With the London 2012 games now in full swing Olympic fever has taken hold. All eyes are on Team Ireland and the anticipation of who will take home a coveted Olympic medal is mounting. Today Cian O'Connor was the first Irish Olympian to be awarded a medal in the London 2012 Olympics. He won Bronze in the Individual showjumping final with his horse Blue Loyd 12. Well Done Cian! But not only did he receive his medal, he was also presented with a beautiful victory bouquet.
The tradition of presenting the winners with flowers dates back over 3,000 years to the original Olympic Games in Greece where wreaths and garlands were presented instead of the gold, silver and bronze medals we know today. In keeping with this tradition a victory bouquet is presented to the top three winners of an Olympic event along with their respective medals.
These beautiful bouquets were designed by Susan Lapworth, creative director at Jane Packer Ltd. She opted for a four rose bouquet sectioned into quadrants by fragrant lavender, rosemary, apple mint and wheat. The roses are all British grown and were chosen for their longevity and resilience. The pink Aqua rose, the yellow Illios rose, orange Marie Claire rose and the green Wimbledon rose certainly make a striking impact when bunched together. It is estimated that over 4,000 bouquets will be presented over the course of this Olympics. Lets hope we see these clutched in the hands of many more Irish Olympians this summer!!
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