The summer months offer a pause in the rhythm of my life. The school year ends, home life shifts and at least in principle the weather changes. For those of us who find solace in the football pages, summer becomes a rare moment to catch our breath between seasons, a time when the sport that so often defines our days takes a backdseat. Yet even in this lull I find myself drawn to the Olympics, captivated by sports I barely recognise and quickly forget for the four years between Games.
Like many, I become a fan of BMX, women’s rugby sevens, synchronised diving or any gymnastics event for two weeks every four years. This brief, intense passion hibernates until the next Olympics. It’s an enjoyable distraction, a temporary escape, but in truth it’s also a way to fill the void left by football’s absence, a sport that for better or worse shapes much of my life.
