Each Olympics confers transient fame on sports we would customarily ignore, even deride. Diversity of disciplines and venues is part of the unfolding spectacle. In many minds, though, the Games are really all about athletics, which made it utterly crucial that the structure at the heart of the East End miracle delivered on impact and experience.
This was not a given. By their very size, and essentially functional construction, giant stadiums are not easy to love at first sight. I have stood in many around the world and considered them soulless. Equally, a satisfactory spectator experience demands standards of service, communication and catering that frequently defeat the biggest venues.
Several visits, as a fan, to the new Wembley Stadium have left me despairing. Club football