Greetings from London! It was an amazing day today. You cannot imagine how revered Michael Phelps is in this country; so much so, you would think he was British. Not only is this man so supportive of his teammates, he is incredibly supportive of all other competitors; a fabulous gentleman and a great Olympian. Receiving his 20th medal and his 16th gold; it was truly a pleasure to witness an historic moment, as the most successful swimmer of all time accepted the adulation of an adoring audience. This record was set over three Olympics, starting in 2004.

Big surprise at rowing today with the South African winning their first ever medal in this sport, when they won the men's lightweight four, beating the host country in a thrilling finish.

Widely viewed in the UK, an exciting contest between the American, Kayla Harrison, and British, Gemma Gibbons, ended in a US victory with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, an avid judo fan, in the audience.

As an Olympian I have been seen a number of Olympic venues and cannot convey how impressive this Olympic Park is. The Lea Valley canoeing facility is spectacular as well as the rowing at Eton Dorney. As an Englishman, growing up in this area, it is serene and beautiful. The backdrop for the Olympic time trial race was at Hampton Court Palace, the residence of the late Henry VIII.

London is an absolutely fabulous place to be right now. Not only is it exciting seeing all the historic places, but London at night is spectacular.

Prime Minister, David Cameron, made a point of asking businesses to request their employees to work at home during the Games: 1.5 million workers are staying at home during the duration of the Olympics, leaving many tourist attractions open for visiting tourists without any lines whatsoever! The queue outside Madam Tussauds, on the Marylebone Road, has become almost as famous as the attraction itself…with tourists and visitors able to walk straight in. It is the same at The Tower of London, Covent Garden Market and many other venues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roger Potter works at Mohegan Sun Casino and is a second generation Olympian. He represented Great Britain in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in the discipline of bobsled and his father, Reg Potter, captained the Great Britain water polo team in the 1948 Summer Olympics.