By then, London had been awarded the 1944 Games - which were also cancelled - but in 1946 they accepted the task of preparing for what would be the first Games in 12 years. "I did not do particularly well, but in those days it did not matter," he wrote, reiterating the motto of the Games' modern founder, Baron de Coubertin. "My contemporaries and I had much more fun and a greater sense of achievement than modern athletes do." In the aftermath of global conflict, 1948 saw the emergence of the state of Israel, the breach of the Soviet blockade of Berlinand the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. For all the spirit of the competitors, urged by King George VI to be " second to none", many questioned the wisdom of holding the Games after the 1947 sterling crisis. In offering to host the 1948 Games, Britain had come to the rescue of the IOC. And with the birth of Prince Charles and the National Health Service, the Games of the 14th Olympiad was a chance for Britain to reassert a sense of buoyancy and frivolity.
Like the capital itself, the Games - for good or ill - have been transformed. The second London Olympics - after those held at White City in 1908 - are now known as the Austerity Games. But while they may have taken place in an era of post-war rationing, they were a Games that enjoyed an abundance of less tangible nourishment - goodwill, idealism and hope. The ethos of those who took part in the 1948 Olympics was expressed in a letter to The Times by T P E Curry QC. "I really thought we had a chance," said Alexei, a student trudging away.. When the Olympics arrive in London seven years from now, they will be unrecognisable from those which took place in and around the old Wembley Stadium in 1948. A group of people on the Metro, discussing the decision, were convinced that Mayor Delonoe's homosexuality had swung the vote against Paris "In the Third World, you know, they are very macho.
But many, many people in France who love sport, like me, will be crushed by this decision. What does Paris have to do?" he asked.The Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, in Singapore for the vote, looked devastated. "I'll put all my energy into our recovery, so that we know how to make something big and positive out of this ordeal," he said.After the initial shock came the speculation and the recrimination. Beyond even that, there was a feeling France needed the Games much more than London.A decision to award the Olympics to Paris could have reunited a nation divided by the "non" vote in the European referendum. It might have kick-started national confidence and a floundering economy."We did everything right," said Bastien Vibert, 26, a science student "We had the stadiums and the infrastructure We had the enthusiasm I just don't understand it. The Olympic movement said it wanted a modest, relatively cheap games and it went for the most expensive bid."Georges Kamany, 35, held his head in his hands "Good luck to London.