Nostalgia . Sweet memories . These were just a few of the words people used to describe their emotions as the doors of the London Olympic Stadium opened for the first time in almost 12 months to admit tens of thousands of fans into its cavernous main bowl.
How time flies ! It' s a year already since the awesome spectacles , the pomp and the glory which accompanied the London 2012 Olympics, yet the memories are still fresh in the minds of millions of people.
I was privileged to attend the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and to watch some of the field , track and swimming events during the 2012 Olympics fortnight .
It was a glorious Olympics indeed, to say the least.
How could anyone forget awesome and glorious scenes and spectacles like these ones which featured during the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony ?
Great Britain and the world loved every minute of the two-weeks Olympics razz-matazz .
Millions worldwide, hoped for an encore and they got one when British Athletics announced that it will host three days of world-class athletics action from 26 to 28 July 2013, on the anniversary of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The first year anniversary celebrations were eagerly awaited by millions in the UK and abroad.
Of course , no one expected the scenes during this Anniversary Games to be equal or even be near in comparison to that of the real show last year , but millions were all the same eager to scramble for tickets to attend the 3-day events.
Of course , no one expected the scenes during this Anniversary Games to be equal or even be near in comparison to that of the real show last year , but millions were all the same eager to scramble for tickets to attend the 3-day events.
Now named Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park , the Olympic Park has become a popular site for tourists .
During the past year, the other parts of the Olympic Park have been opened to tourists and other visitors, but the main bowl which is the Olympic stadium itself has rarely , been opened to members of the general public and tourists, since the Olympic Closing ceremony in July 2012.
The Olympic Stadium , London
So when the news broke that this " no entry" arena was to be thrown open for three days only , for the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games 2013 which took place from Friday 26th July to Sunday 28 July 2013 , there was a rush for tickets for the events.
Many people missed out on getting tickets because the initial 70,000 tickets released in mid April 2013 by the British Athletics , sold out in under 6 hours , the same day !
The Sainsbury's Anniversary Games 2013 spanned three days of athletics, with IAAF Diamond League action on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, featuring the return of many Olympic champions, and a third day of action on the Sunday dedicated to showcasing the Paralympic champions of 2012.
Come the first day of Anniversary Games, thousands of sports fans , including myself trooped to the stadium .
We looked forward to re-living the Olympics atmosphere and to be entertained by top medal- winning and record-breaking athletes , most of whom featured in the 2012 Olympics .
The main attractions during the 3-day event were the Olympics golden stars , Usain Bolt , Mo Farah , Jessica Ellis , Christine Uhuruogu and a host of top athletes from the USA and other countries.
We were not disappointed by the organisation of the Anniversary Games and by the star-quality performances of the athletes .
The Anniversary Games were well worth it and it was a brilliant outing.
Day 1
Yours truly having a ball , dining in one of the restaurants in the Olympic Park.
Here we go !
Usain Bolt making a grand entrance into the Olympic Stadium in a rocket car!
Bolt, powering home , as usual in top form to the delight of the spectators.
Christine Uhuruogu of GB cleared the 400 metes in 50 seconds , record style
Day 2 -Saturday
Day 3
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