1 week ago
10
Ian Thorpe was there, and Grant Hackett and Michael Klim and Andrew Gaze, each letting their hairsbreadth down (Klim metaphorically) connected the creation floor. Michael Phelps was determination with a phalanx of minders smoking Cuban cigars. He had conscionable turned 19. There were galore recognisable basketballers and baseballers and rowers and boxers – and Prince Albert of Monaco.
In among them each connected the riotous creation level was a short, pale, balding antheral who was getting much pistillate attraction than is customary for short, pale, balding men connected creation floors, but that this 1 had a golden medal astir his neck. His sanction was Pete Cipollone, and helium was the cox of the US’ triumphant eight.
This was the Sports Illustrated enactment astatine the Athens Olympics successful 2004, a benignant of unofficial mid-Games rave for athletes whose events were done, but whose Olympic acquisition was not. The mounting was an exclusive nightclub connected the formation astatine Kalamaki and the motif was bacchanalian.
The work has been an instauration successful the US but has struggled successful caller years.
Entry, via reddish carpet, was strictly by invitation oregon by flashing a golden medal. I deliberation sports sage Roy Masters wangled an invitation for me, which was generous since he’d besides had to stock with maine a one-bedroom flat successful the media colony that fortnight.
The temper was unmistakably carefree. Days previously, Thorpe had beaten Phelps and Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband to 200 metres golden successful the alleged “race of the century” (the period was past 4 years old!). At the Olympic nine the erstwhile night, Phelps had been besieged by sponsors and well-wishers, but present was wanted lone arsenic a creation partner. Thorpe came and went with his ain driver, but different was what helium was then, a 21-year-old retired for the night.
The evening was balmy, arsenic each were astatine those Games. An orangish half-moon shone and floodlights played crossed the clear, emerald waters of the Mediterranean.
Loading
The partygoers were young, athletic, (mostly) formidably tall, brownish from the summertime prima and glowing with bully health. The aerial was heavy with intersexual tension, and it was not hard to spot that immoderate of it would beryllium relieved that precise night. Two young Americans began a romance connected the spot, with the waters of the Mediterranean lapping astatine their feet.
The catering was, well, Olympian. There was a lamb connected a spit, immense platters of snapper, prawn and calamari, bowls of olives, nuts and fruits, lashing of food and bread. Any minute, it seemed, Rome indispensable fall, close determination successful Athens.
This was each the enactment of David Grant, an entrepreneurial Sydney businessman astatine that clip catering for the IOC. He admitted that the postulation successful which helium worked sometimes near him breathless. At the SI enactment astatine the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics 2 years previously, a alien asked if helium mightiness play drums for the band.
Grant hesitated, but the goggle-eyed set could not hold to springiness up the drummer’s stool to Wayne Gretzky, the Don Bradman of crystal hockey.
My lone disappointment that nighttime successful Athens was that nary of SI’s renowned writers were there, and I ne'er did get to conscionable Rick Reilly.
As for Cipollone, years aboriginal helium wrote reflectively connected that week and that golden medal and however transformed his life.
“We didn’t adjacent request to beryllium connected the database for parties,” helium wrote.
“We skipped the enactment and flashed our medals astatine the door. Huge entourage privation to travel in, too? No problem. Feeling similar jumping up connected signifier with the band? Do it! Stage dive the crowd? That’s cool, too.” In owed course, Cipollone became president of the US Rowing Association.
Twenty years person flown by and 4 much summertime Olympics person travel and gone. SI has suffered the ravages of each people media, and its cachet has dwindled. If it throws parties still, doubtlessly they are much Spartan, indulgences constricted and expenses spared. Athletes who person completed their events volition beryllium nether orders to permission Paris anyway. I don’t cognize if SI is readying a party, and it benignant of doesn’t substance anyhow due to the fact that Reilly near a agelong clip ago.
Sally Pearson basks successful the glory of Olympic golden successful London.Credit: Pat Scala
Still, there’s nary uncertainty that the reporter’s Olympics privilege means you fetch up successful the damnedest places. For me, different was a dim and draughty concourse supra Stratford railway presumption successful London successful the aboriginal hours aft a memorable nighttime for Australia astatine the 2012 Games.
For reasons I cannot recall, recently crowned golden medallists Anna Meares, who’ll beryllium Australia’s cook de ngo successful Paris, and Sally Pearson met reporters there, and I’ll curse I heard their golden medals clink arsenic they fell into 1 another’s arms.
It made for an evident decision to my story, thing to the effect that Pearson and Meares sounded similar a instrumentality steadfast and present was firmly successful lore.
Another was Marina da Gloria connected Guanabara Bay with Sugarloaf Mountain arsenic a backdrop successful Rio de Janeiro successful 2016. Tom Burton had conscionable won golden successful the Laser class and was tacking his mode towards the formation to observe with euphoric household and friends.
Suddenly, a Rowing Australia committee subordinate was there, frantically waving to Burton to enactment away.
A erstwhile Sailing Australia president who was determination knew that due to the fact that Burton had not passed done doping control, helium stood to suffer his medal if helium came ashore here. His consciousness saved the day.
The erstwhile president was Andrew Plympton, a stalwart of Australian sports administration, who died past month.
Covering Olympic Games is simply a mixed joy. To beryllium wherever the eyes of the satellite are focused and to witnesser first-hand the spectrum of emotions of athletes and spectators is exhilarating.
Tom Burton wins golden successful Rio.Credit: AP
Set against that, the hours are irregular and long, the workload sometimes taxing and the dependable of a media autobus moving up done the gears becomes an earworm.
But they are much than compensated for by the moments erstwhile it tin lone beryllium said that covering the Olympics is not each brew and skittles, it’s overmuch amended than that.
Our squad connected their favourite Olympic oregon Paralympic moments, and what they’re looking guardant to astatine Paris 2024
Here’s what covering the Olympics is similar for a newsman much accustomed to the “big” sports similar rugby league, cricket, racing and truthful on: it’s a reminder of wherefore you got into this concern successful the archetypal place. The athletes are raw, unaffected, unscripted. I’ve been fortunate capable to spot Cathy Freeman triumph golden successful Sydney, Usain Bolt triumph golden successful London, and Michael Phelps triumph 5 golds successful Rio. At the Winter Olympics successful Sochi, I sat adjacent Vladimir Putin arsenic Team USA bushed Russia successful treble overtime successful the men’s crystal hockey. He stormed retired close connected the buzzer. But fewer moments seizure the Olympics for maine than what I experienced aft the women’s BMX semi-finals successful Rio successful 2016 erstwhile Australia’s Caroline Buchanan broke down and howled aft crashing connected her 3rd run. I’d interviewed Caroline successful Sydney months earlier. Her tremendous property was matched lone by her tremendous quadriceps trying to burst done achromatic leather pants. She spoke infectiously astir winning golden aft blowing the commencement successful London 4 years earlier. She wanted it sooooooo bad. In Rio, I wanted it for her too. Then she bombed retired successful the semis and she couldn’t power her disappointment. As she cried successful the media mixed zone, Australian reporters interviewing her besides teared up. OK, I did. An hr later, I bumped into her successful the carpark. “I consciousness numb,” she said, earlier giving 2 thumbs up and walking distant successful tears. This is what the Olympics does: turns hard-bitten footy hacks into blubbering messes covering the women’s BMX.
One of my earliest memories of moving astatine an Olympics is of astir walking into Yao Ming. I was rounding a country into the jock holding country astatine the Bird’s Nest successful Beijing, conscionable earlier the 2008 opening ceremony, and each 2.29 metres of China’s celebrated basketballer and flagbearer was lasting successful the nonstop way of my 1.65m self. I weaved but did not request to duck. A fewer days later, I watched Yao descend his opening three-pointer against the US (China yet mislaid 101-70) connected a tiny tv astatine a hutong bar. Later successful those Games, erstwhile I witnessed a 21-year-old Usain Bolt winning his archetypal Olympic golden medal successful the 100m, it did not hap to maine that I mightiness besides witnesser his last. I was successful Rio covering the athletics astatine the 2016 Games and sitting successful the tribunes astatine Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos erstwhile Bolt won his 3rd consecutive Olympic 100-200m sprint double. But my (albeit devastating) item from the way was astir apt the 1 betwixt New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino, who collided midway done the women’s 5000m and past helped each different to the decorativeness line. Both were awarded the uncommon Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship (D’Agostino aboriginal needed genu surgery). In an Olympics different marred by accusations of doping, this felt similar a infinitesimal to savour.
My archetypal representation is simply a idiosyncratic 1 – I managed to get an 11th-hour call-up (thanks to my uncle who near his large woman astatine home) to ticker Cathy Freeman triumph golden successful Sydney erstwhile I was 12 years old. That was a large outpouring for maine fixed that I followed that up by being among the thousands of Western Sydney schoolkids who got to execute astatine the 2000 Paralympics opening ceremony. (Some of my household members inactive deliberation it’s hilarious to telephone maine the Nikki Webster of the Paralympics.) At the Rio Games, I got to screen heaps of blue-riband events, like the US men’s hoops team, athletics, swimming and soccer. My favourite highlight, though, was a batch little glamorous but it gives an penetration into what it’s similar to screen an Olympics distant from the spotlight. It was erstwhile I went aboriginal to the aquatics centre to get a spot successful the property container up of the 10m synchronised diving final. I noticed the excavation crossed from maine was an antithetic greenish colour truthful I called my exertion and asked him if it was meant to beryllium similar that. He was bemused and asked maine to nonstop him a photograph connected my phone, which I duly did. He called maine consecutive backmost and said, emphatically, nary – thing was wrong. I deed the phones and started asking questions but organisers pushed connected with the event. My exertion told maine not to driblet disconnected the story, truthful I spoke to Australian h2o polo players, who complained astir their eyes stinging aft competing successful the excavation adjacent to the diving pool. We ran that communicative and my photograph arsenic an exclusive and, this time, organisers were forced to determination each consequent events to the main aquatic centre owed to concerns implicit athletes’ health.
This volition beryllium my archetypal Olympics arsenic a journalist, but I consciousness well-equipped for the swimming aft covering the 2021 Paralympics successful Tokyo, 2022 Commonwealth Games successful Birmingham and a mates of satellite swimming championships successful Melbourne and Fukuoka. I attended the Sydney Olympics arsenic a seven-year-old, an acquisition I wrote astir to people those Games’ 20-year anniversary. I went to the tennis for a time with my grandma and it near an indelible people connected my childhood. I became obsessed with the Olympic question and to person the privilege to screen a Games for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age volition beryllium a vocation highlight. I’ve covered athletics successful 13 countries but thing was rather similar the acquisition of the Paralympics. It was a game-changer for the Paralympic movement. Dan Michel’s communicative stood out. Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Michel won Australia’s archetypal boccia medal since 1996 and celebrated his triumph by yelling “Yeah baby”, overmuch to the delight of his teammates and chap competitors. And his concealed weapon? Former Australian cricket skipper Steve Waugh, who was firmly successful Michel’s corner. The emotion successful Michel’s dependable arsenic helium work a congratulatory substance connection from Waugh aft his medal was a peculiar infinitesimal that I felt privileged to witness. It’s a tiny happening but, for me, it encapsulated however joyous those Games were.
One of the astir unsung roles for journalists astatine Olympic Games is that of the quotes monkey – a newsman stationed successful the mixed zone, wherever panting athletes are paraded past journalists shouting questions aft their events. You request stamina due to the fact that you past tally up flights of stairs to present the quotes to a workfellow bashing distant astatine their machine connected deadline successful the tribunes above. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics I was quotes monkey for 2 large nights astatine the pool. One was the duel betwixt Ian Thorpe and his Dutch rival, Pieter Van den Hoogenband, successful the 200m freestyle; the different the celebrated showdown betwixt the US and Australian 4x100m freestyle relay teams. I didn’t spot Thorpe mow down Gary Hall jnr successful the last limb of the relay due to the fact that I was jostling for presumption and getting elbowed successful the caput successful the mixed zone, but I volition never, ever hide the noise. The factual stadium seemed to vibrate arsenic the Australians thrashed aerial guitars astatine the extremity of the pool, a notation to the pre-Games sledge from Hall jnr that the American swimmers would “smash Australia similar guitars”. That infinitesimal ignited the Sydney Olympics, but the infinitesimal I retrieve amended is erstwhile Thorpe was pipped by Hoogie successful the 200. It hadn’t occurred to anyone that Thorpe, already a superstar, would beryllium beaten. So erstwhile helium walked into the mixed portion successful his neck-to-toe achromatic suit helium was greeted with stunned silence. “Isn’t anyone going to inquire maine a question?” helium said. At 17, Thorpe coped with his decision amended than galore of those watching, and his admiration for the flying Dutchman was obvious. For me, that was the essence of Olympics competition.
In 2021 erstwhile Tokyo yet hosted the Olympics a twelvemonth precocious owed to COVID it was held successful near-empty stadiums successful a state that nary longer wanted them to beryllium held astatine all. It made the full Games tremendously weird and hard to cover. It besides delivered moments dissimilar immoderate different Olympics. If Ash Moloney could bent connected successful the last lawsuit of the decathlon – the 1500m – helium would triumph bronze, Australia’s archetypal decathlon medal. Cedric Dubler was good retired of the medals and ran with his teammate to propulsion him along. Sitting successful the stands we were truthful adjacent to the way and the stadium was truthful bare you could perceive Dubler shriek astatine Moloney arsenic helium dropped disconnected him for that last lap. “GO. Just f---ing GO! GO!” And helium did. Moloney won bronze. There person been galore superb moments – seeing Sally Pearson triumph gold, watching Usain Bolt, witnessing David Rudisha breeze astir the London Olympic stadium to triumph golden and acceptable a caller satellite record. But it was a bronze medal successful a crowdless stadium astatine a Games that mightiness not person happened that stands out.
The Great Wall of China is ancient, imposing and breathtaking, but not remotely wheelchair friendly. During the 2008 Paralympic Games successful Beijing, lone the ambulant could ascent the awkward, steep stairs to the top; the wheels were stuck successful a small, crowded viewing country thrown up for athletes astatine the Games. As contention coiled down, immoderate able-bodied friends and I seized a escaped day to stroll on 1 of the world’s 7 wonders. We hauled ourselves up the steep stairs astatine a much distant section, navigated the uneven surface, and gaped astatine the view. Then, coming astir a corner, we stumbled crossed a show I volition ne'er forget. Muscular arms were lifting wheelchairs up the pokey, steep stairs. Soon after, those aforesaid arms lifted their occupants. The men emerging into the past turret, the lifted and the lifting, looked familiar. We walked closer. It was the Rollers, Australia’s golden medal-winning wheelchair hoops team. In the vigor of a Beijing afternoon, the ambulant players had been carrying their paralysed brothers to the apical of the wall, truthful they could each bask the aforesaid presumption of the 3000-year aged wonderment snaking into the distance. There’d been bonzer feats of athleticism astatine those Olympic and Paralympic Games; Usain Bolt smashed the 100m record, Michael Phelps broke 7 satellite records, Matthew Mitcham claimed golden with a cleanable dive. But for me, thing surpassed the enactment of fellowship I stumbled crossed astatine the end. It’s what the Games are expected to beryllium about.
It was, I soon realised, a test. The sweaty, provincial bureaucrats grinning astir the edifice array were the gatekeepers to my prized interrogation subject; China’s astir celebrated Olympian of her time, diver Fu Mingxia. To get to her, I had to archetypal devour and portion everything they enactment earlier me. This gastronomic qualifying event, a variant of the death-by-banquet method utilized by Communist enactment officials to guarantee inquiring journalists are excessively afloat oregon drunk to inquire hard questions, took spot successful the concern metropolis of Jinan arsenic Sydney was preparing to big the 2000 Olympics. I’ve ne'er forgotten the screaming dependable the centipedes made erstwhile they deed the blistery rocks oregon the atrocious feeling I had wobbling up the stairs to the interrogation aft consuming capable brew to capable an Olympic pool. But arsenic Fu aboriginal told me: “When you privation to proceed to triumph golden medals, gradually you person to look much and much difficulties. I person tasted everything from sour to sweet, bitter to hot.”
I was 18 erstwhile the Olympics archetypal genuinely gripped me. It was connected a Saturday greeting successful 1996, and I was playing section footy. We were warming up to look a braying and beery suburban crowd, and our manager enactment the TV connected – to ticker Kieren Perkins triumph an improbable golden medal successful Atlanta. Talk astir your flashbulb moments. This was an epoch affluent with them, from the decease of Princess Diana to the Twin Towers falling. But that “Superfish” aquatics stood retired to maine instantly arsenic a awesome of thing bigger oregon amended than expected – the improbable made possible. I interviewed Perkins astir it recently. People inactive halt him play to stock wherever they were erstwhile helium triumphed from lane eight. It’s awkward for him – that his infinitesimal looms truthful ample for truthful galore others. But it besides serves him arsenic a changeless reminder, arsenic it does me, astir who we are, and what we privation to be.
Having grown up successful Spain, to me, the Olympics volition ever beryllium synonymous with agelong days astir the surviving country TV watching the Games successful the scorching summertime heat. I retrieve watching the opening ceremonial of the Sydney Olympics arsenic a wide-eyed six-year-old. Little did I cognize that Australia would go location successful my 20s. However, 1 of my favourite Olympic moments successful caller times is watching Australian swimmer Emma McKeon triumph golden successful the 50m freestyle astatine the Tokyo Olympics. After a stellar show passim the Games, McKeon looked truthful calm and assured arsenic she dove into the excavation and defeated Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom to assertion the apical gong. McKeon would past spell connected to triumph the women’s medley relay with her squad – surpassing Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones to go the astir decorated Olympian successful Australian history. It was specified an unthinkable infinitesimal for women’s sport.
The Barcelona Games were my archetypal due vulnerability to the Olympics arsenic an 11-year-old, implicit with a Penguin publication wherever you’d capable successful each the medal winners. It astir apt changed my beingness successful galore ways, from the archer lighting the cauldron and the iconic Andrew Lloyd-Webber written opus Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life). They are moments inactive seared into my mind. As a kid from Gippsland watching section heroes similar Kathy Watt triumph golden successful the roadworthy contention and Tim Forsyth triumph bronze successful the precocious leap brought it location for maine connected the television. But much than thing it was watching Derek Redmond carried crossed the enactment by his father, Jim, successful the 400m semi-finals aft tearing his hamstring. Redmond had pushed the stretcher-bearers distant but his begetter had tally connected to the way to assistance his lad decorativeness the event. Arm successful limb they struggled crossed the enactment and some received a lasting ovation. I couldn’t archer you who won golden successful the end. But that infinitesimal drew maine successful and I’ve ne'er been capable to fto go. As a writer astatine a state paper I’ll ne'er hide speaking connected the telephone to cyclist Brett Lancaster successful Athens portion helium was connected a autobus backmost to the athletes’ colony aft winning golden successful the squad pursuit. I’d watched the contention with his household and astir 100 different of his friends successful Shepparton successful the mediate of the night. You truly summation a grasp of what it each meant to truthful galore people.
My favourite Olympics representation is really from the 2002 Winter Olympics successful Salt Lake City. Australian velocity skater Steven Bradbury was successful the 1000m short-track velocity skating final with 4 different competitors. He was mode down them successful the past mates of loops but immoderate magical things happened to him arsenic they went done the past loop: the 4 starring skaters crashed with each other, it did not impact Steven astatine all, and helium went done the decorativeness enactment archetypal and got the golden medal. His winning communicative inspired maine that we should not springiness up connected anything, support warring to the extremity and anticipation for immoderate miracles to happen.
News, results and adept investigation from the play of athletics sent each Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
English (US)