'Eye on London' - this week's Olympics news

Some people run for personal glory, others for their country, but Guor Marial is doing neither.

The refugee from SUDAN’S CIVIL WAR has won a battle to compete in London as an INDEPENDENT runner without a country. The MARATHON runner had turned down the chance to run for Sudan and isn’t able to race for SOUTH SUDAN as the new country isn’t sending a team to the London Games.

However, the IOC has allowed him to compete as a STATELESS ATHLETE and, having lost 28 family members to disease or violence during the civil war, he is determined to run to honour their memory. Marial said: “For me, it means a lot to glorify the people who died for their freedom and people who lost their lives.

Their spirit is what allows me to get up every day, put my shows on and honour them.”

The Games are supposed to be a time for sporting brilliance and celebrations, that is unless your name is GARETH BALE.

The SPURS and WALES star withdrew from the Great Britain squad citing injury. That knock seemed to be non-existent, however, when he scored for his club during a pre-season win over LA Galaxy on Tuesday. This led FIFA boss SEPP BLATTER to suggest BALE (pictured above) could be banned from playing for his club until after the Olympics.

However, we’ve come up with a theory as to why he baled out (get it?!). We think Bale found out that a gold medal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Spurs man clearly heard that a GOLD MEDAL is anything but golden. The sought-after prize is just 1.34 PER CENT GOLD.

T

he rest is 92.5 PER CENT SILVER and 6.16 PER CENT COPPER. The last 100 per cent golds were presented back in 1912.