Boris Johnson, London mayor, stranded hilariously on zip line entering Olympic park (VIDEO)
LONDON — London Mayor Boris Johnson has been one of the Summer Games' most ardent supporters, playing the role of carnival barker to drum up support during the event's often-maligned coverage in the local press.
On Wednesday, Johnson decided to add a little stunt-work to his approach: Flying down a zip line at Victoria Park wearing his black suit, a hard hat and waving two Union Jacks.
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Instead, he became a living symbol for moderation of pub food consumption, getting stuck on the wire due to "lack of momentum" and hanging helplessly in the air (h/t ITV):
The mayor dangled for several moments, asking for someone to throw him a rope to pull himself down the rest of the line.
"We are glad the mayor is safe and can only apologise for keeping him hanging on the line," a BT spokesman said on behalf of the telecoms company who sponsored the event.
A spokeswoman for Johnson said the mayor remained unbowed. "Clearly the judges are likely to mark him down for artistic interpretation and, unlike Team GB, he won't be bagging any gold medals today."
What an odd sight. In the sense that, for once, a politician was left dangling helplessly while hoping for solutions.
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