I’ve been very spoiled the last couple of days! Beyond some half days in the office, I’ve had the opportunity to venture out to lots of events and get a true Olympics experience. In the photo above we’re at Club Bud, which is an exclusive, invitation-only nightclub that Budweiser hosts every Olympic Games. It seems to grow each time, in size and in legend. Imagine one place where athletes from all countries, coaches, journalists, fans, staff members and the like – if invited – all party intermingled, and there’s sure to be drama! This night was pretty tame because it’s still early in the Games, but as more athletes finish their events, more are looking to have a good time.
In terms of events, on Tuesday I was able to make it to both the tennis and diving venues, which were both at about 90 degrees! First we saw Venus and Serena each play in singles matches, which they won easily – but then they lost on Thursday! Then we headed to the women’s synchronized platform diving competition, which was in the Water Cube. What a beautiful venue! Full of light and excitement, unique patterns and gleaming water.
The Chinese won the gold, of course – in fact, I believe they’ve won gold in every diving event so far, and the U.S. Team just missed the podium, finishing fifth. The U.S. athletes who competed are only 15, which you think would give them an excuse, except that one of the Chinese divers is that young too! USA Diving is under quite a bit of pressure here to win some medals, as all of their athletes came up short in 2004. They’re having some bad luck this year as well. In four events, they’ve posted 2 fourth place finishes and 2 fifth place finishes. Some people say fourth place is the worst place to get at the Olympic Games… so close yet so far.
Here’s a fun shot I was able to take when I climbed up the diving platform during the event...
Just kidding! There is a bridge behind the diving well for media that gives you this great angle.My good fortune continued on Wednesday as I snagged a ticket to watch Michael Phelps set history by winning the 10th and 11th gold medals of his Olympic career – making him the winningest Olympian in history. First came the 200 fly…
His reaction to his win was very subdued, in complete contrast to that he displays after his winning relays (see below). The 4x200 meter freestyle was next, during which the U.S. Team smashed the competition and the world record. It’s certainly exciting to watch live, especially with the blaring rock music and screaming Chinese fans. Kobe Bryant was among them, and they kept showing his photo on the big screen.
After an athlete finishes an event, they go through the “mixed zone,” which is where media get a quick opportunity to interview all of the finishers before formal press conferences that take place much later. Usually it’s their only chance to get some quotes before their deadlines. In the photo below, you can see the broadcast mixed zone booths right on the pool deck, and the line is seemingly endless! There are about 40 stationed at swimming (maximum of one from each country – NBC is the U.S. rights holder) and you’ve got to know that each and every one wants to speak to Michael Phelps. That’s probably more daunting for him than his swims!
Once they make it through that never-ending line-up, they go to the mixed zone for print writers, which is quite intense with hundreds of media trying to capture quotes in extremely tight, hot quarters.
Just to get to some events is a fight for the media. At events that are high-demand, it’s not enough to have a media credential to get inside the venue – you have to have a ticket also. These events are called “special ticketed,” and we have a full time staff member here who doles them out to U.S. media based on a number of criteria. For us, it’s all about swimming. For the Chinese press, it’s all about special ticketing for… table tennis of course!
Inside the venue, the media seating is quite different from the fan seating, so that we can work while watching. We’re at tables with TV feeds showing close-ups of the action, and media services staff members bring us result sheets, quick quotes from the athletes who go through the mixed zone and even water. Here are rows of media seats at the Water Cube.
Next up Wednesday was gymnastics, and the National Indoor Stadium was packed! It was the big showdown between the USA and China, and I got there just in time to see the last two rotations, beam and floor. I felt so bad for the U.S. women as they faltered right when it counted. This photo is moments after Alicia Sacramone fell off the beam on her mount and got back on to finish the routine.
This is getting horribly long so I’ll end for now. This cute little one was dancing up a storm as we waited to get into the exhibit. Thanks for all of your nice notes and well-wishes!
His reaction to his win was very subdued, in complete contrast to that he displays after his winning relays (see below). The 4x200 meter freestyle was next, during which the U.S. Team smashed the competition and the world record. It’s certainly exciting to watch live, especially with the blaring rock music and screaming Chinese fans. Kobe Bryant was among them, and they kept showing his photo on the big screen.
After an athlete finishes an event, they go through the “mixed zone,” which is where media get a quick opportunity to interview all of the finishers before formal press conferences that take place much later. Usually it’s their only chance to get some quotes before their deadlines. In the photo below, you can see the broadcast mixed zone booths right on the pool deck, and the line is seemingly endless! There are about 40 stationed at swimming (maximum of one from each country – NBC is the U.S. rights holder) and you’ve got to know that each and every one wants to speak to Michael Phelps. That’s probably more daunting for him than his swims!
Once they make it through that never-ending line-up, they go to the mixed zone for print writers, which is quite intense with hundreds of media trying to capture quotes in extremely tight, hot quarters.
Just to get to some events is a fight for the media. At events that are high-demand, it’s not enough to have a media credential to get inside the venue – you have to have a ticket also. These events are called “special ticketed,” and we have a full time staff member here who doles them out to U.S. media based on a number of criteria. For us, it’s all about swimming. For the Chinese press, it’s all about special ticketing for… table tennis of course!
Inside the venue, the media seating is quite different from the fan seating, so that we can work while watching. We’re at tables with TV feeds showing close-ups of the action, and media services staff members bring us result sheets, quick quotes from the athletes who go through the mixed zone and even water. Here are rows of media seats at the Water Cube.
Next up Wednesday was gymnastics, and the National Indoor Stadium was packed! It was the big showdown between the USA and China, and I got there just in time to see the last two rotations, beam and floor. I felt so bad for the U.S. women as they faltered right when it counted. This photo is moments after Alicia Sacramone fell off the beam on her mount and got back on to finish the routine.
On Thursday I didn’t make it to any events, but I had a different type of Olympics cultural experience. I went to the Johnson & Johnson Exhibition Building on the Olympic Green to see the Terracotta Warriors! What a fascinating story. The first emperor of China, Shi Huang Di, commissioned them in 250 BC and had 8,000 life-size warriors and horses crafted and buried with him to help him rule another empire in the afterlife. They are magnificent – every single one is different, with unique facial characteristics, different armor that signifies their rank, headpieces, footwear, weaponry, you name it.
Unbelievably, they weren’t discovered until 1974 in Xi'an, China, by local farmers digging a well, and are considered the greatest archeological discovery of the 20th century. They were buried in four pits near the Emperor’s tomb, and the soil helped preserve them. Now that they’ve been unearthed they’re susceptible to particles and molds in the air, so Johnson & Johnson is helping to preserve them. They’ve done so at no cost since the ‘90s, so the Chinese government is repaying the favor by allowing Johnson & Johnson to display five Terracotta Warriors here in Beijing. Apparently this is unheard of as they rarely allow any of the warriors to leave Xi'an. Here is what the rows and rows of unearthed warriors look like in Xi'an...
This is getting horribly long so I’ll end for now. This cute little one was dancing up a storm as we waited to get into the exhibit. Thanks for all of your nice notes and well-wishes!
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