'This was the Games of Linford Christie, Tessa Sanderson and the Dream Team of basketball – what a time to be there'

Fiona Walker

By Fiona Walker

“CONGRATULATIONS,” said the letter, “you have won a trip for two to the Olympics!”

It was 1992 and I loved entering competitions, especially those requiring a slogan to be in with a chance of winning. I’m not sure what it was that struck a chord with the judges on that occasion because, to be honest, my slogan was pretty ropey; even I didn’t think it had much chance of hitting the jackpot.

The competition was sponsored by Mars, purveyor of fine chocolate and a host of other seemingly unrelated products, but my less than snappy (twelve words or less) “though other countries may do well, with Mars Great Britain should excel” had done the business, and here I was with an invitation to fly off to Barcelona for a few days and witness the ultimate in sporting events.

The prize started with an overnight stay in London and a chance to meet the other successful entrants. Most, like me, had dreamt up appropriate slogans (and I must confess that theirs were infinitely better than mine!) but a few had simply entered a prize draw; here was proof that those things really do work…someone wins!

Our business class flight to Spain was early the following morning and on arrival we were guided to a reception area where our group was plied with Mars products while the necessary security work was completed. Ice creams at 9am anyone? Chocolates? It was the same story on the coach: sweets, ices and waist-expanding goodies were available on tap for the entire journey, setting a pattern for the next few days.

In the apart-hotel to which we were assigned, the kitchen table groaned under the weight of – you’ve guessed it – more confectionery! When I went to transfer the pile of edibles to the fridge, I discovered that this too was bursting with fizzy drinks and further teeth decaying delicacies!

The beds were all but invisible beneath an array of gifts and keepsakes of the non-edible variety. T-shirts, towels, hats, tea towels, postcards, books, limited edition souvenirs, flags, programmes and yet more Mars products. Fortunately, this was in the days before travelling with more than a sparrow’s weight of baggage incurred eye-watering excess charges.

At the bottom of the gift pile I discovered an elegant velvet box, which I opened slowly and with growing anticipation, as images of gem-encrusted contents flashed through my imagination. But no! Instead of precious metals and costly jewels, or even a gold medal or two, my eyes lit on a set of Olympic pins, with each sport represented by a cheery M&Ms character.

But then there were the Games themselves…this was the era of Linford Christie, Tessa Sanderson and the Dream Team of American basketball; what a time to be there.

At the basketball stadium, the home team was playing, and the atmosphere was simply electric. A trumpeter in the audience blasted out his appreciation and the local crowd went wild…that is, until their side started to lose. The fanfares turned to lamentations and, as the opposition increased their lead, so the fickle supporters changed allegiance and started to cheer the winning team and boo their own!

Barcelona’s main stadium baked under a clear blue sky and the searing Mediterranean sun, but we were relieved and grateful to find our seats were just a stone’s throw from the royal box and consequently under the limited section of shade reserved for VIPs. Mars did us proud.

I’ll put my hand up and confess that I’m not big on sports. I enjoy Wimbledon, but most other fixtures in the sporting calendar leave me cold; however, this was another level altogether. Seeing the best sportspeople that the world has to offer competing for medals that only the crème de la crème can possibly hope to attain is mesmerising. We cheered for Linford in his heats, proud to witness his legendary prowess on the track, and watched Tessa Sanderson compete in her fifth and final Olympic Games. I was amazed by how many events were being staged in the stadium at the same time, making it hard to know which way to look, but ensuring that even in our limited time there, we got to see a bit of just about everything.

Flying home a couple of days later, we roared our appreciation when the captain announced mid-flight that Linford had just won the 100-metre gold medal for Great Britain.

Sadly, you don’t see slogan competitions too often nowadays, but those 12 little words created an Olympian prize and a truly unforgettable experience.

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