Wow! What a last two weeks it has been! From start to finish, from the amazing opening ceremony to the equally amazing closing ceremony, these Olympic games has been something that this country can boast about for the next two decades and beyond!

For me, it’s inspired a nation. Tens of millions of us have sat down around the TV on a night to cheer on our best athletes in sports that we very rarely watch on regular TV and ones that we don’t even know how the scoring system works! But that doesn’t matter. Our best and brightest are showing the rest of the world that this country produces some of the best sportsmen and women in the world and that the country gives them some of the best support imaginable!

Just look at the massive boost the Games have given the national mood! Every night on the news and in the papers there are images of our boys and girls celebrating their medal hauls. Whether you’re in the pub, the office or at home, I’d bet my last pound that you have all been talking about whats been happening at the Games. It’s taken our focus away from the negative news about the economy, civil wars in the Middle East, poverty and disease. As important as all that it,  it’s allowed us to talk about and celebrate the efforts of something far more positive and enjoyable.

This Games has seen us win Gold in sports that previously we would never have had a chance in. Equestrian, shooting, canoeing, long jump, women’s boxing, taekwondo, triathlon, tennis. All this, as well as the other sports we are totally dominant in like rowing and cycling. The funding and support given by this country and especially the National Lottery has meant we have now produced heroes in sports we never thought we could break in to. What an achievement!

For me, the athletes of these games are the real heroes and the perfect role models we need to be putting in front of our kids. Not ‘famous-for-nothing’ people from Big Brother or The Only Way Is Essex. Nor should we be lauding our footballers who get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds per week and yet haven’t won anything since 1966! Our athletes get very little money in comparison and rely on hard work and determination and effort to get themselves the Gold medals they deserve! They don’t have this sense of entitlement that footballers seem to have. Personally, I hope that this next football season doesn’t get as much coverage and that attention remains on the success of these Olympic Games. The Olympic Committee has been marketing the athletes as: “our greatest team”. I don’t think anyone will argue with that!

What a medal haul! We have won more Golds than ever before, and have the best overall medal haul for well over a century! Bot bad going to say that the USA and China have far bigger budgets for sporting success than we do! I think with a bit more funding and a few more specialist sports colleges and training facilities then I don’t seen any reason why we can’t start challenging the USA and China to the top spots in the medal table by 2020!

The cost of the London 2012 Olympics was £9.2bn. The opening ceremony cost £27m. I don’t care what anyone says, this is money that has been very well spent. The stadiums and the facilities all over London are fantastic! They have regenerated areas that were previously left to decay. It has created thousands and thousands of jobs. It has put the world’s attention on London and this country. Whether or not it brings further economic boosts remain to be seen, but even if it doesn’t, these Games have shown that Great Britain can deliver a spectacle in such a spectacular way! Security was never an issue in the end. All events ran on time. Even the weather was good on the most part! Yes there were some empty seats at the beginning but that was swiftly sorted out.

Much talk has been about the legacy of these Games. Building on the success of the Games for years to come. This is hugely important. Our stars I’m sure have inspired thousands of kids to get into sports that previously they weren’t interested in before. So we have to give those kids the support, equipment and facilities to make sure they can get the very best out of their talents. So what does the Government go and do? They sell off 21 school playing fields, with the prospect of more to come! Funding is all well and good but if you reduce the space our future heroes have to carry out those sports then what chance do we have?! Sort it out Cameron! More sports funding, more PE at schools and more open space and facilities!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am genuinely going to miss the Olympics when they finish! I have loved watching the intense and electric atmospheres at each of the different venues. The excitement, the joy at winning gold! Lets face it, we’re not used to all this success so to achieve something like this, something which we may never see again in a very long time is immense! I am going to miss the spectacle, the crowds, the sheer talent and skill of these athletes. So what follows this unbelievable two weeks of sport? The f***ing Xfactor all the way up to Christmas! Kill me now!

I’ve loved every second of these Games. Productivity may have suffered a slight bit, but definitely worth it! One thing is for sure, the Queen is going to have a very long list of honours to give out to our sports stars. And who do we choose for Sports Personality of the year?!

But, as with all great things, they must end. I must say a very big thanks and well done to those who came up with the bid for the Games in 2005, they did a great job! Also to the organizers, planners, volunteers, funders and everyone else involved (apart from G4S!), they all played their part in making this one of the best, if not THE best Games in the modern era!

Now back to work!