Welcome to Hel: Roar-some!

DAY 2: The pleasant weather conditions boded well for the evening's activity, a picturesque Nordic sunset replacing the previous day's rain. The standard of performance was high, and the crowd superb, letting out a series of euphoric roars most notably for Virgilijus Alekna's last-gasp winning throw in the discus

Indeed, a certain Adam Nelson, Saturday's shot put hero, almost as overcome with emotion as he was for his own victory, seemed " visibly stunned, shouting 'oh my God!'" at the giant Lithuanian's final round, last-throw championship-winning effort. Memories were evoked of Finnish heroine Tiina Lillak pulling off a similar feat in the javelin during the 1983 games here, and the crowd "would have brought the roof off, if there was one ".

And while Mexican Waves are usually somewhat trite at best and an indictment of the tedium on display at worst, the audience actually earned the right to perform theirs on Sunday, thoughtfully waiting for a break in activity and stopping on cue for the men's 400m hurdles semis.

Which brings us to quote du jour, the fabulously-named Bershawn Jackson threatening to "unleash the beast" on all-comers in the final. Cheers Shawn, and fab headband by the way, very Shoreditch.

While our Swedish readers will perhaps be the only fans who have any idea of what I'm talking about above, Carolina Kluft's amazing calm in the face of Eunice Barber's gritty determination and sheer power caused Angus to blurt that "she had the look in her eye; the look of the hunter. She was a beard that Barber couldn't shave".

Becker-isms aside, Angus is right, a cracking performance and one even local Finnish rivals couldn't begrudge.

Local fact - Finnish Policeman are obliged by law to let you go if, when challenged, you ask to conduct the interview in Swedish and they cannot oblige.

Under normal circumstances Paula Radcliffe entering a press room inspires biblical scenes of pandemonium and baby-dropping, with even Maurice Greene shuffling nervously at the back. But when she snuck in during Olimpiada Ivanova's post-world record conference no-one batted an eyelid and Angus had her at his mercy.

Check out Eurosport's highlights programme for the interview, notable for Paula's cranial restraint this time round (rumours that she was "strapped to her chair to minimise bobbing" remain unfounded).

As anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Angus (left) will testify, the East-end whippet hardly cuts a threatening figure, particularly when compared to men's 100m finalist Marcus Burns (below). The image sizes are deliberately disproportionate.

Yet somehow his innocent and well-received congratulatory back-pat after the semi finals was deemed "confrontational" by an over-zealous security guard*, whom the Goose and Brown thankfully placated. Some people.

So, with a morning off to look forward and a town to finally hit, we eagerly anticipate Angus' next installment...

rmaher@eurosport.com