34.on it engaged in some handsome man contract, representing some perfume
:20:34. > :20:40.brand. I would like to sniff him. Wouldn't you? Welsh rugby had a new
:20:40. > :20:45.pin up, but there was trouble for the old one. Gavin Haynes and has
:20:45. > :20:49.apologised for his behaviour and drinking on the flight. Just five
:20:49. > :20:54.months after signing for the region, his career is in the balance. His
:20:54. > :21:00.drunken behaviour on board a flight... He was sacked by the
:21:00. > :21:05.Cardiff blues. And Warren Gatland had a fall of his own. The Wales
:21:05. > :21:08.coach Warren Gatland is to undergo surgery after falling from a
:21:08. > :21:13.ladder... He fell off a ladder while cleaning the windows,
:21:13. > :21:18.dropping three metres onto concrete, taking the full impact on his heels,
:21:18. > :21:20.which both fractured. In the championship, Cardiff City were
:21:20. > :21:30.suddenly banging the men from anywhere, and the commentators were
:21:30. > :21:31.
:21:31. > :21:35.loving it. A huge shot from his own half! Absolutely unbelievable goal!
:21:35. > :21:45.A six-game winning streak, and they were in the play-offs. Might they
:21:45. > :21:55.be heading to Wembley again? In the way, Big Sam. Manager of milky
:21:55. > :22:03.
:22:03. > :22:10.It is deflected in. It is a second for West Ham. And Cardiff are out
:22:10. > :22:16.on their feet. Humbled at home, it would only get worse away. A chance
:22:16. > :22:23.for Maynard. The icing on the cake for West Ham United. In football
:22:23. > :22:27.terms, they didn't really turn up on that day, and sooner or later,
:22:27. > :22:33.they are going to have to change their mind set in order to get over
:22:33. > :22:37.that final hurdle. You have had small clubs like Barnsley and what
:22:37. > :22:43.that and Swindon and Leyton Orient and Bradford City. They have all
:22:43. > :22:50.been there. Cardiff, capital city, it is knuckling -- little short of
:22:50. > :22:53.the disgrace. Newport County did walk up Wembley Way. They, too,
:22:53. > :23:03.would come back empty-handed, losing to York City in the FA
:23:03. > :23:05.
:23:05. > :23:09.Trophy. It is to to nil. Shattered dreams, but not here. At the start
:23:09. > :23:13.of the Swansea season, a local journalist had said, there is more
:23:13. > :23:18.chance of Elvis Presley coming back to life than Swansea City staying
:23:18. > :23:21.in the Premier League. Brendan Rodgers brought that up before the
:23:21. > :23:27.final game of the season, and urged all the fans to go out and put
:23:27. > :23:33.Elvis out fits on. Swansea that day was wonderful. It was great fun,
:23:33. > :23:43.and everybody from five-year-olds to 65-year-olds were dressed like
:23:43. > :23:57.
:23:57. > :24:02.Elvis. I hope Brendan Rodgers # A little less conversation....
:24:02. > :24:12.There would be a price. Liverpool, all shook up that day, had seen
:24:12. > :24:12.
:24:12. > :24:16.their future. The King was about to leave the building. But anything
:24:16. > :24:24.the Swans can do the Ospreys can do better. The rugby team who share
:24:24. > :24:30.the Liverpool Stoke -- the Liberty Stadium were keen to show that they
:24:30. > :24:34.were made of stern stuff. Steve Tandy was guiding them towards the
:24:34. > :24:44.Pro12 play-offs. The run in included one of Shane's many final
:24:44. > :24:48.games. You can't believe it! You just could not script it. He did it
:24:48. > :24:54.in his final international for Wales against Australia, and he has
:24:54. > :25:00.possibly done it again in his final game at the Liberty. Shane's game
:25:00. > :25:10.again. There would be one more last game for shame at the Liberty,
:25:10. > :25:12.
:25:12. > :25:18.He is too quick for O'Donnell. He is too quick for everybody. And
:25:18. > :25:28.that is the try that should see the cost brace into the play-off finals.
:25:28. > :25:33.
:25:33. > :25:38.They were struggling, but pick themselves up, and who would it be?
:25:38. > :25:45.Shane Williams, but the tackle goes for the corner. Of course it was.
:25:45. > :25:55.It had to be. This was made for shame. For the winning points,
:25:55. > :25:59.
:25:59. > :26:09.somebody else had to lend a hand. What a comeback! They are the
:26:09. > :26:12.
:26:12. > :26:18.The following week, Shane would play one more time, against his
:26:18. > :26:25.beloved Wales. He was a barbarian. He wasn't the only Williams saying
:26:25. > :26:35.goodbye. Martyn Williams, congratulations, 100 caps for Wales,
:26:35. > :26:38.
:26:38. > :26:44.of what a legend. Williams against Winter sports were finished, but
:26:44. > :26:50.football was still all over the news. Tonight, Swansea City and
:26:50. > :26:54.looking for any manager for the third time in three seasons. We are
:26:54. > :27:01.looking for a manager. Me and my wife, we couldn't stop crying. We
:27:01. > :27:07.loved our life in Swansea. If I was a Swansea fan, I would feel
:27:07. > :27:12.betrayed by Brendan Rodgers. But football is an industry, and I
:27:12. > :27:19.doubt there are many managers who would say no to the opportunity of
:27:19. > :27:24.managing Liverpool. In Cardiff, too, they were seeing red. For centuries,
:27:24. > :27:29.they have been below and sported a blue bird logo, but now the MLA
:27:29. > :27:34.Asian investors plan to give them a red strip and a dragon logo.
:27:34. > :27:39.the new manager of the other raids poached an old boy, Joe Allen, to
:27:39. > :27:43.Liverpool, for �15 million, whilst Craig Bellamy came home again to
:27:44. > :27:50.Cardiff. And Swansea appointed the great Dane, Michael Laudrup, as
:27:50. > :27:56.their manager. In athletics, Rees Williams became the 400 metres
:27:56. > :28:02.hurdles European champion. I think he may well have booked his seat on
:28:03. > :28:07.the British Olympic team as well as winning this European title. Summer
:28:07. > :28:10.was here, and rugby had the chance to steal the limelight once again.
:28:10. > :28:20.Wales would be heading Down Under, desperate to claim a southern
:28:20. > :28:21.
:28:21. > :28:24.hemisphere scalp. Australia would Wales under-20s beat New Zealand in
:28:24. > :28:28.the Junior World Cup in South Africa. Was this a new world order?
:28:29. > :28:33.Could full Wales win in Oz? thought Six Nations champions, a
:28:33. > :28:39.new sense of professionalism and ambition within the team. They
:28:39. > :28:43.would go to Australia and would take advantage of a fairly depleted
:28:43. > :28:51.wallaby team. In the absence of Warren Gatland, Robert Howley was
:28:51. > :28:56.interim head coach. The first Test was close. Cuthbert gets the try
:28:56. > :29:00.that Wales have been waiting for. It wasn't enough. First flood and
:29:00. > :29:07.first Test to Australia. Midway through the second Test in
:29:07. > :29:13.Melbourne, Wales again came to life. COMMENTATOR: They go for it.
:29:13. > :29:18.Simmonds is not quick enough. John Davies gets the try for Wales. The
:29:18. > :29:22.lead changed hands ten times. A last-minute penalty gave the
:29:22. > :29:25.Wallabies the last word. COMMENTATOR: Players, fans,
:29:25. > :29:35.everybody can hardly look at the sight. Mike Harris has a chance to
:29:35. > :29:35.
:29:35. > :29:43.make a name for himself. Harris. Stabs at it. The fans cheer. It's
:29:43. > :29:47.heartbreak. It's heartbreak for Wales. The cruelest losses are the
:29:47. > :29:52.closest ones. I'd rather get smashed as a fan than lose by a
:29:52. > :29:57.point or two. The same again in Sydney in the third Test. Wales
:29:57. > :30:04.unable to protect a lead at the death. Just a point short. Wales
:30:05. > :30:09.cannot get any closer. At the moment, cannot get the victory Down
:30:09. > :30:16.Under still. When it happens three times on the spin, then, I think,
:30:16. > :30:21.that raises worrying issues. Like, you know, mentality. Is there
:30:21. > :30:30.something which prevents Wales from pushing on over the line against
:30:30. > :30:35.the big teams? To come back there losing 3-0, I think that must have
:30:35. > :30:37.been demoralising. But the pain of losing those three Tests to
:30:37. > :30:47.Australia was nothing compared to the news which rocked Welsh sport
:30:47. > :30:56.on the morning of June 18th. Police are investigating the death of the
:30:56. > :31:01.Welsh cricketer Matthew Maynard in London. -- Tom Maynard in London.
:31:01. > :31:06.got a phone call about Tom's massing -- passing. I couldn't
:31:06. > :31:16.believe. It is it hit the dressing room very hard. Most of those lads
:31:16. > :31:26.there grew up with him. He grew into a big, strong, strapping lad,
:31:26. > :31:28.
:31:28. > :31:32.with bags of talent. He had the potential to go all the way. In
:31:32. > :31:41.2011, Tom nofd Surrey, where he continued to flourish. -- moved to
:31:41. > :31:45.Surrey where he continued to flourish. Surrey were used to
:31:45. > :31:49.having a guy changing in that dressing room and all of a sudden
:31:49. > :31:54.there was an empty sport. When Glamorgan visited Surrey later in
:31:54. > :31:59.the summer, both teams wore his squad number on their shirts. 33
:31:59. > :32:05.for Glamorgan, 55 for Surrey. Tom's father organised a bike ride from
:32:05. > :32:12.Cardiff to the Oval and launched a cricket foundation in his son's
:32:12. > :32:19.name. For however short a period of time he was in our dressing room,
:32:19. > :32:29.it was a pleasure. Lovable lad. Destined for huge success. Sadly,
:32:29. > :32:33.
:32:33. > :32:37.The British summer was one of the worst and wettest on record. The
:32:37. > :32:41.Olympics were just around the corner, yet there remained a
:32:41. > :32:45.certain cynicism about the Games. There was the debate about ticket
:32:45. > :32:49.prices. There was the threat of terrorism. There were so many
:32:49. > :32:53.questions to be answered. Was it worth all the money that we had
:32:53. > :32:59.spent? Would we win any medals? Would the people of Wales ever feel
:32:59. > :33:04.that British? But then something was ignited. The Olympic torch
:33:04. > :33:14.began it is relay all around the land. All across Wales. We stopped
:33:14. > :33:24.
:33:24. > :33:28.I turned down the chance to run with the torch because they said -
:33:29. > :33:32.will you do it in Stoke-on-Trent? I said I can't. I don't know anybody.
:33:32. > :33:37.There they wouldn't want a Welshy running around the streets with
:33:37. > :33:42.torch. My mum and dad were like - what do you mean mean you turned
:33:42. > :33:48.the torch down? It I was like - it's in Stoke. They were like,
:33:48. > :33:56.could you have had a tracksuit and everything. Typical Welsh people.
:33:56. > :34:00.The torch reached London, were Olympic doubts still lingered.
:34:00. > :34:10.negativity that was obviously present leading up to the Games
:34:10. > :34:11.
:34:11. > :34:21.stopped on the very nirst note of Danny -- first note of Danny
:34:21. > :34:47.
:34:47. > :34:54.Boywyles -- Boywles' show. It was Good evening, Mr Bond. A nation
:34:54. > :34:58.united, Welsh, British, where ever you where. As the week unfolded,
:34:58. > :35:02.the first week of the Olympics, the rain cleared, the sun came out. All
:35:02. > :35:05.of a sudden, it couldn't have gone any better. For once, it was quite
:35:05. > :35:09.night to be a Welsh person being able to be in London. Usually I'm
:35:09. > :35:19.like - I we shall I could be in Cardiff. For those two weeks it was
:35:19. > :35:20.
:35:20. > :35:25.pretty nice to be in London in the middle of it all. Team GB's
:35:25. > :35:29.goldrush had started. There was nothing yet for the Welsh
:35:30. > :35:35.contingent. Then Chris Bartley in the Men's Lightweight Four.
:35:35. > :35:38.COMMENTATOR: They are not going to do it. South Africa are Olympic
:35:38. > :35:47.champions. Great Britain get the silver. In the Velodrome, more
:35:47. > :35:51.Welshmen going for gold. Cycling is the British success story. Yet, the
:35:51. > :35:55.Head of it, a Welsh speaking Australian. I love that fact.
:35:55. > :36:00.Massive to get there. The atmosphere was incredible. The buzz
:36:00. > :36:06.of the crowd was amazing. Especially, at home, in London, you
:36:06. > :36:12.know all that is for you. It was just a massive, sort of, adrenaline
:36:12. > :36:18.boost really. It was definitely a boost for morale. Could they
:36:18. > :36:28.deliver in the Team Pursuit Final against the Aussies?
:36:28. > :36:30.
:36:30. > :36:36.Now, the final four laps. The gap is beginning to stretch here. They
:36:36. > :36:41.rinspierd. The crowd are lifting them. The -- are inspired. The
:36:41. > :36:45.crowd are lifting them. The team shout instructions to each other.
:36:45. > :36:55.No chance of doing that. You couldn't hear a thing.
:36:55. > :36:55.
:36:55. > :37:00.COMMENTATOR: The gold medal is Great Britain's. Look at the time:
:37:00. > :37:05.It's a new world record and Great Britain have won the Gold medal.
:37:05. > :37:09.When we crossed the line there was a sense of, like, relief. After all
:37:09. > :37:13.that build-up and all the talking and all the tension and stuff, to
:37:14. > :37:18.finally go there and deliver the goods on the day was a massive
:37:18. > :37:21.sense of achievement, but also, like I say, relief really. They
:37:21. > :37:26.smashed the Australians. They absolutely smashed them. Smashed
:37:26. > :37:32.the world record. Now, that is the kind of sporting event I want to
:37:32. > :37:38.watch. My husband bought May bike to get fit. He is really into
:37:38. > :37:43.cycling. Because he did so well, and he was Welsh. We had to cycle
:37:43. > :37:52.everywhere. Whe to go to Tescos on the bike. We had to go to Cardiff
:37:52. > :37:55.to work on the bike Saturday August 4th, Brits and Australians were set
:37:55. > :38:04.to clash again for gold. The Men's Four.
:38:04. > :38:13.COMMENTATOR: It's going to be great. It's going to be great. Tom James,
:38:13. > :38:16.our rower from Wrexham. He had been there before. He knew what it took.
:38:16. > :38:21.COMMENTATOR: Great Britain are going to be the Olympic champions
:38:21. > :38:24.in the Men's Four. We have done. It we have done it. We have done it in
:38:24. > :38:30.style. Great Britain, the Olympic champions, once more. A magnificent
:38:30. > :38:40.effort. A fourth consecutive Olympic title for the British Men's
:38:40. > :38:47.
:38:47. > :38:51.Four. A second Gold medal for Tom On the same day, other leading
:38:51. > :38:54.Welsh competitors. Helen Jenkins, reigning World Champion in the
:38:54. > :38:59.triathlon. Heartbreak for Helen Jenkins and the thousands in Hyde
:38:59. > :39:08.Park watching her race. She has been dropped by the front four.
:39:08. > :39:14.finished fifth. No athlete brought higher hopes to London than 400m
:39:14. > :39:17.Hurdler, Dai Greene. Dai Greene going into the Olympics had won
:39:17. > :39:21.everything. Commonwealth Champion, European Champion and the current
:39:21. > :39:28.World Champion from last season. There was a lot of pressure on him.
:39:28. > :39:33.The alarm bells rang for me after the semi-final. Not so much he ran
:39:33. > :39:36.really badly. He scraped through as the fastest lower.
:39:36. > :39:42.COMMENTATOR: Dai Greene, only fourth. All the Americans looked
:39:42. > :39:47.strong. All of a sudden, in my mind, Dai had gone from favourite to all
:39:47. > :39:55.of a sudden, he will have to run out of his socks to get a medal.
:39:55. > :39:59.COMMENTATOR: Trying to get amongst the medals. Sanchez takes the gold
:39:59. > :40:03.medal. He didn't get the Olympic medal. I know him as a person. That
:40:03. > :40:10.will make him stronger and make him more hungry to rectify that. We
:40:10. > :40:15.have the World Championships next season. He will want to defend that
:40:16. > :40:20.title. At Wembley, Ryan Giggs captained Team GB's football side.
:40:20. > :40:28.Lining up alongside Welsh players, Aaron Ramsey, Craig Bellamy and Joe
:40:28. > :40:33.Allen. COMMENTATOR: Ryan Giggs. It's the
:40:33. > :40:43.old man of the side who shows the young men how to do it. Goal, but
:40:43. > :40:45.
:40:45. > :40:53.Thursday, 8th August. The Excel Arena, on the Thames. A teenager
:40:53. > :41:03.from Flint in North Wales, in the 57kg Final of an unfamiliar sport.
:41:03. > :41:13.Taekwondo. I can't spell. It I remember Jade Jones. That is karate.
:41:13. > :41:13.
:41:13. > :41:22.Epitome of everything the Olympics is about for me, in that moment.
:41:22. > :41:27.The commentators tried to explain how the point stim works. He say --
:41:27. > :41:33.said "a kick in the head is worth three points. All of a sudden you
:41:33. > :41:38.are like, "Kick her in the head." it's like a night nought Carmarthen.
:41:38. > :41:41.In Wales we are so proud of our own. Jade is a perfect example of a
:41:41. > :41:48.quiet girl from North Wales performing to the best of her
:41:48. > :41:55.ability on the biggest stage of all, under that amount of pressure.
:41:55. > :42:03.COMMENTATOR: Keep an eye on the fighters. Keep an eye on the clock.
:42:03. > :42:13.You little beauty! A teenage kicking superstar from North Wales
:42:13. > :42:22.
:42:22. > :42:26.It's just brilliant to watch and everyone, you know, everyone then
:42:26. > :42:36.claims her as family. We are like "I know Jade really well", I have
:42:36. > :42:40.
:42:40. > :42:45.never met her. You want it know her The moment she won that gold medal
:42:45. > :42:51.and picked up both flags and ran around the arena, I thought, that
:42:51. > :42:57.says everything. That is a symbol of what I feel about Wales and the
:42:57. > :43:04.Olympics. She is an incredible role model. Watching her, it wasn't Tony
:43:04. > :43:08.that Wales had won gold, it was more, go, girl! You are 19, you
:43:08. > :43:14.have won gold, and you still look attractive and girly, which is
:43:14. > :43:23.lovely. The final weekend of the Games, a silver for boxer Fred
:43:23. > :43:30.Evans. A silver for sale are Hannah males. And a bronze for Sarah
:43:30. > :43:40.Thomas. And then, after a fortnight of fables, the Olympics were
:43:40. > :43:42.
:43:42. > :43:50.closing. They had stopped us in our Only to reopen with a flourish at
:43:50. > :43:53.the Paralympics, two weeks later. With Welsh swimmer Liz Johnson a
:43:53. > :43:58.gold medallist in Beijing, reading the pledge on behalf of 4,000
:43:58. > :44:02.athletes. I promise that we will take part in these Paralympic Games
:44:02. > :44:06.in the true sportsmanship and honour for our sport and teams.
:44:06. > :44:12.This was the Paralympics that really brought elite disabled sport
:44:12. > :44:15.into the mainstream. I got a phone call saying, would you like to be
:44:15. > :44:20.involved in the Paralympic opening ceremony, and when they said to me
:44:20. > :44:27.they wanted me to be 20 metres in the air on a zip wire in my racing
:44:27. > :44:35.chair, I probably thought that wasn't such a good idea. It was
:44:35. > :44:39.amazing. It was scary, terrifying, and I would never do it ever again,
:44:39. > :44:45.flying over the athletes faces as they are sitting there, going... It
:44:45. > :44:51.was worth it, but it was the longest three minutes of my life.
:44:51. > :44:56.Barely three years after breaking his back in a paragliding accident,
:44:56. > :45:04.Mark Colbourne was the first Briton to win a Paralympic medal in London,
:45:04. > :45:14.a silver. The next day, he raced in the one kilometre pursued. And its
:45:14. > :45:15.
:45:15. > :45:18.goal! What a performance. NDS, the world record has gone, too. To come
:45:18. > :45:27.across the line and looked up and see the time board saying, new
:45:27. > :45:32.world record, and to break it by 0.1 of a second, was just an
:45:32. > :45:37.amazing moment in time, it really was. I look back over the last 12
:45:37. > :45:46.months will think, that guy has done quite a lot, and then I think,
:45:46. > :45:52.it is me. It is quite surreal. would win one more silver. Could
:45:52. > :46:00.other Welsh Paralympians follow his lead? On the day he won his first
:46:00. > :46:08.medal, swim and Nyree Kindred at her 4th games won her 10th medal.
:46:08. > :46:13.In track-and-field, Josie Pearson won gold in the discus. A great
:46:13. > :46:17.Frow, that will be tough to beat. That evening, a Swansea-based
:46:17. > :46:23.schoolgirl took to the pool. Ellie Simmonds had been the darling of
:46:23. > :46:31.the Beijing Games. Now she was swimming at home, where she won two
:46:31. > :46:35.gold, silver and bronze. Her father said, my girl has made the world
:46:36. > :46:40.stop and think. Before the Paralympics, it has always been the
:46:40. > :46:45.ugly sister to the Olympics. Two weeks after the Olympics, this
:46:46. > :46:54.little event comes along, a few people in the crowd. It has changed.
:46:54. > :46:58.All of a sudden, our Paralympians are superstars. Aled Sion Davies,
:46:58. > :47:03.at 21-year-old student who had come third in the shot put, is an
:47:03. > :47:08.example. I wanted to get a medal, but to take a gold in London was a
:47:08. > :47:13.dream. Now we decided to become really famous. This whole crowd has
:47:13. > :47:18.come out to support me. I am going to put so much into this road, even
:47:18. > :47:23.if it hurts me. And I put in one of the hugest throws I have ever done
:47:23. > :47:29.in my life. And that is a monster of a throw. Just look what it means
:47:29. > :47:37.to him. I just remember crying, screaming. I ran out and jumped in
:47:37. > :47:42.the air, I was blowing kisses to the crowd. The site Aled Sion
:47:42. > :47:49.Davies winning his discus gold, doing a lap of honour, and having a
:47:49. > :47:55.cuddle from his mum. And she wiped his cheek. That can only happen
:47:55. > :48:01.with a Welsh mum! Inspire a generation was the motto. The
:48:01. > :48:08.instruction for London 2012. Had the order been obeyed? I think a
:48:08. > :48:12.really huge moment for me was when a young girl, about five years old,
:48:12. > :48:18.a double amputee, walking through the park wearing prosthetic legs,
:48:18. > :48:22.and shorts, and her mum said she used to prefer to be pushed around
:48:22. > :48:29.in a pram rather than the wheelchair because she would rather
:48:29. > :48:32.be seen to be a baby then someone who was an amputee. And the games
:48:32. > :48:35.had given her the confidence to walk around on her legs in a pair
:48:35. > :48:44.of shorts, and she couldn't decide whether she wanted to be Oscar
:48:44. > :48:49.Pistorius or Jonnie Peacock. And that is amazing. That the sport has
:48:49. > :48:53.changed people's view of the world. The Golden Globes struggle this
:48:53. > :49:02.season and the sport. Swansea started their second season
:49:02. > :49:09.in the Premier League away at QPR, A wonderful finish! Meanwhile,
:49:09. > :49:19.Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool, they were losing 3-0. Should have stayed
:49:19. > :49:22.
:49:22. > :49:28.put, Brendan! Cardiff City, free- scoring in blue and even in red.
:49:28. > :49:33.Welcome back, Craig. Jamie Donaldson one over a million
:49:33. > :49:41.dollars, broke into the world's top 50, and won his first European Tour
:49:41. > :49:51.title, the Irish Open. Not even Robert Croft can go on for ever.
:49:51. > :49:53.
:49:53. > :49:56.After 23 years would Glamorgan, he But this summer sporting love would
:49:56. > :50:00.have to end soon, and it was our international football team who
:50:01. > :50:04.seemed to be struggling the most with the weight of expectation. A
:50:04. > :50:08.New World Cup qualifying campaign loomed. This was meant to be a
:50:08. > :50:15.golden generation. Arran Ramsey, Gareth Bale, a new dawn for watch
:50:15. > :50:18.football. A new era. 7th September, Chris Coleman's
:50:19. > :50:22.first competitive match in charge. Three defeats in Friendly's could
:50:22. > :50:32.be forgiven if the World Cup campaign began with a win over
:50:32. > :50:33.
:50:33. > :50:39.Belgium. And a red card. It is a red card for Collins. And it is a
:50:39. > :50:46.second. Wales are off to a poor start. It is the worst possible
:50:46. > :50:53.start, isn't it, Robbie? Not good enough. Four days later, more
:50:53. > :51:02.suffering. A thumping 6-1 loss of weight to Serbia. But there was one
:51:02. > :51:06.shining light. Gareth Bale with a sensational strike. If the players
:51:06. > :51:14.make mistakes but give their best, there is nothing you can say about
:51:14. > :51:20.that. What I don't forgive easily is when players don't turn up.
:51:20. > :51:27.Cardiff came Scotland. Another head-on by Fletcher. This is a
:51:27. > :51:31.chance to score. One goal down, who might save them now? And Gareth
:51:31. > :51:39.Bale, penalty for Wales! The hopes of a nation rest on their most
:51:39. > :51:48.glittering talent of a golden generation. Scores for Wales!
:51:48. > :51:55.Gareth Bale again. Two minutes to go. What a goal and! What a
:51:55. > :51:59.fantastic strike. Be it was amazing. I hadn't scored the winner for my
:51:59. > :52:09.country before, and it was an unbelievable feeling. Hopefully
:52:09. > :52:10.
:52:10. > :52:13.there is many more to come. I have watched him now for a few years, a
:52:13. > :52:20.year on year, he seems to be getting better and better and
:52:20. > :52:27.better. If he stays in the Premiership, and went To Say Man
:52:27. > :52:37.Utd, he could become one of the best ever. Five days later, Wales
:52:37. > :52:38.
:52:38. > :52:44.and waterlogged Croatia Bont Dan and bizarre. Anthony Williams back
:52:44. > :52:48.pass place them into trouble, and the loose ball is played in.
:52:48. > :52:52.Another campaign in ruins. Are you confident that you are still the
:52:52. > :52:57.man to take Wales forward in the campaign? More confident than one
:52:57. > :53:02.or two of you lot. October was a good month for Wales's endurance
:53:02. > :53:06.athletes. Leander Cave won the Ironman World Championships in
:53:06. > :53:12.Hawaii. And Non Stanford won the World Under 23 triathlon title in
:53:12. > :53:15.New Zealand. In the Heineken Cup, seven losses in the first eight
:53:15. > :53:21.games for our region's was not the best preparation for the autumn
:53:21. > :53:31.series. Four weeks, four matches. The giants of the southern
:53:31. > :53:38.
:53:38. > :53:48.hemisphere, Australia and New # This is the end. # Hold your
:53:48. > :53:48.
:53:48. > :53:58.He is going to go all the way for the try! An unexpected pummelling
:53:58. > :54:02.
:54:02. > :54:09.Rob Howley's Wales, bruised and beaten. It was a step backwards. We
:54:09. > :54:19.have to dust ourselves off and come back better men next week. Next up,
:54:19. > :54:23.
:54:23. > :54:33.Playing as Samoa do, hard and on the edge. And often startlingly
:54:33. > :54:35.
:54:35. > :54:43.And he gets over in the corner. Lee half penny cannot get there. It
:54:43. > :54:49.looks like he got the touch. Grand Slam Wiles, outscored, out of sorts.
:54:49. > :54:55.Five losses on the bounce, two dismal performances. We were hoping
:54:55. > :55:00.Argentina was a blip. If you had asked anybody, you would have said,
:55:00. > :55:09.we should beat Argentina, we should beat Samoa. The series would grow
:55:09. > :55:19.no easier. Next, only the world And from throat slitting to head
:55:19. > :55:24.
:55:24. > :55:29.clubbing, this was losing the Conrad Smith, and Liam Essen.
:55:29. > :55:39.there are worse ways to lose. In fact, from defeat came
:55:39. > :55:49.encouragement. And they have scored. It no, it was a tough day. The
:55:49. > :55:50.
:55:50. > :55:58.And what are we got next? Australia! Yes, we can beat
:55:58. > :56:08.Australia. Until the 82nd minute. Don't take the extra yard, don't
:56:08. > :56:09.
:56:09. > :56:18.put your hand in. Barnes, and again Australia work the overlap. It is
:56:18. > :56:25.going to be a try. And Wales have done it again. We lose again in the
:56:25. > :56:29.last minute. What is going on? It was just the most peculiar ending,
:56:29. > :56:35.seeing them so dejected under the posts. That is when you feel for
:56:35. > :56:40.them, because players feel the loss more than anyone else. The bad news,
:56:40. > :56:47.Wales out of the top eight in the world. The good news, in the same
:56:47. > :56:50.World Cup group as England. Across the pond, box and Nathan
:56:50. > :57:00.Cleverly trying to make it in America. With a little help from
:57:00. > :57:10.his new celebrity friends. Is that Mickey Rourke? We just met at a
:57:10. > :57:17.bus-stop! Joe Calzaghe told me In his corner, another Holyrood
:57:17. > :57:27.heavyweight. Those body punches, especially, they were much more
:57:27. > :57:30.
:57:30. > :57:36.Nathan defended his world title for the fourth time. He did a great job,
:57:36. > :57:46.and he never lost his cool. He seemed to me like a very cool
:57:46. > :57:48.
:57:49. > :57:55.fighter. He has a game-plan, and he As winter arrived, our soccer sides
:57:55. > :58:05.steamed ahead. A2 to nil win over Arsenal catapulted Swansea City
:58:05. > :58:08.
:58:08. > :58:18.And we ins over Liverpool and Middlesbrough earned this one's a
:58:18. > :58:20.
:58:20. > :58:26.place in the League Cup semi-final. And Swansea City are into the semi-
:58:26. > :58:34.finals of the Capital One Cup. wins on the trot for Cardiff City
:58:34. > :58:39.took them to the heights of the championship. 2013 looks promising
:58:39. > :58:43.for our two top football teams. Finally, at the BBC Wales Sports
:58:43. > :58:47.personality of the year awards, Lynn Davies was given a lifetime
:58:47. > :58:51.achievement. Wales won the team award, and Jade Jones, a beautiful