'We've won 'ave we?'

Jennifer Carlile Reporter • Profile • E-mail

LONDON - “We’ve won ‘ave we? Oh, excellent, that’s great news,” exclaimed Richard Wildshire as word spread across London about the British capital's unexpected Olympic glory.

With fighter jets painting the colors of the Union Jack across the skyline, celebrations broadcast live from Trafalgar Square and the East End, Londoners were amazed Wednesday to find out that the city had narrowly beaten Paris to host the 2012 games.

“Oh, I am surprised, but it’s great,” Wildshire said.

Triumphing over a fierce cross-Channel rival only sweetened the pleasure across Britain. “It’s always a pleasure to beat the French — that’s an added bonus,” said Hugh Willmott, a Londoner originally from Sheffield.

The City of Love and Light had been the front-runner throughout the competition.

Low expectations?
Despite London’s “Back the Bid” campaign, support from sports stars, and thousands of  Olympic logo stickers, many of those interviewed shortly after the announcement was made said they had been convinced London didn’t stand a chance.

“I didn’t think we would win actually," said John Gallimore, a television production designer originally from York, northern England. "We don’t usually win things like this,” he said.

News coverage had highlighted the woes of London’s public transport system, lack of infrastructure, and the derelict area slated for the Olympic Village — not far from where Jack the Ripper once lurked.

But, at the 11th hour, Britain piled on the pressure with a boost from Prime Minister Tony Blair, who campaigned relentlessly for two days in Singapore where the Olympic Committee delegates gathered to cast their votes.

Meantime, some felt that France’s president dealt his country’s bid a mortal blow by mocking Britain’s food and cases of mad cow disease.

“I thought Paris would win actually, but in the end, I think they shot themselves in the foot really,” said Willmott, a university professor.

“In two words, it was: Jacques Chirac. I think they showed a great deal of arrogance with the comments on the food and all that malarkey,” the 32-year-old said.

“The London bid was much stronger and more professionally run,” he said.

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