One hopes that such virtues can be ascribed to the Greek ode that Johnson has commissioned especially for the Olympics from Armand D’Angour, fellow in Classics at Jesus College, Oxford.
The ode itself is, as per Johnson’s instructions, to have the lightest of touches: six stanzas in Greek that all offer puns’ on athletes names.
For those who question whether this is an exercise in the Mayor’s personal amusement – Johnson, an Oxford classicist himself, once said of becoming Prime Minister: “Were I to be pulled like Cincinnatus from my plough, then it would be an absolute privilege to serve” – there will, mercifully, be a translation into English.
From the moment D’Angour’s creation is read out at the Royal Opera House on July 23, at a gala welcome for the International Olympic Committee, there will be no escaping the literary dimension of these Games.
The ritual imitates a tradition of the ancient Olympic Games, where poets including Pindar would compose odes in honour of victorious competitors.
Such was the symbolism of the Olympics’ restoration to Athens in 2004 that D’Angour offered this suitably Pindaric contribution:
Blessed precinct of the land of Athena
Immortal City of Theseus and the sons of Erechtheus
We will sing of you, whence Athenians of old
And heroes once set forth to the Games
Of shining Olympia.
You might be inspired, upon absorbing these soaring words, to study the intricacies of Pindar’s dithyrambs in greater depth. You might, equally, be tempted to disregard them as the intellectually aloof scribblings of a remote academic.
But on the second count, you would be misguided. For poetry, and the celebration of artistic merit, has remained enshrined in the Olympic movement to an extent that few in its modern incarnation appreciate.
From 1912 to 1952, Olympic medals were bestowed for works of art reflecting sport across architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture.
The story-makers in London this summer would do well to contemplate the deep cultural immersion of their forebears and the fact that, in the capital in 1948, it was possible for Finland’s Aale Tynni to win literary gold for her lyric poem Laurel of Hellas.
The notion that the rich sweep of poetry could inform a present-day Olympics is not so anachronistic.
Indeed, it was the innovation of Pierre de Coubertin, deemed to be the father of the modern Games, to incorporate art competitions into the Olympic programme.
Ever the virtuous pedagogue, De Coubertin was the son of an artist whose works featured in the Parisian Salon, and his obsession with giving the Games a broader edifying purpose grew all-consuming.
In 1904, he decreed: “In the high times of Olympia, the fine arts of were combined harmoniously with the Games to create their glory. This is to become reality again.”
It did seem a trifle skewed, though, that he should have claimed the gold for literature himself in 1912 for his poem Ode to Sport. Silver and bronze were not awarded.
But the legacy bequeathed by his poetic preoccupations is a positive one. Quite apart from D’Angour’s experiments in the metre of Pindar, the anticipation of these Olympics is stirring a national revival of perhaps the purest of art forms.
In the seaside Norfolk town of Wells-next-the-Sea, a group of residents have prepared for the torch relay next month by composing an ode of their own, entitled Going for Gold.
From Wordsworth’s affection for cricket to John Betjeman’s A Subaltern’s Love Song, a hymn to the rhythms of tennis, poetry and sport have been inextricably intertwined.
The impending Olympic narrative promises the strengthen the connection like never before.
London Irish centre Joseph to make full England debut - Reading Evening Post
London Irish centre Jonathan Joseph will make his first start for England in Saturday's second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
The 21-year-old helped set up England's only try after coming off the bench in the final minutes of last Saturday's 22-17 defeat in Durban.
And he will now make his full debut as England look to add a cutting edge to their backline.
Joseph comes in for the injured Brad Barritt with Manu Tuilagi shuffling across to inside centre.
England boss Stuart Lancaster said: "I am delighted for JJ. He has trained very well and showed against the Barbarians and in his short time on the field in the first Test that he is ready to make the step to international rugby.
"To have two 21-year-old centres is exciting and we are looking forward to seeing this combination in action."
Prop Alex Corbisiero, Joseph's London Irish team-mate, has recovered from a knee injury and is included among the replacements, while former Reading back-row forward Tom Johnson, who now plays for Exeter Chiefs, retains his place at blindside flanker.
England: 15 Ben Foden (Northampton), 14 Chris Ashton (Northampton), 13 Jonathan Joseph (London Irish), 12 Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester), 11 David Strettle (Saracens), 10 Toby Flood (Leicester), 9 Ben Youngs (Leicester); 1 Joe Marler (Harlequins), 2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton), 3 Dan Cole (Leicester), 4 Mouritz Botha (Saracens), 5 Geoff Parling (Leicester), 6 Tom Johnson (Exeter), 7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), 8 Ben Morgan (Scarlets).
Replacements: 16 Lee Mears (Bath), 17 Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), 18 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), 19 Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), 20 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), 21 Owen Farrell (Saracens), 22 Alex Goode (Saracens).
London men stake their place in the fashion spending arena - fashion.telegraph.co.uk
Notable rises in male spending have been reported ahead of London's first men's fashion week, London Collections: Men.
BY Alice Newbold | 14 June 2012
Burberry men's live stream Photo: REX
The reputation of menswear has long been shackled by the image of begrudging males sitting outside female changing rooms on endless, uninspiring weekend quests to department stores. Or the stalwart socks and tie or socks and knitwear combo invariably bought for fathers and grandfathers across the British nation for birthdays and holidays, alike.
Tarnishing the notion that men remain only excited about football, Rihanna and varieties of lager are the American Express Business Insights team. Ahead of London Collections: Men, which launches today, the banking sector conducted a study assessing the aggregated spending behaviour of millions of card members. The trend that emerged was, ironically (and pun-worthy), men's fashion.
READ: London to get its own Men's Fashion Week(end)
The data analytics arm of America Express found that males born after 1982 - "Generation Y" - increased their overall spending on fashion faster than all other generations. Shopping at a heightened rate of 4% every year Generation Y whipped out their plastic at twice the rate of the next fastest generation, the "Baby Boomers" (those born between 1945 and 1964).
Tagging the male mentality towards fashion as a basic "famine or feast approach", men, it appears, resist high street splurges in favour of luxury goods, spending 24% more per transaction, though less often, than their female counterparts.
Commenting on Burberry's announcement last month that they had experienced a 26% increase in menswear sales, chief executive of the British heritage brand, Angela Ahrendts said: "In this economic environment, men want to look better, they want to look sharper."
READ: Burberry's Angela Ahrendts: men want to look smart
While Burberry's tailoring and enhanced ranges drove a 26% rise in their menswear sales, the overall year-on-year spending on luxury fashion increased by 5.7% in Generation Y men and 1% in all males. British male shoppers subsequently snubbed mainstream lines decreasing their spending by 1.2%, while women lapped up the high street, spending 0.7% less on luxury goods and 5.7% more on high street fashion fixes.
"There is a reason that London is hosting its first men's fashion week: men in the city are clearly staking their place in the fashion spending arena," affirms Sujata Bhatia, vice president of International Business Insights at American Express.
London 2012: Tim Brabants will defend his canoe sprint title - BBC News
Olympic champion Tim Brabants will defend his Olympic K1 1000m title after the 35-year-old was confirmed in the Team GB canoe sprint squad for London.
Brabants, who won a race-off with Paul Wycherley last month to earn his place, is one of nine athletes in the team for the canoe sprint events at Eton Dorney.
"I am really excited to be selected for my fourth Olympic Games," he said.
"Now the selection process is complete, I can really focus on defending my Olympic title in London 2012."
Ed McKeever is a leading hope in the K1 200m after recent World Cup success, while Jonathan Schofield and Liam Heath, who have won two World Cup silver medals this year, will compete in the Men's K2 200m.
Richard Jefferies will be the only British athlete to race in the canoe where he is set to compete in both the C1 200m and C1 1000m events.
Jessica Walker, 22, will become GB's first representative in the women's K1 200m event, and Rachel Cawthorn, the 2010 European champion over 1000m and world bronze medallist over 500m, goes in the K1 500m race.
Walker and Cawthorn will team up with Angela Hannah and Louisa Sawers in the women's K4 500m.
Team GB chef de mission Andy Hunt said: "The canoe sprint team has really progressed since Tim Brabants won the first ever medal for Team GB by taking bronze in Sydney back in 2000.
"Having a veteran and defending Olympic champion like Tim in the team will be a huge inspiration to everyone involved, and it is a chance for the younger competitors and the debutants to use that kind of motivation to create their own Olympic legacy."
Men's K1 1000m
Tim Brabants
Men's C1 200m & Men's C1 1000m
Richard Jefferies
Women's K1 200m
Jessica Walker
Women's K1 500m
Rachel Cawthorn
Women's K4 500m
Jessica Walker
Rachel Cawthorn
Angela Hannah
Louisa Sawers
Vauxhall sponsor England but stop workers from watching the Euros - The Sun
Bosses showed the red card to car factory staff who asked to watch tomorrow’s vital match against Sweden on TV sets.
The gaffers said it would breach “strict health and safety regulations”. They also barred scores of workers at Vauxhall’s plants in Luton, Beds, and Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, from seeing the 1-1 draw with France on Monday.
Outraged staff only saw the result after clocking off.
Ironically, production line workers feature along with England stars like Steven Gerrard and Joe Hart in a glitzy TV ad made by Vauxhall for the Euros.
The firm’s logo is on team jerseys. And the squad visited the Luton factory before the tourney.
Excited staff put up banners saying: “Good luck England from all at Vauxhall.”
One Luton worker angered by the TV ban said yesterday: “Our company is the main sponsor for England yet when it comes to matches we aren’t even allowed to watch.
“We work hard for the company. We’re gutted.”
Scott Boutwood, 35 - whose family worked at Vauxhall for over 50 years - said: "What an own goal. They'll have to reconsider."
Vauxhall said it was “proud” to sponsor England in a deal thought to be worth £6million a year.
But it added: “Strict health and safety regulations do not permit employees working on the production line to be distracted by matches shown on screens. And lines cannot simply be stopped to accommodate match times.”
Nissan has a similar ban at its Sunderland plant.
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