It wouldn’t be an Olympics without a big news story breaking in the build-up.
Unfortunately, there’s been a Team GB one with Charlotte Dujardin.
Working in the world of sport you often hear rumours and pick up bits of news before it goes public but this came as a total shock.
A lot of it is now in the public domain – the video, Charlotte’s statement and how the governing bodies have reacted.
There are so many strands to it, of course.
And people will have strong opinions.
But from my standpoint – being at these Olympics as part of the Ambition Programme, and building up to my role as chef de mission at the Winter Olympics – there are lessons that athletes of all ages can take on board.
You have to live your life with the mindset that your standards have to be high seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
That applies to someone going to their first Olympics as much as someone hoping to become an all-time great.
There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a blow to Team GB.
You never want to lose one of your big medal hopes so close to the start of the Games – certainly not in circumstances like this.
Everybody will have seen the video by now and athletes are the same as the rest of the public, they’ll have been talking about it.
But you move on.
Stories like our two flag bearers, Helen Glover and Tom Daley, being announced and Andy Murray speaking about his final game (hopefully games) as a tennis player are making headlines now.
It won’t be long until we’ve got athletes on the podium and the GB medal count will be rising.
I must admit it felt a bit weird to arrive for an Olympics and not be an athlete.
It’s an important couple of weeks for me to learn as much as I can about the chef de mission role because that will be me in less than two years at the next Winter Games.
Most of the chat at St Pancras before we got the Eurostar was about LeBron James.
He was there with the US basketball team.
I’m sure the staff were all relieved when he got in and out without any hassle!
I love how the likes of LeBron James and Andy Murray buy into everything that the Olympics stand for.
It is quite surreal when you see Andy in the performance lodge, as comfortable in this environment as he would be in his usual tennis bubble.
You do forget how special an Olympic Games is until you get involved in one again.
I’m looking forward to the obvious sports that always produce unforgettable moments (and medals for Britain) such as cycling and track and field athletics.
But I’m equally excited to see the likes of wrestling, archery and table tennis.
I think virtually everything is sold out.
Every Games is different but France has a history of putting on great sporting events and I’m sure this one will be no different.
They’ve just been awarded the 2030 Winter Olympics.
The French Alps will be amazing.
It will be interesting to see if they put some money into curling between now and then.
The French men did qualify for Vancouver back in 2010 but it’s not a sport they’re associated with.
I’ve certainly never competed against France.
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