Last updated at 10:32, Friday, 27 July 2012

DURING the Olympics, Evening Mail deputy sports editor PAUL TURNER will be in London to report on Cumbria’s athletes. He will also write a daily diary on life in the capital during the Games

Evening Mail sports reporter Paul Turner with Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards PA PICTURE

SO, it’s finally here and by the time you read this I’ll be diving headfirst into the Olympic Games.

My Games officially started today at Lord’s when I was watching West Cumbria’s eagle-eyed archer Alan Wells in the ranking round at the home of cricket.

But, in reality, it all began nine months ago when I was given the nod to go and cover the Olympics – the opportunity of a lifetime.

Since then, I have been to the Olympic Park twice, spoken countless times to Barrow’s own 10,000m hope, and felt an ever-increasing sense of anticipation.

Not everything has gone smoothly.

My first visit to Stratford came in March, when myself and a select group of other sports journalists were scheduled to take a trip around the Olympic Park and glimpse inside at least one of the stadia.

Instead, we were trucked round on a bus – rather bizarrely with Sydney 2000 triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards providing a running commentary on what we were passing, a la a coach trip round the Cotswolds, and not allowed off.

What we got to see was what anyone on the public walkways around the park could see every day – a bit of a disappointment to say the least and more than a little reminiscent of Twenty Twelve. The line between reality and fiction is but a thin one.

Still, I did get to meet Jonathan Edwards and have my picture taken with him – leading to numerous questions from Facebook friends as to who he was (Linford Christie was my response), why I was stalking him, and why the look on his face suggested we were about to move in for a kiss.

See the picture below and make your own mind up.

There was also a long, excruciatingly drawn-out process waiting for accommodation to be sorted and to actually be given my accreditation, and when I did collect it, I was sent around the grounds of the park in a whole host of different directions by security guards not entirely sure what I wanted.

To say the whole G4S shambles came as little surprise to me is an understatement.

But after collecting my shiny new pass on a wet and windy July afternoon, I am all kitted out and ready for the chance of a lifetime.

The next two-and-a-half weeks will be amazing and no bureaucratic nonsense will stop it being otherwise.

First published at 17:47, Thursday, 26 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk