THOMAS Wearne certainly forged his place in Olympics history as he played the part of one of the iron workers who created the five rings at the awe-inspiring Opening Ceremony.


Thomas, 19, featured during the industrial revolution segment of last Friday’s ceremony, which was watched by 27 million people in Great Britain and an estimated global audience of one billion.


The rings were hoisted into the sky to create the Olympic symbol which was illuminated with pyrotechnics in one of the most visually stunning spectacles of the whole show.

Basingstoke Gazette: The Olympic Rings come together in formation at the Opening Ceremony

Thomas, from Martin Close, Oakridge, Basingstoke, said: “I was standing underneath the rings and peeked up as the pyrotechnics came raining down. I don’t know what I will be able to do in my life to top that moment.
“I had a tear in my eye. When I was walking off and saw the crowd, and how excited everyone was, it just hit me that I had been involved with something absolutely incredible.”

Thomas applied in a ballot to be involved in the ceremony in August last year and had an audition in November.
He said: “I wasn’t expecting much but I went along and enjoyed myself. It was just lots of dancing and being silly really.”


He finally learned be was to be part of the ceremony in early 2012 and since May has been rehearsing every weekend, sometimes in the stadium itself.


It was just four weeks before the ceremony when he learned the exact part he would be playing.


The customer assistant at Sainsbury’s said: “It was so much more than I ever expected. There weren’t many forge workers and it was such an honour to be chosen.


“It was hard keeping it a secret for so long. My family knew I was somehow involved but I couldn’t give them any details.”


Thomas was lucky enough to meet director Danny Boyle, actor Kenneth Branagh and many more celebrities and actors during the rehearsals leading up to the ceremony.

Basingstoke Gazette: Thomas Wearne with a shirt signed by Danny Boyle