The 2008 Beijing Olympics
and Paralympics
on the 91Èȱ¬
91Èȱ¬ TV team Olympic impressions
Adrian Chiles
Ìý
Adrian is one of the 91Èȱ¬'s most versatile and
admired presenters, and is famously football-mad – in particular about West Brom.
Ìý
Adrian joined the 91Èȱ¬ originally for three
weeks' work experience and by 1993 was
presenting Radio 4's Financial World Tonight.
Ìý
In 1994 he started presenting Wake Up To
Money on the relaunched Radio 5 Live.
Ìý
His 5
Live show Chiles On Saturday won the Sports
Category Gold in the Sony Radio Awards in
2002.
Ìý
He is a presenter on Working Lunch on
91Èȱ¬ Two on weekdays and presents Match Of
The Day 2 on 91Èȱ¬ Two on Sunday evenings.
Ìý
A football dream came true for Birmingham-born
Adrian in 2006 when he worked on the
World Cup for the first time, presenting the
91Èȱ¬'s nightly highlights programme.
Ìý
Adrian has also written and presented a
number of other programmes for the 91Èȱ¬.
These include So What Do You Do All Day? –
a look at the lives of some of Britain's highest
profile
figures – and, most recently, the daily
magazine programme The One Show.
Ìý
"For me, I think the Olympics represents the
apotheosis of all the usual stuff about sport:
the dedication, the glory, the disappointment,
the tension, the joy, the despair …
Ìý
"But it's
also the chance to learn about different
sports and become passionate about them in
a very short space of time.
Ìý
"Also, brilliant
though they are, the competitors often are
purely athletes, not celebrities. And that
makes it so much more special.
Ìý
"My favourite Olympic memories are the stuff
I saw as a kid: Ovett, Coe, Thompson, Foster
etc. It was so magical.
Ìý
"Also the moments of
sheer drama; I remember Olga Korbut falling
off the beam and crying. I was absolutely
captivated. I remember my Dad saying she'd
be sent to Siberia as a punishment and I didn' t
know whether he was joking.
Ìý
"I really can't wait for Beijing. I just have no
preconceptions, which is fascinating. I've
been to Hong Kong and Macau but doubt
that's much preparation for Beijing.
Ìý
"Once there, I'm really looking forward to
seeing the cycling, table tennis, badminton,
athletics and weightlifting.
Ìý
"As far as British
hopes go, Tom Daley seems to have some
pretty unstoppable momentum.
Ìý
"Looking ahead to 2012, assuming it's a
massive success, which I think it will be,
London, and the UK as a whole, will have a
new-found sense of itself.
Ìý
"I sense all athletes work as hard as they
possibly can, but the added incentive of
competing on home soil will surely give them
a little extra."
Ìý
Ìý