So its London (2012) Calling!

Nasty headache, irritable, bleary eyes, lopsided walk, monotone conversation with my dearest? Sounds like modern day plague. Naw, not really, it’s just the Olympics withdrawal symptoms.

Remarkably as I predicted, Zimbabwe did finish the 29^th Olympiad with more medals of any colour than Ireland. The marvellous Kirsty Coventry, notched 4 medals - 1 gold and 3 silver, becoming Zimbabwe’s greatest ever Olympian with 2 golds, 4 silver and 1 bronze. As for Ireland, three boxers saved the country's blushes with 1 silver and 2 bronze medals as the country finished 62nd on the medal table.

It seems many now hope that proximity to the next games in London 2012 will spur on the Irish to launch an onslaught for the medals. But as one cynical Irish chum half joked, even if the Irish national sports, Gaelic football or hurling (i.e. played nowhere else) became Olympic sports it is likely Australia, whose Aussie Rules is loosely based on the former, would pip poor Ireland to the gold and the US or Canada (where lacrosse with its similarities to hurling is played) would most probably overcome the Irish. What has also been quite galling for the Irish has been the fact the big neighbour next door cant stop gloating about its record Olympic booty!