Did anyone attend any of The Commonwealth Games here or The London Olympics?

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-FangMcFrost-@reddit

I went to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and I had a great time. I went to watch the wrestling and the atmosphere outside and inside the SECC was great along with all around the city itself. Everyone was relaxed, smiling, chatting to each other and just generally having a great time. I was planning to go back to watch the wrestling next year but it's one of the many sport that were dropped, so that sucks. I may go to watch the weightlifting as I also enjoy watching that but I'll have to think about it.

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PanNationalistFront@reddit

I got tickets for the Handball. Really enjoyed the vibe in London then.

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Final_Flounder9849@reddit

Went to a few events at 2012 for both Olympics and Para. They were all very well organised and smooth running.

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Pegasus2022@reddit

I worked Basketball as courtside medic it was amazing. We were disappointed when Basketball was moved to the 02 for the finals. We did end up with the handball finals the men team who won 3rd Crotia gave us there flowers when they went back to the locker room. The USA Basketball team were amazing and really looked after us.

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FireWhiskey5000@reddit

Went to a few events at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The vibes were insane. After all the doom and gloom leading up to the event (the weather was crap earlier that summer, there were threats of strikes and G4S failed to sort their security in time - so the army were drafted in and there were concerns of hours long queues to get through security) it was like some flipped a switch. Everyone seemed to really buy into it. Honestly I know these are rose tinted glasses, but it felt like this country peaked dying those 2 weeks.

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hutchipoos@reddit

Went to show jumping/eventing in 2012. Picked more random sports for tickets as you had to choose in a sort of lottery what you wanted. Thought might have more chance of getting something. Saw us win a silver medal.

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accidentalsalmon@reddit

Spent a day at the stadium for the athletics in the Paralympics. Got to see Aled Davies win gold in the morning and get it presented by the now Princess of Wales in the evening, a brilliant atmosphere singing the national anthem. Also got to see Pistorious lose and David Weir win the 5000m which was incredible. The atmosphere across London was just so welcoming and joyful, I wish we could go back to that.

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Anubis1958@reddit

Paraolympian equestran dressage. The atmosphere was electric, but in a quiet way. We wanted to not stress that competitors, many of whom had mental as well as physical disabilities.

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Another_Random_Chap@reddit

I volunteered at Dorney Lake for the rowing and canoing - I put the numbers and GPS trackers on the boats before the races and took them off afterwards, so right down at water level. It was an amazing atmosphere as a wall of noise rolled down the lake, especially when any Brits were leading.

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devildance3@reddit

Yes. Went to the women’s xcountry mountain bike event in 2012 and the T20 cricket final at Edgebaston

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zonaa20991@reddit

Went to the women’s football in Cardiff. I was 9 so can’t remember much of it, just remember my mum getting really stressed on the way up about not being able to read the road signs, unaware that they were also in English

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BobBobBobBobBobDave@reddit

Beach volleyball at the 2012 Olympics. In a temporary arena set up on Horse guards. It was a massive party and piss up. Great atmosphere. 10/10. Kind of surreal given the location. There was a point where some of the athletes were obviously getting miffed because the crowd were cheering for a massive beer snake (8ft tall stack of plastic pint glasses) being passed around the crowd, and when security tried to confiscate it there was huge booing and disruption.

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Open-Difference5534@reddit

I went to the beach volleyball too! https://preview.redd.it/r3fz70iowkjf1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=040362c2a9a240d7613c0dd5917111db64516dbd I also went to a few Paralymics events the following month. I thought both were very well organised and the troops providing security were great.

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EuanBCFC@reddit

Watched the Olympics on Super Saturday, was absolutely amazing… …seeing the football team lose on pens to South Korea

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EasySignature179@reddit

The night before the closing ceremony i decided on a whim i wanted to go, so i texted some friends asking, 2 of them said yeah lets do it, so we all got up really early for the 4 or 5hr drive and i drove us down there, we got parked and went wandering round, ended up in Victoria Park iirc and watched everything on the big screens, was a really good day, weather was great, the atmosphere was brilliant, think we set off back home around 11pm so it really was a long day!

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obbitz@reddit

I was living in Stratford in 2012, my partner was a ‘games maker’ (we still have the foam pointy hand’, I was working in the local hospital. We could see and hear the stadium from our bedroom window. The atmosphere was amazing and more than made up for all the disruption we endured. I would recommend anyone visiting London now to take the Lizzy line to Stratford, the park has matured beautifully and is worth a walk through to get to the now vibrant Hackney Wick with all it’s restaurants and bars beside the canal.

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Voodoopulse@reddit

I watched Ali Brownlee win the Olympics was fantastic

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JBG0486@reddit

Basketball, volleyball and hockey at the 2012 olympics. Absolutely brilliant. Very typically British, lots of whinging in the lead up to an event which turned out to be spectacular and create an incredible sense of optimism and cohesion.

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SquareSuggestion9481@reddit

Men's weightliting at Birmingham 2022. 10/10 At NEC so not a crowd of thousands, but brilliant atmosphere and a respect for the weightlifters

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dl064@reddit

Glasgow Commonwealth had a great event atmosphere across the city. The estimates are that it won't have that next time, because noone actually wants to host it. It's a loss.

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TSC-99@reddit

Really loved it. Olympics 2012. Saw athletics finals one night and the men’s marathon.

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bluejackmovedagain@reddit

I went to a lot of things during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The atmosphere was really good, especially at the beach volleyball because it was on the edge of the city centre and the weather was great that day. Hockey was probably the least fun because it was cold and they'd messed up the shuttle bus schedule. That was the only day we had a problem with transport, and it was partially because they'd closed the roads through the university as they were using the accomodation for the athletes village, which meant we had to make a huge detour when we walked there and didn't want to walk back. You got free public transport with your ticket, so we just got the bus/train/tram to everything else. Some things, like the cycling road race were one ticket for the whole event, but most were either the morning or afternoon session at one venue. So we saw a few different netball matches in the afternoon session at the NEC on one day, and then a variety of different athletics events in the morning session at the Alex the next day. We mostly stuck to the cheaper tickets so, except for the cycling road race and time trial, we didn't see any medal events. We took our own own food but all of the venues had catering outlets. The fan park around the beach volleyball venue and cycling finish lines had some good street food stalls. I think you could buy alcohol but not bring your own.

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MahatmaKhote@reddit

Worked security at the local Torch relay event here in Aberdeen and had tickets for football at Hampden and spent 2 days at the Paralympics. Was absolutely amazing! The atmosphere was unreal, especially George Osborne getting booed to fuck...

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No_Thought_1492@reddit

I attended the Commonwealth Games in 2022. It was the Athletics Finals day - the super Saturday and best day of the whole tournament. I’ve never been to a stadium with that size before and the crowds were just electric., for all the countries and athletes attending, not just Great Britain. I also got to see the women’s GB 1-2-3 which was amazing!!

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djferris123@reddit

I went to go see the Paralympics and went with my sister as she was at the University of Westminster at the time and living in Stratford so I slept on her sofa for a week and went to see various things. The big things that stood out to me was the Wheelchair basketball as it's just such an insane sport especially to watch live then we went to some Athletic and the whole atmosphere in the stadium and around the area was incredible

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Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit

Went to 2012 on a Monday and Tuesday after Jessica Ennis and Co won loads of gold on the Saturday before. Ennis was in the 110m Hurdles, but pulled out because she'd won gold and couldnt be fucked. Loudest cheers I've ever heard was her name read out. There was a Saudi woman who was first Saudi in a Olympic race (not sure distance) she finished about 4 minutes after 2nd last. She got the second loudest cheer. Saw Oscar Pistorious come about last in his heat for 100m. Because Britain was doing well the people there were enjoying it. Its a little like women's football though, we dont care the rest of the time. Manchester Commonwealths were well attended but that's because they literally bussed in school kids to fill out the stadiums. Payed not attention to Glasgow or Birmingham Commonwealth.

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Used-Needleworker719@reddit

I went to the showjumping and the eventing medal day when we won silver. It was bloody brilliant, The atmosphere across the entire city was something I’ve not seen since. It was sheer joy. The organisation of the whole thing was flawless.

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gameofgroans_@reddit

Worked at the pool for the London 2012 Olympics. One of the best experiences of my life, atmosphere was incredible, everyone was so happy. Am a swimmer so was a dream come true tbh. Shifts were long and IIRC had to get there at 8am a lot of the time, which was a long way from where I was staying (wasn’t a Londoner). We were given lunch and every time I have one of those nature valley bars now it reminds me of it haha.

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Spiracle@reddit

Went to the Paras and the cheer when GB won the medley relay is still probably the loudest noise I've ever heard.

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Spirited_Praline637@reddit

I only got to see the road cycling events which went through our town, and were free. Amazing atmosphere and great to feel like our little place was the focus of the world (the whole town on the streets, media trucks, camera bikes, helicopters buzzing around). I also got to steward the torch relay as it passed through the town I worked in, which was basically the towns biggest ever event - almost a hundred thousand estimated to have been on the streets. In hindsight I really wished I’d volunteered for one of the proper ‘ambassador’ roles in London, as they all seemed to have had a brilliant time and were one of the key innovations of the London games. IMHO, London 2012 still stands as one of the greatest Olympics ever.

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HankHippopopolous@reddit

The London Olympics were incredible. The whole city came alive in a way I’ve never seen before or since. There was a community vibe and overwhelming positivity that was indescribable. I only managed to get tickets for 2 events. The Canoe Slalom and the cycling. I was in my university summer break and doing a work placement in Stratford. Every day travelling in or out I ended up chatting with athletes from various countries whose events had either finished or not started yet so they were getting their tourist on but wearing their national tracksuits. It was such a great time. I really hope we can get to host another one in my lifetime.

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Various_Ad2320@reddit

Applied for dozens of events but only got hockey. It was decent but the buzz around London at the time was unique.

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Visible_Pipe4716@reddit

One of my biggest regrets is not getting tickets for the Olympic football at Old Trafford. Especially when I live half an hour away.

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EvilTaffyapple@reddit

My wife was a police officer at the Olympics. We live up in Leeds, but they pulled officers in from all over the country, so she went down for 2 weeks. She loved it - we were never Olympic fans before the event, but I watched all the events I could to see if I could spot her (I didn’t), and she got to watch loads of events too. She said the crowds were amazing, and there were very little issues. We’re both fans now though - always try to catch as much as possible when it’s on.

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DameKumquat@reddit

I had small kids so applied for a bunch of 'pay your age' tickets for qualifying events at Excel and the Olympic Park, and got them all - £2 to to £5 for the children, £20 for adults. Fabulous atmosphere. The British Fencing Association had a space in the main corridor of Excel where kids could try fencing with appropriate swords (foam, for the smallest!), people were giving out chocolate versions of the mascots Mandeville and Wenlock, crowds merrily cheered for random countries. Or in the Park, seeing Mo Farah qualify for the final and the first Saudi woman competitor getting cheered on to the end by the whole stadium. I'd been involved in some of the organisation for LoCOG so it was great seeing that come off, and just so many happy people, signposts all over London, and actual pride in the city.

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Ok_Cod5649@reddit

I was a student volunteer at London 2012 - but was assigned to the old Heathrow Terminal 1, rather than an events venue. My job was to help chaperone athletes and VIPs from their plane, through customs, border control, and baggage reclaim, to their coaches and taxis. Ferrovial (who owned Heathrow at the time) used to raffle off their corporate tickets and I won tickets to rifle shooting (at Woolwich), women's weightlifting (at ExCel), and Paralympics basketball (at the O2). This was on top of the tickets my family already had for football (at Wembley) and Paralympics athletics (at the Olympics Stadium). So I saw a good variety of events. The atmosphere was incredible and there seemed to be a widespread appreciation for sports, without any divisive competition. The best example was the football match I attended between Mexico and Senegal - the vast majority of the attendees were not from those countries and therefore the atmosphere was unlike any other football game I've attended - families having a good time and with no "skin in the game", just appreciating good sport regardless of who was winning. Attending events also game me a greater appreciation for sports that I have previously little interest in - e.g. women's weightlifting. I saw the 63kg category and saw a world record lift of 143kg. It was incredible and is among my most memorable sporting events - despite not at all being interested in the sport itself. I think that's the beauty of the Olympics.

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0ttoChriek@reddit

I worked logistics at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002, at the stadium, and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was having a great time, the venues were packed, there were outside bar areas that were buzzing every day, around the stadium. You don't really think about how much goes into setting up events - water, towels, energy drinks, all need to be restocked repeatedly, equipment needs to be moved around and set up for the day. For the closing ceremony, every seat in the stadium needed these plastic, light up torches placed on them, which took a long time. Then, after the games finished, even more work to collect everything up and pack it all away for transport. But it was great fun, and the best summer job I've ever had.

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Any_Breakfast_6615@reddit

I went to quite a few 2012 Olympics. Why

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Commercial_Reward_78@reddit

Yeah, no alcohol allowed to be taken in, and due to sponsorship, only small plastic bottles of (I think) Carlsberg on sale, at exorbitant prices, obviously. That didn’t stop one imbecile getting off his face and throwing an empty bottle onto the track just as the gun was about to go for the Men’s 100m final. Like everyone else, I’d applied for tickets for that and a wide range of other track & field events, but got only football (at Wembley), and Women’s Handball & Basketball (in the Olympic Park). The Paralympics a few weeks later were far easier to get into, and I saw pretty much everything. The “Rover Ticket” was great value & let you wander the Park and get into anything that had capacity.

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SomeHSomeE@reddit

Went to something like 12 events for London Olympics. The vibe around was incredible. Just loads of people having loads of fun, and the 'game makers' (the volunteers) were absolutely everywhere and were loads of fun. I'm pretty sure you were noy allowed to bring im your own booze but there were plenty of on-locatioj bars at every venue, and I don't remember it being extraordinarily expensive. I do remember me and my friends getting absolutely smashed at a beach volleyball game.

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