I am packing my bags and leaving Tokyo after three weeks and it feels like it was just one long blob of a day.

And when I am sitting on the plane on the long, long journey home, I will pinch myself. Last Sunday I was in the stadium to witness Kellie Harrington win Ireland’s 11th gold medal in Olympic history.

She fell to her knees in tears in tandem with a nation. A week earlier, I stood almost shoulder to shoulder with Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy.

This has been an extraordinary event. No spectators. So at each event it was the same as standing on the sideline at a match in your local club, except there would be more people at the local match.

Here was this rockstar in the eyes of a nation, and yet she is exactly how we imagine her to be, sitting down in Tokyo, humbly soaking up the excitement back home on Portland Row

On Sunday, I interviewed Kellie with her gold medal around her neck. Then later in the day, we took her back to our base in Tokyo for a series of radio and TV interviews. But before all that, she sat down in our office for a well-deserved Big Mac. And we showed her photos and videos of the wild celebrations back home and she laughed and cried. Here was this rockstar in the eyes of a nation, and yet she is exactly how we imagine her to be, sitting down in Tokyo, humbly soaking up the excitement back home on Portland Row.

That honesty and articulate nature of all the Irish athletes in their post-event interviews has been the standout legacy for me from this monster event. Walking from the hotel to the media bus each morning, you would not know that this was the host city of the Olympic Games, which is the real legacy of this COVID-19 era.

At each event, we were killed with kindness

Despite the pre-games opposition from many locals, I did not receive any grief about being here. At each event, we were killed with kindness. Anybody who has been to Japan will know what I mean. Being polite and welcoming is part of Japanese culture.

When the Irish team entered the stadium for the opening ceremony, they bowed in courtesy. It went down a treat here. And last Sunday, Kellie bowed when she received her gold medal on the podium. It was mentioned in her post-fight press conference. She nailed it. And so did the Irish team at that opening ceremony.

It was Ireland’s largest ever team at an Olympics but it was the smallest RTÉ team

Ireland won four medals – two gold and two bronze – which was somewhat on the button of expectation. The Olympic Federation of Ireland has done a remarkable job in reinventing itself. It was a somewhat tarnished brand but the feeling here is that the athletes feel loved. There were 116 of them competing. It was Ireland’s largest ever team at an Olympics but it was the smallest RTÉ team.

Nevertheless we tried to cover as many of their events as was physically possible. And it was those post-event interviews that stuck out for me.

We are used to hearing the clichéd team players and mangers spin lines so as not to upset the opposition. It is all about mind games. But when it comes to individual amateur sportspeople, the truth comes out.

Sport is not everybody’s cup of tea

Whether they were pleased or devastated – bar one or two who were understandably reluctant to engage in post-event interviews – the profound reflections were a credit to each of them and their support teams. Sport is not everybody’s cup of tea. But I am sure that there were a few converts during the past couple of weeks.

How could anybody not love Kellie? In tough times for us all, sport is a wonderful distraction. Hakuna Matata!

Have a listen

Some weeks ago, I invited renowned US climatologist Michael Mann for an interview on Countrywide. He duly obliged and the interview went out last Saturday with Ella. It is well worth a listen back.