448 The Bradley Wiggins 2012 London Olympic Games golden throne,
the cycling time trial gold medal winner’s throne that provided one of the enduring images of the London 2012 Games, when on 1st August at Hampton Court Palace Bradley Wiggins relaxed crossed legged in this magnificently kitsch reproduction golden throne, gave a double-Churchillian V-sign salute and awaited his Olympic coronation
In winning the cycling time trial at the London 2012 Olympic Games Bradley Wiggins overtook Sir Steve Redgrave’s total of six Olympic medals to become Britain’s most decorated Olympian, having now won four gold, one silver and two bronze. Later in the Games fellow cyclist Sir Chris Hoy equalled this number by winning two gold medals to add to the four he had previously won together with a silver.
The iconic image of Bradley Wiggins resplendent on his golden throne at Hampton Court Palace led to a series of royal metaphors in the press ‘won more Olympic medals than Henry VIII had wives’, ‘The King of Kilburn’, ‘The Mutton-Chopped Monarch’, and ‘The Sovereign in the Saddle.’
Before the race many commentators feared that his very recent exploits in becoming the first Britain to win the gruelling 3,497km Tour de France would leave his exhausted and vulnerable to opponents, especially to the time trial specialist from Germany Tony Martin, as well as fellow Brit Chris Froome.
However, Wiggins delivered magnificently once again on the big occasion. He was imperious during the 27-mile ride against the clock through the Surrey countryside to beat Tony Martin by 42 seconds in a time of 50 minutes, 39.54 seconds, with Chris Froome taking bronze 26 seconds behind the German.
Instead of taking his place on the throne immediately as planned, the 32-year-old Londoner insisted on cycling back along the road to thank those who had waited for hours to see him cross the finishing line, before returning to the finish area to hug his wife and children.
Becoming the winning-most British Olympian inevitably led to immediate speculation of an impending Knighthood which drew a characteristic understatement from Wiggins saying ‘I will always be just Brad.’ He was also quick to play down comparisons with Sir Steve Redgrave, reminding everybody that the oarsman had won more golds. It is this down to earth outlook that has given Wiggins his place as the ‘People’s Champion’ with many admiring fans, male and female, lining the Olympic route sporting fake Mod sideburns, often just improvised with a black Sharpie.
The setting for the cycling time trial was one of the great spectacles of the London 2012 Games, with the 500 year old Hampton Court Palace built by Cardinal Wolsey as a gift for King Henry VIII creating a magnificent backdrop and where the grounds had been set out to replicate a medieval pageant. The event itself presents a unique and tough challenge for competitors who are effectively racing against nobody but themselves, and the distance of the event is framed in a way that the cyclists must maintain maximum power for every second of the race to stand a chance of medalling, testing human mental and physical toughness to its very limits.
At the first time checkpoint, Wiggins trailed his closest rival Tony Martin by five seconds, but by the second checkpoint he was in the lead. By now the largely home crowd was delirious with encouragement and definitely spurred the British rider on as the event reached its climax. Wiggins said ‘You had to be deaf not to hear it. Coming round the roundabout in Kingston, the noise was incredible. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my sporting career.’
As Wiggins relaxed in this throne after the race he could reflect on his journey from Kilburn High Road to King of the Road and his annus mirabilis having emulated his childhood idol Miguel Indurain, when winning Le Tour in July, and in August becoming the first Britain to win seven Olympic medals.
BRADLEY WIGGINS ROLL OF HONOUR OLYMPIC GAMES 2012 - Gold: Time trial 2008 - Gold: Team Pursuit 2008 - Gold Individual Pursuit 2004 - Gold: Individual Pursuit 2004 - Silver: Team Pursuit 2004 - Bronze: Madison 2000 - Bronze: Team Pursuit WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 6 x Gold, 4 x Silver, 1 x Bronze COMMONWEALTH GAMES 3 x Silver
TOUR DE FRANCE General Classification Winner 2012 £10,000 - 15,000
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