The finish line

The gold medal... the only medal. What can I say? I could analyse how London came to deserve and win the right to stage the Olympics in 2012 but I'm not going to.

Firstly because I'm still on such a high and secondly because that high led me to one or two celebratory drinks this evening.

Midday came and there was a painful, anxious knot in my stomach: I was so nervous as result time approached, hitting the 'reporter blog' on the BBC News website every minute or so in between tweaking my Excel spreadsheet.

12:46 passed and by now the website had ground to a halt with not a TV or radio in sight. A few minutes later someone's phone rang and a whispered 'London' provoked cheers and applause that rippled around the nearby offices. My busy, serious day was put on hold temporarily.

I made phone calls, sent texts, hugged one particular colleague who was walking my way as I'd gone looking for her.

'Ecstatic' is a word rather overused today but there are few other words that describe how I've felt since the result. I'm thrilled, shocked and very very proud to wear my London2012 lapel badge this evening.

London, taking on the role of the traditional British underdog, has done good. What an honour, an opportunity, a responsibility.