Helen Bach Column: Going For Gold - the Olympics in Paris 2024

I even surprised myself how much I cared about some things, and was cheering Adam Peaty on to his silver medal, getting emotional with him when it was over. Just hoping he didn't unwittingly pass Covid onto Princess Anne, as she was the one who handed over his medal.

I'm not sure the opening ceremony deserved quite the amount of vitriol that's been spouted about it though?

Yes, the weather was rubbish, but that's one of the few things that can't be controlled. Yes, it did drag on a bit (no pun intended), and some of the sketches left me a bit confused, but that could have been the Prosecco from 'fizzy Friday'!

But seriously, staying up for Celine Dion's breath-taking performance from the Eiffel Tower made it all worthwhile. Her first for four years - now that's what I call a comeback, in front of approximately 1 billion viewers worldwide!

It was lovely to see and hear her - I haven't watched the programme about her illness yet as it's on the dreaded Amazon Prime, and you know I won't have anything to do with Amazon on principle.

Anyway, back to the Olympics, and the horse sculpture majestically galloping along The Seine was stunning, in distinct contrast to Rafael Nadal and co clutching the torch while being windswept in what looked like a speedboat.

Poor old Nadia Comaneci obviously didn't make the briefing notes of the commentators I was listening to, as they correctly identified Rafa, Serena Williams - who looked like she might vomit at one point - and Carl Lewis, while her name seemed to have slipped everybody's mind!

I kept thinking the masked parkour performer would turn out to be a famous athlete in disguise - or perhaps Tom Cruise, in a Mission:Impossible-type stunt - but I'm not sure we ever found out who it was? That was perhaps a missed opportunity for someone...