Every four years the greatest competition on earth brings people together the world over.

I should say the Olympic Village is just one of the most surreal experiences and you're surrounded by

highly ambitious people. Coronovirus seems to be stopping all but one major

sporting competition. This crisis is bigger than the Olympics. We don't know

what's happening in the next 24 hours let alone the next three months.

You're listening to stories of our times from the Times and the Sunday Times.

I'm Manveen Rana.

Today, the virus, part five, an Olympic-sized problem. Attention to all passengers. You can now book your train tickets on Uber and get 10% back in Uber credits to spend on your next train journey.

So no excuses not to visit your in-laws this Christmas.

Trains, now on Uber. T's and C's apply. Check the Uber app.

I played in table tennis and so the Olympics like in many sports to be fair it was the absolute high point.

Matthew Saeed used to be team GB's top table tennis player. These days he sought the

paddle for the pen and as a columnist for the Times and the Sunday Times.

He joined me from his home via Skype.

It was the thing that we focused on and four years were really preparation for the big day when you would arrive in my case in

Barcelona in 92 and then in Sydney in 2000.

Everything was geared up for it.

Your psychology was calibrated to peaking on the big day and it was almost like a companion

with you minute by minute because you could think of very little else. It was very difficult to switch off, particularly in the months

leading up to it.

What do you remember most about walking out at the start of one of those Olympic Games?

Well, I had two pretty good time. I had a pretty good time.

...