Even by the end of the first week of the London Olympics, it is highly likely the majority of the population will still be talking about the truly fabulous opening ceremony on Friday. Today, the intricacies of Daniel Craig's royal confrontation were being carefully deciphered amongst those I was working with, as day four of the Games rolled on. One might be forgiven for forgetting there are actual sporting events occurring! Yet they are, and we have witnessed some fantastic drama befitting of the grandeur of the occasion and the skill of those on show.
While the medals started to clear off the shelves and around the necks of those most deserving, others were left with more than a sense of extreme disappointment at having missed out, despite the immensity of the efforts involved. Britain's men were unable to ferry Mark Cavendish to the sprint finish he so desperately craved. It seems the road racing team were the victims of their own incredible success over the past month, as the rest of the peloton appeared to expect the Brits to single-handedly pedal it back into touch with the early breakaway. Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, the winner and runner up of the Tour de France, were selfless in this respect, with the former possibly putting his own time trial chances in doubt for the benefit of his colleague. The women's race on day two was a resounding success, as Lizzie Armitstead did manage to ride herself into contention at the climax and subsequently delivered the country's first medal of the games, quelling the fears of a stuttering start to GB's medal haul.
In the aquatics centre, the first noticeable controversy began to swirl in the waters of the swimming pool on day two. China's Ye Shiwen, aged just 16, swam a relentless final length in the women's 400m individual medley - faster than Ryan Lochte's equivalent 50m - to claim gold and a new world record. Almost immediately, the eyebrows were raised on Twitter and the tube (even the BBC's Claire Balding prodded at the possibility of the d-word). The reaction was unsurprising given China's undesirable doping past. However, the lack of any solid evidence for such foul play and a staunch defence headed by several high-ranking Olympic officials suggest Ye's performance was nothing more than an extraordinary piece of athleticism. We surely must instead feel privileged to have witnessed such a feat, though the debate will no doubt rage for weeks to come. Moreover, of course, questions will continually be asked about the ethical processes by which China produces its talent for various Olympic sports, but with 23 medals so far - 13 of them gold - and atop the medal table, something seems to be working. On the outside lane of that very same pool, Rebecca Adlington, Britain's defending champion in the 400m freestyle defied her difficult position to claim an excellent bronze medal. In many ways that result was as impressive as her winning swim in Beijing four years ago.
The host nation's most feel-good success was undoubtedly in the men's team event in gymnastics. It was a very well-written script: the last time Britain's men won a medal in the event was in 1912. The Titanic had just sank in icy waters back a century ago, but 2012's competition was fiercely heated. After all the apparatus, the scoreboard had Britain in second before a Japanese appeal pushed them to third. Make no mistake: any colour of medal in this event defied all expectations, rightly deserved a storming moshpit of celebration and got something like it (as well as a chorus of boos when asked to recognise the judges' contribution). The five fresh-faced gymnasts - the youngest being 23 - were equally elated despite the demotion to second and have simultaneously captured the nation's enduring pride.
The opening days to the Olympics has also had a royal tint of silver. Zara Phillips, the Queen's granddaugher was a part of the three-day eventing equestrian team who finished second overall. She can now at least boast being the most successful Olympian in her family (her mother, Princess Anne was unsuccessful on her horse in 1976). On the other hand, her single success does not budge the 4kg of medals hanging on another Olympian's scales. Michael Phelps tonight became the most decorated Olympian of all time. The swimmer added a silver in the 200m butterfly and another gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay to take his tally to 19. More are to come in the coming days which could potentially take him to 22, and while some may not hail him as the greatest Olympian in history, there is no doubt his legacy is secured regardless of how his critics have viewed his arguably less-dominant performances in London than seen in Beijing and Athens. It has been quite a few opening days, and while this has been but a taste of what has transpired, expect more of the same.
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