Poor reception for some of the Samsung stars
IT WAS the victory that saw Great Britain break its all-time record of 20 golds in a single Olympic Games, but track cyclist Laura Trott’s omnium triumph yesterday must have been celebrated with particular gusto at Samsung Towers.
The electronics giant has spent megabucks on its association with London 2012, splashing out for the privilege of being one of just 11 top partners and recruiting a stellar cast of ambassadors.
Unfortunately for Samsung, its association has not brought the best of luck to its roster of stars. David Beckham was overlooked for the men’s football team despite looking a cert, while the other man whose image fills the huge facade of its Stratford store, Phillips Idowu, yesterday failed to make the triple jump final, following a troubled build-up to the Games.
Victoria Pendleton, another of the firm’s favourites, saw her hopes of three gold medals dashed by not one but two relegations, while Zara Phillips might have claimed gold rather than silver for the eventing team, but for the penalty on her final run.
It’s not quite the curse of Gillette, whose campaign featuring Tiger Woods, Thierry Henry and Roger Federer preceded debacles of varying severity for the trio, but enough to render Trott’s success, Samsung’s second Team GB gold, even more sweet.