By Fred Baer, PA/USATF Media Chair
A pair of athletes with Pacific Association roots produced top ten placements in the final individual running events of the Beijing Olympics. And another former California prep star did the same in the field. The USA also won the two concluding 4 x 400 meter relays at the Bird's Nest National Stadium.
Stanford grad Ryan Hall was tenth in the men’s marathon and San Francisco's Shannon Rowbury had America’s highest ever women’s 1,500 meter finish (seventh).
MARATHON FINALE
Hall kept moving up in Sunday morning’s climatic marathon, finishing just behind ninth place American teammate Dathan Ritzenhein. It was the first time since 1976 that two Americans placed in the top ten at the Olympics. At Montreal, Frank Shorter finished second and Stanford’s Don Kardong was fourth.
21-year-old Samuel Wansiru of Kenya broke from a lead trio at the 35 kilometer point (21 1/2 miles) and won in an Olympic record 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds. That took nearly three seconds off the mark of 2:09.21 set at the 1984 Los Angeles Games by Carlos Lopes of Portugal.
Hall’s time of 2:12:33 was off his best of 2:06:17, run under cooler conditions at the London Marathon in April. Wansiru also recorded his PR in that race, finishing second in 2:05:24.
Yonas Kifle, 20, of Erithrea, led Wansiru at the halfway mark in 1:02.34 but couldn’t maintain that pace and fell to 26th by the end. At halfway, Ritzenheim was 12th in 1:03:54 and Hall 17th in 1:04:27.
They had stayed with the lead pack through the first 5K before dropping back.
“They went out really fast,” Hall said. “I thought it was way too hard, at least for me. I would have died if I went out that fast.”
As temperatures warmed to 86 degrees at the end, the American duo picked off many of the early speedsters, but couldn’t catch them all. “It’s20all about finishing as high as I can,” Hall said. “I did the best I could. I ran my heart out. It wasn’t quite as good as I had hoped for. You have to give credit to those guys at the front.”
ROWBURY HAS USA’S BEST 1,500 FINISH
In her first Olympic Games, Sacred Heart Cathedral grad Rowbury gave America its best 1,500 meter finish. The former Central Coast Section prep star placed seventh in 4 minutes, 3.58 seconds. A U.S. woman has yet to medal in the event. Three Americans had previously finished eighth: Ruth Wysocki in 1984, Mary Decker Slaney in 1988, and Marla Runyan in 2000.
Rowbury stayed with the lead pack, which went through 400 meters in 65.90 and 800 in 2:13.70. She was fourth when world champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain broke with 500 meters to go. Jamal led at 1,200 in 3:16.41, but Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya passed her over the final furlong to win in 4:00.23.
Rowbury was not pleased with her inability to chase the leaders on the last lap, however. “It’s hard to explain, but sometimes, when you want to go, it’s just not there,” she said. “I tried to stay with them as much as I could…I didn’t have my legs today.”
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HOWARD 6TH IN HIGH JUMP
Also on Saturday, Chaunte Howard, a 24-year-old mother competing in her second Olympics, had a 6 foot, 6 1/4 inch third attempt clearance in the women’s high jump to grab sixth place for the USA. She was the 2001 California state high school champion while at J.W. North in Riverside. Tia Hellebaut of Belgium went over 6-8 3/4 on her first attempt to win gold over heavy favorite Blanka Vlasic of Croatia, who cleared on her second try.
USA WINS TRACK MEDAL DERBY
The USA won the concluding men’s and women’s 4 x 400 meter relays to finish with a pacesetting seven gold medals and 23 overall track and field medals. Jamaica and Russia each won six golds. The five men’s golds were the fewest ever by an American Olympic team. But medals, now, are spread among more countries than in the past. There were 204 countries competing here.
The three golds by the USA women is the most since they achieved the same total at Atlanta in 1996. American women had nine total medals, their third highest Olympic total.
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FRIDAY, August 22
Shannon Rowbury is an Olympic finalist. Now America’s No. 4 all-time metric miler, the former Central Coast Section star would like to finally bring the area a women’s track medal. The color isn’t that important.
The 2002 Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) grad had the fourth fastest time in Thursday night’s 1,500 meter semifinals, 4 minutes, 3.89 seconds, to make the field of 12 for Saturday night’s title race at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium. She nbsp; was also fourth in her heat, won by Nancy Langat of Kenya in 4:03.02. Rowbury’s time would have easily won the two earlier semis.
“Ideally you want to try to be an auto-qualifier (finish in the top three), but I knew this heat was fast,” she said. The top three finishers from each semi advanced automatically, along with the next three best times overall.
The top five times all came from Rowbury’s third heat.
“It’s always interesting with the rounds,” she said. “You want to run hard, but you hope that you have something left for Saturday. I got a little tired at the end, but there were good things to learn before Saturday.
This is an amazing field of women. I9 9m very excited to have another chance, I’m just going to put myself in the race and run smart.”
ROWBURY FACT FILE:
After receiving her master’s degree from Duke in Humanities, Rowbury returned to her San Francisco family home in the Sunset District this year, training on tracks at City College of San Francisco and on the Peninsula.
The 23-year-old, who came into the year with a best of 4:12.31 from 2006, had her major 1,500 meter breakthrough at Stanford on May 4, running an early season world leading 4:07.59. Rowbury took the world lead again in mid-May at the Home Depot Center in Carson, running 4:01.61 and went on to win the U.S. Olympic Trials at Eugene, Ore., in July. She lowered her best again, to 4:00.33, in Paris on July 18 (finishing second to Olympic favorite Maryam Jamal of Burundi). That time now ranks No. 4 on this year’s world list and is the fastest by an American since 2002. Only two Americans have run under four minutes. Mary Decker Slaney holds the quarter-century old U.S. record of 3:57.12.
As a junior at Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2001, Rowbury was undefeated in the 800 meters, winning the Arcadia Invitational, the CIF state meet, and the adidas National Outdoor Championship. She moved up to the 1,600 meters as a senior and took the CIF title at that distance. Her background was in ballet and then Irish Step D ancing before she came under the tutelage of than new SHC track coach Andy Chan as a freshmen cross country runner who just wanted some conditioning for soccer season. But she won a league title and led SHC its first state cross country appearance.
At Duke, Rowbury placed second in the NCAA indoor mile in 2005 and then won the title in 2007 before being sidelined for the rest of the season with hip stress fracture. She came back this year to win the USA indoor 3,000 meter title in February.
STAT LIST:
Rowbury has edged ahead of former Stanford star Regina Jacobs (4:00.35) into fourth place on the all-time USA 1,500 meter list. Only two Americans have broken four minutes.
All-time USA top 1,500 meter performers:
3:57.12 Mary Slaney, 1983
3:57.40 Suzy Favor-Hamilton, 2000
4:00.18 Ruth Wysocki, 1984
4:00.33 Shannon Rowbury, 2008
4:00.35 Regina Jacobs, 1999
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THURSDAY, August 21
How to end a great day at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday: Watching Usain Bolt of Jamaica break the 200 meter record of 19.32 seconds, set at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic by my friend Michael Johnson, who now lives in Marin County. Bolt won in 19.30 -- by an even greater margin than in that memorable race by Johnson. (I still relish placing a then “unknown” Johnson on his first national team in 1989 for the World University Games in Germany, when I was the USA team manager).
How to start a "great" day here: Climb the Great Wall, after taking an hour-long first class scenic ride on a train with panoramic windows for just $2.50. My daughter, Bridget Michelsen, and grandson Ryan, joined me in scaling the steep stairs and slopes of this portion of the 5,000 kilometer long Wall. That provided a better workout then we'd get at the gym. It was also a good way to gain appreciation for the 5,000 meter runners we’ll see running in prelims at the Bird’s Next Stadium later in the day. The weather cooperated – remained overcast. The best part, according to Ryan, was taking the “slider car” (a train of toboggans on a track) down from the wall.
Happy Birthday Thursday: Bolt celebrated his 22nd birthday this morning with his gold medal press conference that started at 12:02 a.m.
He doesn’t want to be compared to Johnson – or to Michael Phelps. “A lot of people compare me to Michael Johnson,” Bolt said. “He was a great athlete. I just want to be me.”
After smashing both the 100 and 200 meter world records here, Bolt has not yet targeted Johnson’s 400 meter mark. “Don’t hold your breath. I won’t be running the 400 meters any time soon, but maybe after next year’s world championships” he said.
“The 200 meters has been my love since I was 15. I was the youngest-ever to win the world junior championships.”
The 6-5 Bolt also had comments on the Phelps comparison: “He is a great athlete and to have won eight gold medals is amazing. But I’m on the track and he is in the water. You can’t compare it.”
Bolt’s next focus here is on Jamaica’s 4 x 100 meter relay, starting tonight. “I want to get one more gold medal,” he said. The USA should provide the main opposition.
Regarding those 5,000 meter races: The USA won two of the three semifinals. But Stanford grad Ian Dobson was the odd man out, running only 14 minutes, 5.47 seconds. His best time is 13:15.33.
“I tried to go out there and soak it up a little bit, look around,” Dobson said. It made me a little more nervous. I think of all of the things I did right at the (U.S.) Trials -- run like I've got nothing to lose. I just didn't do that today. Physically, I am ready to go, but mentally it just wasn't there and I'm really sorry."
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Stephanie Brown Trafton's Gold medal "far throw" - photo by Bridget Michelson
It took four days for the USA to win its first track and field gold medal of the Beijing Olympics – and then by someone not even on the radar screen of most prognosticators. Discus thrower Stephanie Brown Trafton, a San Luis Obispo native, took the lead with a 212-foot, 5 inch first throw Monday night at the Bird’s Nest Stadium. That held-up to end a 76-year USA women’s title drought in throwing event.
The only previous American golds came at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, in the discus and javelin. The USA had not has not even had a top eight finisher in the women’s discus since taking the silver medal at 1984 Olympics, when the Eastern Bloc nations boycotted.
“I had a far throw and nobody else stepped up,” the 6-4 Brown Trafton said. “I won a gold medal! I almost started to cry on the victory lap.” Her tears were a bit more evident after the Star-Spangled Banner played for the first time at an awards ceremony in the Birds Nest.
The 28-year-old Cal Poly grad had been the world leader most of the season, throwing a personal best 217-1 on May 5 at Hartnell College in Salinas. She currently lives in Galt and trains at Sacramento City College.
LOCAL GRANTS HELPS MEDAL QUEST
I work with Brown Trafton, in my position of women’s track and field chair (and a past president) of USA Track & Field’s Pacific Association. She volunteers as our Athletes’ Committee chair. Our association provided a training grant to help her prepare for the Olympics. She also won $1,700 first place money in the PA Grand Prix competition, which included the association championship meet at College of San Mateo. Five of her competitions this season were at community college fields around the state. She won the Stanford Invitational in April.
It was a pleasure to see the PA region’s athlete support program pay off in gold. This will likely be the only American victory in a men’s or women’s throwing event at these games.
UPSHAW QUALIFIES FOR LONG JUMP FINALS:
In Tuesday morning qualifying, long jumper Grace Upshaw of Los Altos Hills was the number six qualifier for Friday night’s finals, leaping 21-11. All three American jumpers advanced. The USA’s Brittney Reese led all qualifiers at 22-6 1/2.
New American 1,500 meter women’s star Shannon Rowbury from San Francisco received a “free passE2 to the semifinals when Tuesday’s qualifying round was not needed. She is a former CCS star at Sacred Heart Cathedral comes into the games as the No. 5 performer in U.S. history and the fastest in six years.
USA women’s javelin record holder Kim Kreiner was not as fortunate. The Fresno resident, who set an American record of 203-10 at CSM two years ago, has been plagued by injuries since extending that mark to 210-7 last year. She could reach only 180-10 in Tuesday’s qualifying. It took 199-6 to advance.
BEIJING’S TRACK FACE FAILS
The face of the Beijing Olympics has disappeared.
China’s biggest Olympic star, defending men’s 110 meter hurdles champion Liu Xiang, withdrew from the games after reinjuring an Achilles’ tendon during a false start of his qualifying heat on Monday.
The former world record holder never looked ready to run. He hesitated and fumbled with his legs getting into the blocks. The expression on his face signaled “trouble” too.
The moment was replayed on Chinese television throughout the day. Liu, who set both Olympic and world records winning at Athens in 2004, did not show up at a press conference after the prelims, leaving it to Chinese team head coach Fe ng Shuyong to explain that an old injury which had been “controlled very well” had flared up in practice on Saturday,
The USA lost a top challenger in the same inside lane in the heat prior to Liu’s. Two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrance Trammell pulled up with a left leg injury after the first hurdle. The other two American entries (David Oliver and David Payne), won their heats, as did new world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba.
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Sunday, August 17
Saturday night provided the singular moment of the 2008 Olympic Games here in Beijing..
Approximately 12 hours after swimmer Michael Phelps equaled the seven gold medal achievement of Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the 100 meter track world record of 9.69 seconds by Usain Bolt of Jamaica awed more than 90,000 spectators at the neighboring Bird’s Nest. Of course, Phelps won a record eighth gold 12 hours later, on Sunday morning, in the Water Cube pool.
Of the promised 24-hours of accent on speed at these Games, nothing quite compared to Bolt’s mark. He blew past the pack midway through the century race, then let up over the final 15 meters -- after he had apparently clinched. “I didn’t know I had the world record until after my victory lap,” Bolt explained at the packed post-race press conference.
The No. 2 and 3 all-time sprinters didn’t even medal. Former world record holder Asafa Powell (9.74), also of Jamaica, was fifth in 9.95. American record holder Tyson Gay (9.77) did not make the final, fi nishing fifth in his semi earlier in the evening.
Bolt was apologetic for not meeting the hobbled Gay in the final. “I told Tyson all season I was looking forward to competing against him (here),” Bolt said. “If you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best.” Bolt has done that. He ran his previous record of 9.72 in New York on June 1, defeating Gay.
The USA did get the bronze medal. Walter Dix of Florida State ran 9.91 for third place, just behind surprise runner-up Richard Thompson (9.89) of Trinidad.
The two-tenths victory margin was phenomenal for such a fast race. It equals the greatest margin in an Olympic 100 final, dating to 1906 in Athens when Archie Hahn (11.2) beat fellow American Ray Multon (11.4). In 1964, at Tokyo, Bob Hayes of the USA ran a world record 10.0 to defeat Enrique Figuerola of Cuba, 10.2. And in 1984, at Los Angeles, Carl Lewis won in 9.99 over American rival Sam Graddy, 10.19. Contrast that to four years ago in Athens, where the USA’s Justin Gatlin won in 9.85 and each of the next three finishers were just .01 apart.
How did Bolt prepare for this record day? “I got up at 11 and got some nuggets,” he said. “Then I slept about 3 more hours and got some more nuggets.” Perhaps he’s ready to replace Carl Lewis as the spokesman for McDonalds, which provides food for athletes at the Olympic Village.
There have been other superlative Olympic races. This one compares with Michael Johnson smashing the 200 meter world record at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and winning by more than half of a second. That mark of 19.32, which is still .3 faster than anyone else has run, will be Bolt’s next target, later in the week. His best time is 19.67. Dix has run 19.69, which is the collegiate record. So another top match-up is pending.
Hyaleas Fountain winning the 200m. photo by Bridget Michelsen
Saturday, August 16
The excitement continues to build for Saturday night’s world fastest human showdown on the track at the Beijing Olympics.
The final two rounds of the men’s 100 meters at the Bird’s Nest track take place tonight. There were no disappointments in the qualifying rounds. American record holder Tyson Gay will meet former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica in one semifinal tonight. nbsp; New world record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica goes in the other semi.
Bolt (9.72), Powell (9.74), and Gay (9.77) are the top three all-time performers. Nine of the top ten all-time are from the Americas. All of this year’s top ten sprinters are from the USA or the Caribbean.
BRAZIL HAS FASTEST SWIMMER
The fastest man in the water is Cesar Cielo Filho of Brazil. He won the 50 meter freestyle Saturday morning at the Water Cube in an Olympic record 21.30 seconds. Stanford grad Ben Wildman-Tobriner of Palo Alto failed to grab a second Olympic medal, finishing fifth in a personal best 21.64. He does have a gold medal from the 4 x 100 meter free relay.
The most exciting morni ng swim final was the men’s 100 meter butterfly. Michael Phelps barely won to claim an Olympic record equaling seventh gold medal. He trailed throughout the race, but closed on leader Milorad Cavic of Serbia over the final meters. Cavic was ahead going to the wall, but Phelps was able to out touch him by .01 of a second in an Olympic record 50.58.
Although Phelps has equaled the seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz of the Santa Clara Swim Club at the 1972 Munich Olympics, he failed to set a world record for the first time here. Spitz was a perfect seven world records with his seven golds in Munich. Phelps now has 15 total Olympic medals (2004 and 2008), equaling the record for an Olympic male athlete.
TRACK’S OPENING HIGHLIGHTS
Northern California had a pair of first day track and field leaders Friday. Stephanie Brown-Trafton from Galt led the women’s discus throw qualifying. She needed to hit her big mark of 205 feet, 11 inches on her last attempt, however, to make Monday’s finals.
“It was a rough start,” Brown-Trafton said. “But I told myself to relax. The third round was great. Anything can happen in the final.” The Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) grad was the world leader for much of this year and has competed regularly in local meets at Stanford and at College of San Mateo.
Hyleas Fountain, who trains with Tri-Valley Athletics in Stockton, was the first day leader in the women’s heptathlon with 4,060 points and could claim gold tonight.
The men’s shot put finals were a disappointment for former San Carlos and Menlo Park resident Adam Nelson. The current world leader, who was competing with a rib injury, failed to get a legal mark in the finals.
“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Nelson said. “This is what I do for a living. To not make a final after seven years of making finals, it’s inexcusab le. I was just off today.”
The USA’s Christian Cantwell, the world indoor champion, took the silver medal by reaching 69-2 1/2 on his last throw.
In women’s triple jump qualifying, Stanford’s Erica McLain competed with a sore hamstring muscle and placed a non-advancing 26th at 44-4 1/2. “I tore my hamstring on July 20,” McLain said. “I guess I just didn’t have enough time to recover. I came out here and gave it my all. This is the Olympics.”
The women’s 10,000 meter finals saw Shalane Flanagan break the American record she had set at Stanford this spring, running 30 minutes, 22.22 seconds to claim the bronze medal.
Two of the three USA women shot putters with Peninsula connections advanced in Saturday morning women’s qualifying. Stanford grad Jillian Camarena reached a season best 60-8 3/4 on her last throw and San Jose native Michele Carter (daughter of former San Francisco 49er Michael Carter) hit 60-8 on her first effort. Those marks exceeded the automatic qualifying mark to reach tonight’s finals. Former Stanford strength coach Kristin Heaston, a Cal grad, threw only 56-10 3/4 and failed to move on.
Friday, August 15
It’s Friday morning in Beijing and competition for the world’s fastest swimmer and runner is taking place simultaneously at adjacent arenas.
In the much anticipated men’s 100 meters on the Bird’s Nest track, new world record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica strolls through the first heat in 10.20 seconds. His former world record holding compatriot, Asafa Powell, runs 10.16, to win the second heat. American record holder Tyson Gay, who was injured during the 200 meters at the U.S. Trials, runs well to win his heat in 10.22. So the first round has gone according to form.
Over at the Water Cube, Stanford grad Ben Wildman-Tobriner is in a blanket finish of the 50 meter freestyle semifinals. His 26.76 is the same as Amaury Leveaux of France. Both make it to make Saturday’s finals. World record holder Eamon Sullivan of Australia is just a hundredth faster. Leading the way is Cesar Cielo Filho of Brazil, with the second fastest time ever, 21.34.
An hour earlier, Hyleas Fountain got track and field competition underway, pacing the 100 meter hurdles performers in the first event of the two-day heptathlon in 12.78 for 1,158 points. Fountain has been training this season at Tri-Valley Athletics in Stockton.
RECEPTIONS HERALD START OF TRACK
On the eve of track competition, two diverse groups held receptions at the sprawling Loong Palace Hotel on the northeast outskirts of Beijing. Corporate events and specialty tours are a staple of the Olympic Games.
Multi-Olympics track star Carl Lewis and 1992 gymnastics gold medalist Trent Dimas welcomed worldwide guests of McDonalds in the south wing. Far to the north, In the Beijing ballroom, former high jump world record holder Dwight Stones was giving his field event predictions to several hundred members of a tour group from Peninsula-based Track & Field News. Pacific Association officials Dick and Shirley Connors from San Mateo were among the tour participants enjoying the party.
Stones is working here for NBC, along with Lewis’ sister Carol, but was unaware of the other event taking place in the same hotel.
Carl Lewis had come to Beijing as co-holder of the all-time record for most Olympic gold medals, nine, won from 1984 through 1996.
Michael Phelps started swimming competition here with six golds won in 2004. He set a new record of ten earlier this week and hopes to leave with 14 when swimming concludes on Sunday.
He added to that haul again on Friday morning, winning the 200 meter individual medley in 1:54.23, with the USA’s Ryan Lochte third in 1:56.53. A half hour earlier, Lochte became the first person under 1:54 in the 200 backstroke, setting a record of 1:53.94 for the gold medal. Stanford grad Markus Rogan was just out of the medal picture, fourth in an Austrian record 1:55.49.
There is the question if the Phelps comparison with Lewis is fair. Swimmers can go for gold daily. Track athletes specialize in just one or two areas. The winning of four gold track medals by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics is still considered a singular achievement in sport and was a much-hyped goal of Carl Lewis at Los Angeles in 1984. Lewis left with three golds and one silver.
But he has been named “Sportsman of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee.
Since track finals take place in the evening here, there will be a half-day delay in most of NBC’s coverage into prime time in the USA (12-15 hours later). According to Stones, NBC will show some of the morning prelim events in the same previous evening domestic TV “live” (Eastern Time) window that it has been using=2 0for swimming and gymnastics .
August 14, 2008
There will be no limits on speed through the weekend here in Beijing.
Swimming concludes with a focus on the 50 and 100 meter races. Track and field gets underway with the century dashes.
Signals of what is to come were sent out at Wednesday morning’s men’s 100 meter freestyle semifinals. World records were set in both races. Alain Bernard of France took the record away in the first semi, swimming 47.20 seconds, and Eamon Sullivan of Australia grabbed in right back minutes later, going 47.05.
Here’s who to watch for in each final.
In the water:
Thursday morning (on U.S. TV Wednesday night), men’s 100 meter freestyle: 32-year-old Jason Lezak, who electrified the Olympics with his record 46.06 anchor on the USA 4 x 100 meter relay team, vs. world record breakers Sullivan and Bernard. Lezak qualified third in Bernard’s semi on Wednesday.
Friday morning, women’s 100 free: Cal grad and American record holder Natalie Coughlin, the first U.S. women’s gold medalist here vs. world record holder Libby Trickett of Australia.
Saturday morning, men’s 50 free: San Francisco’s Ben Wildman-Tobriner plus Garrett Weber-Gale, both already gold medalists in the 4 x 100 meter relay, vs. Sullivan and Amaury Leveaux of France.
Sunday morning, women’s 50 free: 41-year-old Dara Torres leading off the final swimming session.
On land:
Saturday night: men’s 100 meters: the much anticipated match-up of the world’s three fastest humans: American record holder Tyson Gay vs. Jamaica’s world record breakers Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell.
Sunday night: women’s 100 meters: reigning silver medalist Lauryn Williams and Muna Lee of the USA vs. Kerron Stewart of Jamaica.
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August 8, 2008
It is 8 –8 – 8 at 8 in Beijing. At 8 a.m. on Friday morning, only 12 hours remain before the “lucky” opening of the Olympic Games at 8 p.m. The Chinese are hopeful that the use of their lucky number “8” will provide a rousing send-off for the Games. Currently the final stages of the torch relay are underway and being broadcast on Chinese television. The ceremonies are expected to provide an elaborate display of technology, capped by a spectacular Chinese fireworks show in the foggy and smoggy sky.
Beijing is 15 hours ahead of Pacific Time, so the ceremonies will take place early Friday morning in the USA – and air on NBC Friday night.
The magnitude of Olympic opening ceremonies has grown exponentially since my first Games in 1972 at Munich. The parade of nations has always been a focal point. That, along with several speeches and some traditional German pageantry, was the show at Munich. There was even some extra space in our ABC stadium pr ess box, which was to be my main workplace throughout the Games. (I would be serving as track and field statistician for the late Jim McKay and coordinating all of the field event results.)
The full Hollywood flavor didn’t really hit until 1984 in Los Angeles, however. Tonight 15,000 people are scheduled to perform in a stadium which has been long sold-out – at premium prices. According to games organizers, the three-and-a-half-hour show will open with the beating of the ancient Chinese drum, fou, followed by a display of the Olympic rings and the Chinese national flag. (National flag sales have soared here the past month, up more than 30 times over the previous month, according to the Beijing Daily.)
My apartment, in the new Holiday Inn Express complex next to Beijing’s Chinatown Marketplace and overlooking the Chinese Ethnic Cultural Park, is officially in the Olympic zone. It borders the Olympic Park and is about a 15-minute walk from the Bird’s Nest.
For security purposes, the entire multi-story marketplace building and everything else in the area is closed today, including the 24-hour restaurant. The new McDonald’s fast food restaurant on the corner still has a sign “opening soon” displayed. Maybe tomorrow?
At the main press center (MPC), McDonald’s was doing a brisk business. An adjacent McCafe was serving a full menu that resembled Starbuck’s, clearly previewing McDonald’s planned venture into the gourmet coffee area. But the most obvious commercial sign is for Visa, which has its official logo everywhere (in contrast to the company’s more low profile presence at its Foster City headquarters).
After tonight’s ceremonies the Bird’s Nest will be transformed back into a track and field facility for the beginning of athletics competition in a week. During the ceremonies there will be little evidence of its athletics functions.
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