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Click any image to play clip (all clips courtesy of The Daily Telegraph)
Rebecca Romero had tears of joy as her former crew-mates cried in frustration.
The Olympics have just shown, through a weekend of fantastic performances, amazing stories and heartache what sets them apart from other sporting events.
Michael Phelps is the face of these Games. What he has accomplished is remarkable, exemplifying the attributes that make people tune in and watch sports they haven’t before — or not since Athens — desire, self-belief and willpower.
click here to see the full article on the Daily Telegraph website
I have no doubt that Michael Phelps is the greatest ever swimmer; Ian Thorpe, who previously laid claim to that title, said that winning eight gold medals wasn't possible.
Of course that may have been wishful thinking to avoid his stock falling further. He famously failed in an attempt to win seven Commonwealth golds and the standard in Manchester wasn't quite the same as it is here in Beijing.
click here to see the full article on the Daily Telegraph website
James Cracknell wanted to test himself against the sea. Hawaii was the obvious place, with waves to humble even an
Olympic oarsman.
A surfer catches a wave as it breaks. He speeds along the sheer face as it tips and barrels over his head. I know he's bound to be trapped inside - beaten by the ocean. Then he's spat out, still standing, followed by a plume of water as the wave crashes behind him. I had seen such skill countless times before on video, but the reality, on Banzai Pipeline Beach in Hawaii, was still breathtaking.
click here to see the full article on the Daily Telegraph website
James Cracknell, who recently spent 49 days in a rowing boat racing across the Atlantic, enjoys a gentler ride by the Pacific, on California's Highway 1.
How hard could it be to navigate the 700 miles from San Francisco to San Diego? As long as I kept the Pacific Ocean on my right I would get there in the end. Or so I thought, until I drove from the airport into a seven-lane wave of rush-hour traffic surging towards San Francisco. Without a decent map, and with only the hotel's address, I had little time to enjoy the skyline. I was too busy learning that lane-swapping is frowned upon (either that or they can spot a hire car at 100 paces) and that downtown does, in fact, mean the town centre.
click here to see the full article on the Daily Telegraph website
New Zealand is the HQ of adventure holidays. James Cracknell takes on its toughest race, the 152-mile Coast to Coast.
By the time my kayak capsized and threw me into the icy river, I was already half exhausted. That morning I had cycled 44 miles and run just four miles short of a marathon, scaling a pass the altitude of Snowdon along the way.
click here to see the full article on the Daily Telegraph website
How does a man fill the 'smart casual' void in his wardrobe? The Olympic rower James Cracknell raced through the Milan menswear shows to see what the catwalk competitors had to offer. Fashion by Daniela Agnelli. Photographs by Mike Thomas
The two words that leave me staring helplessly into my wardrobe are 'smart' and 'casual'. We Brits don't have a problem dressing down, especially when compared with Americans, whose ironed jeans and ice-white jogging trainers are the uniform of choice. We also force our way into a suit respectfully enough, and every man's saviour - black tie - but in the middle ground we let ourselves down.
click here to see the full article on the Daily Telegraph website