Feeling patriotic, I decided that July 4th would be the appropriate time to leave for Atlanta. Riding with me is University of California, Irvine freshman pole vaulter, Pete Kovacs. The game plan was to leave at night so that we could get across the California and Arizona Desserts when it was "supposed to be cooler". Not only did this provide no relief (still 104 degrees at 4:00 AM) we were both exhausted from having been up all day to start with. To compound this, Pete developed a case of pink eye which required him to keep his eyes closed until he could see a doctor and get medication. Too make a long story short, in the 23 hours it took to drive to Austin, Texas I drove 19 of those hours on no sleep.
On Saturday the 6th, we got Pete to a walk-in Clinic, got his prescription filled, and left for my parents home in Houston. After two very good nights of sleep we drove the final 13 hours to my sister's house in Atlanta. Having learned a lesson previously, we left at 4:00 AM and arrived fresh and in good spirits.
Fortunately the Olympic Headquarters were right across the street from the Hyatt, which was the USA Track & Field Headquarters for the Olympic Trials last month. In other words, we didn't get lost ... yet.
Though we were in an out with our Official Olympic Games Photo I.D. Badges and hand geometry clearance (reads hand print, bone, and blood vessel patterns) in about 45 minutes, we did hear horror stories from other workers.
While we were standing in line, a guy from Coca-Cola said that 150 of his drivers were turned away from the venues because of improper credentialing. Briefly I wondered why we were standing here and would our fate be the same. I later found that since we were working with the athletes and were not bringing in trucks that could possibly be full of explosives, we would not have that problem. Before we parted company, we thanked the guy for letting us know that there were two bomb scares (where we had been standing) at the headquarters last week that caused the building to be evacuated for several hours.
Of course we pray that these Olympic Games will be as joyous and peaceful as the 100th anniversary deserves. If security and show of force (armed military men in vehicles are visible at all sites) are any indication, the world will be able to focus on it's finest athletes. However, my favorite part of the Games is how the whole world seems to stop and observe the unfolding stories which bring many new heroes to our lives and inspire us to demand more of ourselves and become more tolerant of others. I feel so very fortunate to be here.
I find myself with many emotions today, all positive because as a rule of my life, I allow no others. When I wake up in my home in Corona Del Mar, California at 5:30 AM, I walk out, get the paper and immediately proclaim myself the luckiest man alive. I have a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean in a wonderful community, an incredible wife and family, and a prosperous business. So as you may well understand, the separation anxiety is substantial. I wonder constantly how my wife and members of our extended family (our great staff at our physical therapy clinics in Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo, and athletes from around the world who come to live and train with us) are doing. It seems selfish for the sacrifice of time and attention I have taken, but there will only be one 100th anniversary of this great tradition. I thank everyone for their support and double duty to allow me this honor.
By nature I am a positive person who will adapt to change. However, my patience was tested this morning as we received a total about face in our scheduling. I knew that until the 15th of July that tourists would be allowed to live in the Olympic Village for $100 per night so they may experience what the athletes do. However, in a major curve ball, it was announced that ATHLETES will only be allowed to stay free in the village from the night before their prelims to the night after their final. If they failed to qualify for additional rounds, they must leave by the next evening. If they wish to stay over, it is $100 per night.
Can you imagine the fiscal turmoil this is causing? Entire countries teams are staying OUT of Atlanta until the last minute for this reason. Sport Supply Group Inc., whom I am officially contracted by to provide help to athletes (they provide everything from scorecards, chalk, pole vault pits etc. for every venue and every sport) is at a loss to how to schedule our support.
A full staff is available but the limitation of athletes in the village has raised serious concerns among athletes as to which of the five venues they should train. For example, I was scheduled to run the track in the Olympic Village for the duration of my stay. Because we are allowed only eight people at any site on a given day, I will be moved and/or rotated to other sites. No big deal for me, but athletes from many countries that we have worked with in the past are now calling and saying where and when will Doug and Earl be where (Earl Bell, four time Olympian)? Simon Arkell (Australian National Champion competing in his second Olympics) is staying with his team in North Carolina until he hears about our assignments. Simon has lived and/or trained with us for the eight weeks preceding the last two Olympics Games.
In short, the media in Atlanta has been pretty fair in it's assessment of the city's preparedness. But having remembered the pre 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, I feel that their criticism will be silenced once the Games begin. Being from Texas, I enjoy the embrace of southern hospitality and am quite sure that these people will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
You can literally feel the excitement beginning to rise in this city, even in Norcross, about 30 miles north of the city where I am staying with my sister and her husband. The Olympic torch arrived in Georgia for the first time on Monday in Savannah. I remember just a short while ago it passed through my hometown of Corona Del Mar, California. For those of you out there who consider Californians as "laid back", I was very proud to see the support as it seemed our entire city lined the streets for the arrival of the torch. My wife and I laughed because a guy out for his morning jog was wearing a white running outfit and carrying a facsimile of a torch made from wire, aluminum foil, with a candle on top. It seems so long ago.
We get our uniforms today and begin work on Saturday; we think. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't say this, but "where is the heat?" The weather thus far has been very comfortable. Somehow I figure that as soon as I put on my uniform of long pants and collared shirt, the mercury will soar as will the humidity. We have been asked not to wear our credentials unless we are in uniform and working. They say it's for security reasons but I have heard more than a few stories about free meals and drinks. I will choose to follow the rules and just be happy to be here.
I am so beat up from our intense off season weightlifting program. Pete and I joined the local Gold's Gym and are trying to survive 2 hour sessions seven days per week. It keeps us sane and focused during our "free time". There are a few basic rules that I live by and communicate to my athletes: To be successful in life you must be serious, not curious. You get ahead of your competition by training when they are off or sleeping. You make money during the day and spend it at night, so prepare to see me at 6:00 AM on any given day. ABSOLUTELY, YOU MUST HAVE FUN! And we are!
We returned this afternoon from our little 900 total mile weekend jaunt from Atlanta to a competition at Duke University in the Raleigh - Durham, North Carolina area. Due to lack of athletes presently in the village (they begin arriving tomorrow), we had no problem getting out of our duties in town to make the trip. We passed through South Carolina and got to see a lot of the countryside in North Carolina. The lush trees, rolling hills, and lakes made an otherwise tedious drive enjoyable.
As we arrived at the track meet we were surprised at the parking situation. It reminded me of rush hour traffic near LAX, not moving. We thought for sure that another event must have been going on for there to be that many cars. After all, most every major track meet in Southern California, including the legendary Sunkist Invitational, have died a slow and painful death from lack of interest. The announced attendance was 28,600+ and these weren't just track fans. Normally when I go to a large meet, I know or know of most of the elite coaches and their athletes. They weren't here. In fact I did not see one single person I knew except for the athletes. What I did see though was quite refreshing.
The crowd consisted mainly of families and youth sport groups who came to get a glimpse of athletes who will compete in the Olympics. Teams from the U.S., Australia, South Africa, Bahamas, Cuba, Trinidad Tobago, Brazil, Mexico and many others were represented. It was televised last night on ESPN. A MAJOR thunderstorm created a one hour rain delay, but when activities resumed, the crowd was still there. Not only did they not leave, they cheered and clapped for every competitor in every event anytime they passed in front of us. When athletes that we knew came to the edge of the track to say hello or for technical advice, the crowd cheered their approach so loud that we could hardly hear each other. It was very moving and the athletes obviously enjoyed this sincere hospitality and enthusiasm.
After the meet, to postpone the long drive back, we stayed at the hotel with the Australian Olympic Team, a quite colorful and humorous group. They arrive in Atlanta for competitions on Wednesday and Saturday at a small Atlanta area JC.
I was thinking last night that the world is coming to Atlanta. I amended that on my drive back today when I noticed that America is coming to Atlanta. The number of out of state plates from every spot in the country is growing really fast. Many of the cars and families inside have Olympic Games stickers or posters indicating that attendance is their mission. The most odd one was the New Jersey National Guard convoy with banners and posters all over their military vehicles.
As I begin my second week in Atlanta I know to expect the unexpected at every turn. Sometimes it is even explained to me WHY there was a change made and usually the reasons even make sense. I certainly appreciate that consideration and hopefully it will make me more tolerant of future changes. There is even a daily "'96 Vent" section in the paper. Half of the people are complaining and the other half are telling them to stop complaining. My favorite ones today were:
It rained all night with impressive lightening and thunderstorms and is still going so needless to say, I won't be working today. All tourists must leave the Olympic Village by today so the athletes can move in. You may remember last week's ruling regarding athletes only being allowed to stay "free" in the village the night before their prelims to the night after they have been eliminated or completed their final. If they wish to stay addition nights it will cost $100 per night. Because of this there are a number of "mini camps" springing up around the city as teams are scaling back their headquarters and will be shuttling athletes to and from the village. Obviously an athlete competing the next day should not train (so we will have nothing to do there), and the village will only be a little over half of it's capacity at any one time. Another site was closed to track & field due to the danger of sharing space with field hockey players. Hmm, that seems difficult to have predicted.
This sheer lack of athletes is fortunate at this time because of the "malfunctions at the junctions" in receiving, assembling, and repairing equipment needed for training, competing, and judging. Jeff Smith of Sport Supply Group apologized to me this morning (when we finally got our uniforms) about not getting us out to the venues, but that the delays had been a blessing in disguise because of the progress they have made with the equipment. He basically said that until we have equipment and athletes I should just relax. I agreed to attempt that if my new condensed schedule would free me for the final two pre Games competitions on Wednesday and Saturday at Life College here in the Atlanta area.
When I asked my friend, Rick Foster of CalTrack Reconditioning in Huntington Beach what a "condensed schedule" means, he said he has been working 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM seven days a week since the third week in June to get the equipment ready. He then laughed and said that soon it would be his turn to watch me work. Promises, promises.
Hopefully I haven't fooled any of you into thinking that I am a journalist. But as a long time fan of the Daily Pilot and it's approach to local interest stories, I am honored report this fabulous experience. I am a simple hard working family man that appreciates our local community on a daily basis. Thank you Daily Pilot for years of enjoyment.
The Coca-Cola Olympic City is a combination high tech amusement park and, of course, shopping outlet. As you approach the entrance you walk under a huge mural of fans in a packed stadium who are cheering (loudly) your entrance. Though I enjoyed it when I was here for the Olympic Trials last month, it is definitely for kids and families. Here are some highlights:
Quote of the day from Billy Payne, ACOG President when asked about the policy of banning non competing athletes from the Olympic Village. "We're not in the vacation business." Please understand the great lengths it takes for an athlete to get this far. Last Saturday was the deadline for "non qualifying" Americans to make the team. What this means is that though an athlete finished in the top three and "made" our U.S. team, he had to also meet the rigid Olympic Qualifying Standard. If he/she does not, the next finisher with a qualifying standard goes in their place. Last weekend our top female competitor's husband had an athlete who sat home and watched the meet we attended at Duke University to see if he was an Olympian or not. Having finished fourth in the Trials, he was out. But since the third place finisher did not meet the standard and he previously had, he's in. So Mr. Payne; how come I worked for the last four years of my life for about $800 a month including donations and I can't stay in the Olympic Village? For the answer please see the above quote.
I think that we all have the Olympic spirit within us and demonstrate it in many ways whether it be family, work, or community service. I urge you all to continue these pursuits and good intentions. Though it only happens every four years, the Olympic Games remind us that we all are special in our own way just like New Years reminds us about things we need to improve. The Games will begin very soon and thoughts like these will be put on hold until afterwards. It's never to late to improve ourselves.
When I first agreed to come to Atlanta, I declined compensation, expense reimbursement, or per diem with a catch. I wanted to go anyplace I want when I want to. I was told that this would be impossible but that I could have my choice of training sites and time slots. I chose the Olympic Village at Georgia Tech, and Cheney Stadium which is the Olympic warm-up area about 1/4 mile from the Olympic Stadium. The advantage of these two choices to me were obvious as more athletes populate the village but Cheney has the exact same track surface and wind conditions as the Olympic Stadium. When I was here with my athletes for the Olympic Trials, I often saw athletes like Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson. I chose 6:00 AM to noon as my time slot because the pole vault prelims on July 31, will be held at 9:00 AM. Any elite athlete will train in conditions and times most similar to their competition so this shift would be perfect. For example last year before I competed in our World Masters Championships in Buffalo, New York, (8th place with one very close attempt from 4th) I was getting up at 4:00 AM for two weeks beforehand knowing that I would be competing at 9:00 AM Eastern or 6:00 AM California time.
SO WHAT IS MY SCHEDULE? This morning in a conversation with Bruce Caldwell, President of Sport Supply Group I was told, "you have your uniform and credentials (our badge says "SC" which means service contractor and allows you in most areas), you have your wish, go anyplace you want when you want, consider yourself on your own schedule". That was music to my ears. I obviously want to see the Americans and Simon from Australia, but also the Russian's (I assisted and spent a day with Sergey Bubka at the Sunkist Invitational in 1992 when they wouldn't let his coach on the field. At that meet he became the first 6.0 meter, 19' 8 " vaulter in North America), and the young South African, Okkert Brits, who my be the next Bubka.
I'm often asked how I got this job. Bruce Caldwell was the National Sales Manager for the company that made my pole vaulting poles in the mid 70's when I was a five time All American and three time National Champion. As USA Track & Field Certified Coach, and coach of the 1995 Jr. National Champion (Borya Orloff at UC Irvine), as well as World Masters Champion (Dan Borrey representing Belgium but lives in Villa Park) my recommendation was approved by ACOG. Come on Bruce, I've known you for 22 years and all you do for me is get full access and my own schedule for the 100th Anniversary of the Olympic Games? I am ever so grateful!
Simon arrived in the Olympic Village last night and called to say that
his competition for today and Saturday had been canceled for lack of participants.
He called from a designated phone room with about 20 lines out and only
one in. He said he was very frustrated by all of this change and disruption.
I laughed and said this is your first day, wait a week and you will be used
to it.
The Olympic flame arrived in the Atlanta Metro area. They keep showing updates
from the overhead view which looks pretty much like a freeway chase near
L.A. with helicopters circling and people running toward the crime (sorry,
torch) scene.
The going parking rate is $40 and you will be towed if you exceed three
hours at any of the area office buildings or malls. One girl was complaining
that she couldn't possibly be expected to shop in only three hours.
Coca-Cola is based here and a highly visible sponsor. In the paper this
morning there was a cartoon of an athlete being sent home for testing positive
for a banned substance; Pepsi. Also in the '96 Vent section was this; "Outside
Centennial Olympic Park yesterday, I saw two people opening Pepsi cans.
They were immediately surrounded by security and escorted from the area."
I didn't know I stood out so much. It must have been the Pepsi.
The Games start tomorrow but track and field is still over a week away. We picked up Australian pole vaulter, Simon Arkell at the Olympic Village and headed out to Life College for a major training session. His federation delivered his poles about the same time we arrived and then they returned to the Olympic Village. It was then of course that we found out the facility was presently ill equipped for our session as the landing pit was not out due to a flooded infield. We made an executive decision to go to Cheney Stadium (the Olympic Warm-up stadium) so now all we had to do was figure out how to get the poles there. We solved that problem by taking the straps off of our gym bags, lowering the convertible top, and tying the poles to the top of the windshield and rollbar and held them with our hands the whole way. I remembered how to get to the stadium from the Olympic Trials last month, but now many of those streets are closed. We asked at least five people for directions who all said that they are not from the area and didn't know. We finally followed enough back streets that we stumbled onto it. I guess sometimes even a blind squirrel finds an acorn.
At the stadium we were met by the military and the police to escort us through the metal detector area. Once on the field our credentials were again checked, fortunately by a good friend of mine from San Diego, Manny Bautista (who also told us we could wear white or tan shorts instead of the issued long pants as our uniform; I immediately went to the car and changed). Later at lunch a policeman from Hermosa Beach told us that he was offered $2,000 for his "Olympic Police" cap and his partner sold his vest for $5,000.
To say it was hot would be an understatement. With all of this driving around I was a little concerned about the quality of performance Simon might have because he REALLY needed a good practice. I met his Australian Team Coach who strangely enough remembered my vaulting days. I guess there are really people that old still coaching. We got along great and Simon had the best practice session of the year nearly clearing 5.80 meters (19') on two attempts which would equal his personal best. At the last Olympics that height was good for the Gold and the Silver so we are starting to get excited.
During our significant drive segments Simon told us about life in the Olympic Village. After stories of run down dormitory facilities, shared shower areas, and 300% markups in the store, he asked if he could stay with us out at my sister and her husband's house in nearby Norcross. In fact he is having lunch right next to me as I write. He brought me an official Australian Olympic Team shirt and towel like he did before the last Olympics.
When he was in Barcelona, the Olympic Village was new, on the beach, and apartment style living. Every logistical problem was carefully thought out to keep the athletes at ease. He says not only are things very chaotic (surprise), the people don't seem concerned about the stress this creates on athletes at such an important time in their life.
Decathlete World Record Holder, Dan O'brien arrived at Life College and we think we talked him into vaulting in a meet there on Sunday. He said he hadn't been going to Cheney because he thought it would be too crowded. I told him that it has been almost empty so I'm sure we will probably see him out there too. Michael Johnson was also going through a workout. He has a very large bodyguard that hands him a towel and water when he wants it. If I was that fast, I would probably just outrun whoever was after me. While he trained, his chauffeur driven limo idled in the parking lot to keep it cool for his return. I failed to mention that Dan also showed up to practice in the same manner. How nice to have sponsors.
The Opening Ceremonies are tomorrow and Simon is going to video the whole thing for me with my camera. It will be interesting to see it from that perspective. My best chance to make the team (though I qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1976) was 1980 when of course we didn't go. I sensed this in 1978 and retired as I was tired of starving. The U.S. withdrawal from those Games proved my instincts to be correct.
We found out yesterday that Okkert Brits from South Africa, who is only 23 but has the second highest vault of all time behind Sergey Bubka, will be competing on Sunday. He and Simon are good friends and are planning to come over for a B.B.Q. after the meet. Our Masters World Championships are in Durban, South Africa next year so I have a lot of questions for him.
We found a website on the Internet that let's you see the stadium view indicated on your tickets. If you are going to the Olympics, have your tickets, and Internet access, the address is: www.atlanta.olympic.org./acog/venues/seating/d-views.html
I'm often asked how I ended up working with an Australian. Like many great athletes, Simon has trained in the United States for years because he felt it was his only chance to discover his potential. He went to University of New Mexico but trained at UC Irvine fairly often because former Australian National Record Holder, Don Baird (Long Beach State) lived in the area. We got to know each other but our friendship grew as he was interested in my advice on planning his career after pole vaulting. As a former Wall Street investment banker and now private businessperson I recommended that he get his M.B.A. which he did right after Barcelona when he retired from vaulting.
When housing arrangements failed to materialize about eight weeks from the 1992 Olympics he was faced with the possibility of having to return to Australia until the Games. I spoke to my wonderful wife who is also fond of Simon, and we invited him to stay with us. He lived and trained with us until we took him to the airport to go to Barcelona.
I was one of about one of ten people who thought that he was retiring before his time. I suggested he start again for fun (now that he can afford to) and see how it goes. His progress was so rapid that he broke his own national record that year. This year I emailed him in Australia after nearly every practice and meet. He broke the national record again twice including becoming the first ever (and only) Australian vaulter over 19'. As these Games approached he and his wife came back about 2 months ago for his final preparations. Now it's nearly showtime. No matter what the result I know he will give his best effort and that we will always be the best of friends.
It seems like ages ago that I was told of my selection for this assignment. The fact that the Games are finally here is very exciting for me. Though my responsibilities are to all track & field athletes (not just pole vaulters) I am the type that will watch as much coverage of ALL of the events that I can. I like learning about the different sports, their training approaches (I have stolen many of the Eastern Bloc practices), and the personal stories. As a former world class athlete myself it nearly brings tears to my eyes when I see a lifetime goal become a reality for the great athletes.
It's 4:30 AM and I'm up early to get to the gym before I take Simon back to Cheney Stadium. He only has a running/vaulting drill day and short explosive lifting session followed by an ice bath and a massage. Yesterday when Michael Johnson came by to get a bottled water from the big barrels they are in, Simon was submerged in the ice of one of them. He got a kind of funny look but he needed iced then, not later. It is important that for the duration of our stay that all of the training sessions no matter how long or short be as close to the time of preliminaries as possible.
The traffic has been nearly nonexistent. It reminds me of 1984 and how everyone feared gridlock in the Southland. Even the area near the stadium yesterday (we go right in front of the Olympic Stadium on the way to Cheney) was not congested. People have been told to take MARTA or one of the many large park and ride busses and not to bring cars into the stadium area. We intend to do that for our competition days but it's impossible now when we are carrying a 17' case full of pole vault poles.
It is an interesting sight as we walked through the Olympic Village seeing so many athletes from around the world going about their normal day. I saw several bicycle teams leave in mass, there were athletes everywhere who were jogging and stretching. I was surprised that most of them look no different than the well conditioned joggers and bikers in our community. As dumb as this sounds, that makes me proud.
We were told that we couldn't have cameras at the venues. Yesterday out of maybe 90 people at Cheney, I think I may have been the only one that didn't have one. That was quickly remedied as I sent Pete to the car to get ours. Security took pictures of athletes and staff and the other way around. Athletes took pictures of athletes. During our session yesterday (Simon was the only one vaulting) at least 150 pictures were taken of his workout. It seemed odd to be asked, but I am not quite used to being asked for autographs. I guess I feel my time has passed and the athletes should be the focus, but I never refuse because you never know what an impact a small gesture like giving an autograph may have.
At my national meet in 1976 which I had won, I broke a pole attempting a new national record which also broke my finger and required a few stitches to a cut that the jagged end of the Fibreglas caused. When you break a pole believe it or not, it is not counted as a miss. I completed my last two vaults and was going for medical attention when a little boy came up to me and asked me if he could have a piece of the broken pole that Bruce Caldwell was then holding. I smiled and said sure. He then asked if I would sign the white athletic tape on the pole (non slip grip area). Though my broken finger was killing me I wrote very slowly and clearly, "Good Luck, you can be the best if you believe in yourself and are willing to do the work".
Ten years later my parents got a call telling them that this kid was looking for me to thank me and tell me he had just won the Texas High School State Meet and still had that piece of my pole on his wall.
Last year at the USA Track & Field Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada I was talking to a friend, former collegiate record holder and 19' 2" vaulter, Billy Payne (no relation to ACOG President) and he told me that a legendary pole vault coach from Texas, wanted to meet me. I was honored but surprised at what he had to say. He started off by telling me that he was a big fan of mine" when you were this bigtime stud pole vaulter" but not for the obvious reason. He was a fan of mine because I gave that broken piece of pole to HIS SON. He said he watched from the stands as his shy little boy walked up to me. He knew I was injured and he just hoped I would acknowledge his son because he was very nervous to approach me. He closed by saying that if I never vaulted again, from that day forward I would always be the greatest because of the long term effect that one painful autograph produced. That is why I sign autographs when asked.
Of course I failed to add that when I was 12 years old and attended the Southwest Conference Championships, the winner, Jim Mallard from the University of Texas gave me a piece of his pole that he broke which remained on my wall for many years. He too got a call from me when I won my first national championship. I tell this story to all elite or professional athletes that I work with in hopes that when that little future champion walks up to them, what they say or do may have an effect you will never know; or maybe, like in my case, you will be fortunate enough to be told.
Since 4:30 AM yesterday until tonight at 9:30, seemingly a few million things have happened so I will try to abbreviate. Before I start on "current events", Simon told me liked the story regarding the autograph and feels the same way, but he had an interesting story going the other way. Former Olympic Gold Medalist and decathlete world record holder Daley Thompson of Great Britain should have really been a soccer player; but. A European soccer legend was visiting Daley's hometown and he asked for an autograph. The guy laughed and refused to sign the autograph and walked away. Disappointed, Daley turned to athletics (which is what the rest of the world calls track & field) and the rest is history. Many years later at a book signing, the soccer player approached Daley with his young son. He signed the book for the kid but not for the dad (who obviously didn't remember his snub). Touché!
Simon's training session at Cheney Stadium was easy and relaxed as no other athletes were in the stadium. I enjoyed several long conversations regarding training protocols for sport specific results with other staff members, many of which are coaches. Our site director, (my friend, Manny?) told them that if I wasn't busy they may be fascinated at the combination of theories that I apply to various sports for different results (mostly gained by conversations and research from Eastern Bloc countries). For instance I may have five athletes in the same position in the same sport, but their training periodization and implementation of different components will be applied totally different for each athlete based upon individual strengths or weaknesses. It's the overlapping theory and application that makes it effective and fun.
As involved as that last thought might have seemed, our practice today was a walk in the park, literally. Today with Simon, the local park was a fun scene. Everyone was curious what he competed in, and two little girls (five or six years old) came over while he was stretching and asked if he watched the opening ceremonies last night. He smiled and said that he was in them. Later the girl's dad dropped by and talked and the girls got more playful and friendly. We got some great pictures of Simon "racing the girls" and losing of course. When we went to do high bar drills on a large monkey bar type contraption, the girls had to come show their skills on the bars as well and perform an endless series of cartwheels. They were really quite good. Before we left the dad came over and gave us his address and asked if we would send him a copy of the photos we took with his daughters and this two time Olympian. I have a young granddaughter and another one arriving in November and really enjoyed watching their playful interaction. Simon and his wife Kim plan to have a child in the next couple of years as well. But first, the Olympic Games.
Last night at the opening ceremonies, Simon managed to get about an hour of video at different times throughout the night. He and his teammates are quite funny which made for some interesting viewing during dinner tonight. Not surprisingly, the still photos we picked up today revealed the same respectful good humor. Here are a few of the highlights:
Though 230 busses took the athletes (in alphabetical order by country) from the Olympic Village to the Olympic Stadium, his bus got lost in a very bad area of town. The bus driver had to stop at a small convenience store to get directions and the proprietor couldn't tell them how to get to the Olympic Stadium. A 10 minute trip took 1 hour. The joke on the bus was, "we are protected every minute from terrorism but a 10 year old with a pellet gun could hold us hostage here and no one would ever know". Finally the police were sent out to guide them in.
Once off the bus the athletes were held in waiting at the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium which is adjacent to the Olympic Stadium. To amuse themselves as they watched the opening ceremonies on a big screen with theater sound, the video shows 10,000 athletes from 197 countries doing the wave. Our National Anthem, fireworks, and the jets flyby brought huge cheers from the athletes in waiting.
Upon seeing the steep ramp that lead the athletes to the stadium surface, the Australian consensus was that the flame would be lit by Evel Knievel jumping over the cauldron. Once on the floor, the video shows many Aussie (I was corrected to pronounce "Ozzie) fans with flags. One of the still shots show Simon and teammate Jimmy Miller breaking ranks and running to the edge to pose in front of one of them. Another showed Simon arm and arm with an athlete from Aruba in full robe and headdress. Oh that Olympic Spirit!
As one of the first teams to enter because of the alphabetical introduction, they were positioned right at the bottom of the ramp which made for some great video of all of the athletes entering the stadium as well as filing in next to each other on the field. Most impressive was the overwhelming and extremely loud response to the entry of the U.S. Team. The excitement in the voices among all athletes on the field and near the camera when the torch was finally visible to them was very moving. Simon, camera in hand, got on Jimmy Miller's shoulders and was within five feet of the torch passing in the hand of Evander Holyfield.
Watching at home was exciting until I noticed about 20 people in a group with the same uniform and exact same credential markings as I have. My first feeling was, "I should be there". But in the retrospect of about 10 seconds, I knew that you and I had the best seats in the house.
We have our last pre Olympic competition tomorrow. Two new poles (about $450 each, free to Simon as sponsorship) arrived today. A typical vaulter carries five to eight pole to competitions because they are of different stiffness which plays a role in poor or favorable weather of your own current physical conditions. The stiffer the pole, the harder it throws you but the more energy is required to "load it". A strong tailwind and being physically healthy/rested will most likely result in peak performance. But if it rains in the Olympic final, someone still wins and you had better have the right pole to adapt.
When I picked up Simon at the Olympic Village today, I pulled up out front and waited. I was a little early which was fine because it gave me a opportunity to see the "security" in action. I was told that when I go to the village, do not drive in because it will be a huge hassle. I now know what they mean. Usually I park in the lot of a fast food restaurant but since the Games have begun that is no longer an option.
Here is the drill. A bus full of athletes, a car, or even a military vehicle (it doesn't matter as they don't even trust their own which gives me comfort) pulls up; immediately five uniformed military personnel walk up with rifles in hand or very close by (at least one has it in hand), and two officers in dress blues watch and take pictures of the inspection as the vehicle is thoroughly searched. I saw panels pulled, spare tires checked, baggage unloaded and checked, mirrors on extensions checking the underside perimeters, and even a creeper (auto mechanic's wheeled sled) rolling under the bus. This happened over and over while I waited.
Security at the venues (including Cheney Stadium, the Olympic warm -up stadium and our main practice site) itself is with two layered fences with the outside one being very tall and electric. One of the Australians decided to test the fence and tossed a soft drink can at it only to be showered with sparks. The inside fence is where the military or police stay. I guess that puts them between the outside and you. I walked between the two yesterday at Cheney and was immediately warned to "move out of the neutral area". On top of that, Atlanta police cars are always parked on the street outside of the fences.
I heard on the news today that the success or failure of the Games will be decided by Tuesday when the general public goes back to work. I don't believe I have ever heard a more uninformed statement in my life. The success or failure of these Games may be apparent by the closing ceremonies at best, but in reality probably not for years. I would hate to sound pompous, but the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles set records in many categories because of the incredible Southland spirit and outstanding leadership. If we are to have future generations see a 200th anniversary of these Games, it will take the approach in which all Southern Californians played a major role.
Before we went to Life College in Marietta last night for the final pre Olympic Games competition, I was pleased to see my top two female athletes in television commercials during the Olympics broadcast. As discussed previously, the opportunity to perform in such commercials occurs about/exactly as often as the Olympics. The extra income allows them to scale back hours at work in order to train. The two girls drive 50 and 70 miles respectively, two to three times per week to work with me at UC Irvine. Our head Track & Field coach, Vince O'Boyle (Corona Del Mar resident) for many years, approves and has his share of celebrities as well. For a program that was all but dead a few years ago, I understand that we have a new track being installed in time for the Big West Conference Championships next year. Vince does a heck of a job for that school.
The big names at Life College were overshadowed (or overclouded) by another torrential rain storm. Our plan for Simon was, if it even looks like rain, don't even think of leaving the ground as we will wait for a quality practice session. Feeling very physically prepared and coming off of a great training session on Wednesday, it was hard to pack up and leave, but we knew we had to. As I brought the car up to strap on the poles the weather became a very powerful storm. Chalk one up for instinct, and of course, luck.
I did see my friend Laverne Hippolite who was commentating for Prime Sports. We met through the "AAF". A large part of the profit money from the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles went to form a group called the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles (AAF) with the authorization of the U.S. Olympic Committee. The purpose of the foundation is in part to provide instruction to Southland coaches as well as research center for their use. The coaching education programs are free to any coach from Santa Barbara to San Diego. I am pleased to have just completed my fifth year of service to such a fine organization.
Fortunately this forethought and attempt at mental maturity paid off today when Simon had yet another great training day at Cheney Stadium clearing 5.60m (18' 4 ¼") on two occasions. I also got to renew an old friendship as the great Sergey Bubka and his brother Vasily were out as well. Sergey didn't vault but he did take the time to say hello and sign Pete's Official Olympic Staff Polo Shirt. His brother looked all right though you can't take away his place in history as the first person to jump 19' and get second place, to his brother of course. As an 18'1" vaulter, I thought my brother (17'4") had a good team.
I am enjoying watching the other sports on TV and that is all that is on at the training sites. However, that "go where you want when you want schedule has been modified to "be sure and go by Grady Stadium on your way in and the Olympic Stadium warehouse on your way out. I guess it's is feast or famine but at least I can still make Simon's last two training sessions before the Games on Thursday and Sunday.
My last official day of working is Friday, the first day of the Track & Field competition, but I will continue to go out to Cheney which will become off limits to all athletes except the ones about to be transported to the Olympic Stadium for competition.
I remember the facial expressions of those athletes at the Olympic Trials knowing that their moment was at hand. I can always pick the winners because they have an air of "quiet confidence", not too tense and not to playful or talkative. That "look" says that "I am ready, let me out there". Having been a national champion on three occasions, there is nothing like that feeling except accomplishing what you will with that mind set. I can only imagine what the Olympic Games will bring out.
Speaking of the "quiet confidence", I saw Dan O'Brien (World and American record holder in the decathlon) at Cheney, and boy does he have it. He's going to vault with us tomorrow. Though he has done quite well lately in the pole vault, no one is likely to forget his not making the 1992 team after failing to clear a height in the vault. He told me he was considering only vaulting when he is ready to quit the decathlon. I would certainly accept that assignment. Of course the first day he chose to come to Cheney it was 10 times busier that it has ever been. He laughed and said it didn't look bad at all. There goes that "quiet confidence" again.
Pete and I went and checked out Grady Stadium and it will now be our, as Simon likes to say, "our Top Secret training site". Because the Judo competitors are housed there, the track is nearly empty, but the facility itself is awesome. When we arrived we were met by our ACOG representative, Linda from Phoenix. She is on a mission to be friendly and helpful which is nice to see. I asked where we sign in and go through the metal detector and have credentials checked (like Cheney) and they told us, "you just passed security". We did not see police or military anywhere. In fact, the hired security service at the main gate had all of the mirrors and equipment for security that we see at the Olympic Village and Cheney, but they don't even get out of their chairs when we drive in. Speaking of security, I did see a comical scene at Cheney yesterday when a policeman in the golf cart ran into a military guy in camouflage on his golf cart. Considering the military vehicles I have seen here I feel fortunate that the personnel inside the training sites are limited to golf carts.
Last night I saw a news report where six bus drivers were asked one simple question, "where are you from?'. NONE were even from the state of Georgia! The answer didn't surprise me especially after our own experiences and seeing Simon's bus driver lost on the way to the Olympic Stadium, and a convenience store attendant not 10 blocks away not knowing how to get to the stadium. It is quite obvious that the most valuable commodity in Atlanta is DIRECTIONS! Everybody wants them and nobody has them.
Tomorrow I got a pass to take my wife Kay to Cheney and the Olympic Village. Though she knows all of our athletes, not being an athlete herself, this will be the closest she gets to be to the greatest of the great.
The top attraction at the village is "Virtual Hang Gliding" where you lie on a board with your head in a molded headset, and your hands in guiding handles with full Dolby Surround Sound. You may choose the Grand Canyon or the "Future City". When you crash the board shakes violently. The Future City puts you in an atmosphere where "Jetsonlike" space cars fly by at unbelievable rates of speed. If you go down near the street you will see that all of the traffic is about five feet off of the ground. Anticipation is your friend and delay is your enemy/death. I once got Kay on a few rides at the Orange County Fair, so I hope she will try the Virtual Hang Glider. By the way, Kay's comment about seeing the Olympic Flame: I think it is great but she says, "it looked bigger on T.V.". I hear that television does put 10 pounds to you, but extra flame?!
Update on the barbecue with South Africa's, Okkert Brits. His country is residing 50 minutes south of Atlanta while we are 30 miles north. Not a problem accept they are not allowed transportation. I guess the cat must be out of the bag that many of the South African's are party animals. Even though he is 6'6" and 210 pounds, I still think we will be able to smuggle him here.
Our decathlete friend from Great Britain, Simon Shirley, arrived though will not compete due to a torn hamstring. The relevance of his arrival is that he had extra tickets to the opening ceremonies which he was lucky to get face value for. Competition at the parking lots too near the Olympic Stadium is almost violent as hawkers for parking will literally get in your car with you to get you in their space. People are using MARTA and the busses (though I have heard they are late and I have seen almost as many broken down on the side of the road as on the road), so I think the door is open for us to drive ourselves and park. We will make that final determination after the weekend when I go to Cheney while the stadium is in use. We were on television twice yesterday; once avoiding a parking hawker and the other while I was on the pay phone at Cheney when Russian television was interviewing an athlete who was stretching while on the telephone. Talk about efficient. Making a telephone call, doing an interview, and stretching at the same time. My efficiency horizon has now been expanded.
On the way to Cheney from picking Simon up at the Olympic Village, we saw a Jim Carey look-a-like (or maybe the real thing based upon the crowd gathered and the number of celebrities in town) dressed as a policeman directing traffic in only the contortionist manner that he or a very good impersonator could do.
Australia had their final cut this last Sunday for non-qualifiers. As discussed earlier the U.S. must meet the Olympic Standard regardless of finish at the Olympic Trails in order to make our team. In some ways the Australian selection method is easier, but in another way harder.
Though they have an "Olympic Trails/National Championship" like ours, they may be selected without regard to their Trials outcome, they must meet the "B" standard in the eight weeks before the Olympic Games. This week two such athletes did not; one by less than 3" in the long jump, and the other by only .03 (three one hundredths of a second), both were sent home on Monday. As Simon says, they have to draw the line somewhere. If you met the Olympic Qualifying Standard earlier in the year and, this close to the Olympics you can't even make the "B" standard, you should go home. The harsh realities of life and poor "peaking mechanics".
This is the day that Kay got to go to Cheney Stadium (Olympic Stadium Training/Warm-up Track). For Australian pole vaulter and friend, Simon Arkell, it was to have been a "competition simulation" day. However, due to the crowded facility, we just settled for another good practice. World record holder and only man to vault 20', Sergey Bubka and his brother Vasily were out again today as well as two other Russian Vaulters. Swedish and Polish decathletes vaulted on the second runway. I asked Sergey when he arrived if would vault today as he did not on his last visit. He said maybe and then began rubbing a sore spot in his calf muscle.
Not only did he vault, but he made some great attempts at 20' 8" (the world record is 20'2")! I once asked his coach Vitaly Petrov (whom Sergey left home at the age of 10 to live and train with) how high Sergey could vault? He said, "for money or for sport"? Of his 35+ world records, for which he reportedly received $50,000 bonus for each of the first 10 records from a major shoe company, the increment of improvement was very small even by metric standards. I was told that his contract after the 10th record went down to $10,000 per world record but he got other guarantees. For sport on the other hand, Petrov said that he has seen Sergey repeatedly clear 6.30m (20'8") in PRACTICE. Look for him to put the record out of site at these Games. He may have not cleared a height in Barcelona but he is the Olympic Record Holder and the Gold Medalist from Seoul in 1988. He is also the only athlete to win all five World Championships since it's inception in 1985. More than likely he will demand higher appearance fees after the Olympics to make up for this shortfall in cash. And believe me, if he breaks his own record by a substantial margin, he can name his price as athletic (track & field) competitions draw as many spectators in Europe as our NFL games. Ever the gentleman, he took pictures with several of the staff including my wife Kay, and UC Irvine pole vaulter Pete Kovacs. Kay did the video and picture taking today so that I could concentrate on coaching. The next thing I know she and Sergey are arm in arm posing for pictures. That Russian (Ukraine) charm.
Dan O'Brien was supposed to vault but was late and arrived just in time for the rain. We will try again on Sunday which should be the last day that any sane athlete should jump before the Olympic Prelims on Wednesday. Dan has one day longer as the pole vault is on the second day of the decathlon. Speaking of late, Simon was 45 minutes late getting to the stadium due to another lost bus driver. He is now 100% as every bus he has ridden on has gotten lost.
At my request, Site Coordinator and friend Manny Bautista from San Diego got clearance for the pole vaulters to continue to train at Cheney which will become off limits to all athletes except the ones about to be transported to the Olympic Stadium for competition. In our opinion the landing pit was too small at the alternate facility and wind conditions were also hazardous. He has also arranged for pole storage at Cheney instead of transporting them 60 miles round-trip daily. Manny (also works with me at the AAF) has been here since May 4! He said he is in desperate need of carne asade, surf, and cerveza. Ain't it the truth!
Last night I took Kay into the Olympic Village. Reservations for outsiders take three days to be verified, then you drive to a designated checkpoint (parking was only $5) where your picture identification is compared to the official guest list, you walk another block and wait for a bus to take you into the village. My first thought was Simon's (Australia pole vaulter and friend Simon Arkell) great success with buses to and from the village. As we boarded, I asked the bus driver if I could take a picture of her as the only bus driver not to get lost (we hoped). She smiled an posed while telling me that she was from Atlanta and assured me that we wouldn't be lost and we weren't. So confident were we in the transit system after hearing so many outrageous adventures, that when it was time to leave the village, we waited for her bus.
Once in the Olympic Village we took a whole roll of film in about 30 minutes as the first person I saw at check-in was another fellow AAF (Amateur Athletic Foundation) Instructor, Van Latham from Santa Barbara. He was checking in women's marathon athletes and support staff. After clearing major security we noticed that the military inside the village watched our every move and were much more attentive and suspicious than anyplace else we have been. In the middle of a big hub of walkways, I noticed the newly crowned 14 year old superstar swimmer from Irvine, Amanda Beard.
My wife, Kay told her that her nephew, Balboa Island resident and CDM water polo player (just finished freshman year), Ryan Burnham had begun swimming as part her group when the were four years old. She found that funny and gladly posed for photographs.
The Olympic Village is exactly what it sounds like complete with housing, grocery/market, bank, Laundromat, dance club, etc. In a place called the "Surf Shack", about forty computer terminals are available for athletes and staff to "surf the Internet". One of the favorite photo ops' was with the mannequin in front who was wearing fluorescent trunks, holding a surfboard, and had a computer as a head. We could see the media area (surrounded also by about a 20' electrical fence) with all of the bright lights and cameras were everywhere doing interviews in every conceivable language. A band was playing in a small grass amphitheater where people just lounge casually. There were three wooden swings that really looked comfortable and unusual. It was like an entire booth of a restaurant, and the whole unit including table and benches would swing gently from side to side controlled by your foot.
Today is the first day of the Track & Field competition and I will be at Cheney for only a short while. Though the pole vaulters were given an exemption to train at Cheney for safety reasons, that exemption begins tomorrow. I will take Kay to the Olympic City and then we are going to have lunch with Linda Isle resident and Emory University (here in Atlanta) student, Courtney Berlinger. She is working at one of the corporate booths during these Games. After lunch we will pick up Simon at the Olympic Village and bring him out to my sister and her husband's house where we are staying in Norcross for the night. Tomorrow we need to get in some serious video study to prepare for Sunday's all important last practice before the Olympic Games.
These elite athletes literally have teams that assist them with everything. Simon's team coach from Australia, Alan Launder, is the headman; as a coach and athlete I serve as a sounding board, advisor, and assist with strategy; whereas Pete handles physically assisting Simon by marking take-off position of his foot or giving him the perfect push on the back (called a tap) as he leaves the ground. Australia even has their own Sports Psychologist, Jeff Simons who used to teach at UCLA and Stanford. I mention him because he is an important part of our team. When Simon was uncomfortable with the distance his right foot was from the plant box at his "six strides (12 steps) out mark, Jeff helped him through dealing with the mental anxiety produced by the changing depth perception caused by his reduced body weight and increased speed. (a positive result of the unloading of training). To reinforce this, I asked Jeff to check that foot position on every jump knowing that communicating that information with his sport psychologist would reinforce the positive result of the sessions the two had. In addition, I tell him as much as I can about what anxieties that Simon is feeling (having been in a similar position before), he uses that information to help Simon focus on what is important. For instance, if you just go out and compete, you are leaving too much to chance with the stakes this high. To relieve that stress, I create a mechanical checklist. What this means is that I have only one goal for each jump.
This takes the stress off of crisis management caused by focusing on random mistakes instead of planned success. And since it is only one goal per attempt, I can work my way through the entire vault one step at a time. We will make Simon's checklist after he has had time to reflect upon his last training session Sunday.
I am providing this detail because every athlete that comes across the screen during these Olympic Games is going through these same preparations with their team of support staff. The amount of hours by all teammates necessary for the athlete to achieve success is monumental. Now multiply that by the 10,000 plus athletes from 197 countries and it simply mind boggling.
Before I begin, my omissions from yesterday. We got pictures back from the last training session and I forgot how comical it was to see Sergey Bubka's assistants try to raise the bar to 20'8". One guy (the heavy one) got on the shoulders of the other one (the skinny one who looked like actor, James Woods). They nearly fell several times as they stumbled over apparatus in the way. Several people, including us of course, got still pictures and video. I saw former UC Irvine heptathlete/long jumper, Marieke Veltman (her sister Carla competed for UCI this past year) at Cheney Stadium. She was in good spirits (she is representing the U.S. in the long jump) and her finger nails were painted gold. I said that I liked the statement she was making and she said, "I learned that statement from you, I'm serious - not curious!" That statement is also on my front license plate holder. I saw Brooks Johnson, former Stanford and current Cal Poly San Luis Obispo head coach as we were both leaving in the rain. I am pleased to see so many Southern California athletes and coaches represented. It must be our ability to challenge ourselves in favorable weather conditions.
Track & Field began Friday and it was incredible the difference in the attitudes at Cheney Stadium as it is SHOWTIME! Our plan is to take Simon (Australian pole vaulter and friend, Simon Arkell) to Cheney everyday so that he can visualize, the "day of pressure" to be better prepared mentally. I saw our 100 meter sprinters, Mike Marsh, Joe Drummond, and Dennis Mitchell warming up and they were completely focused. (all competing athletes must warm-up and be transported from Cheney Stadium) I spoke to Coach Tom Tellez who is Marsh, Drummond's, and Carl Lewis' coach from the University of Houston (former UCLA). He said, "great to see you, let's get together soon, WHAT IS THE FASTEST WAY TO THE STADIUM?" I said, "you too, yes, and directly down Georgia Avenue".
There have always been televisions at Cheney, but now that track and field has started, you can't get near them. It reminds me of the rain at Duke University; I have never seen so many people in such a small space.
What is really "electric" is that you can actually hear the crowd roars from the Olympic Stadium at Cheney nearly ½ mile away. The looks on the athletes faces as the hear this are priceless. The pressure or momentum is either increased or decreased depending on each individual's preparedness.
On the way in today, I noticed that traffic was light even though the Olympic Stadium was packed. There were many parking spaces available so I think we will drive in. When I went back later to pick up Simon from the Olympic Village, it was major gridlock. My theory is that the great people of Atlanta have heard that the busses are chronically late and the traffic is light. Therefore they are driving. After today, they will go back to their previous disposition that taking the MARTA rail and bus service is the best, just in time for us to drive ourselves to the Olympic Stadium. Unfortunately, in the real world, most plans that work this well on paper end up in the trash. That's okay; I've become very good at adapting.
At lunch I saw and met the legendary Olympic film videographer, Bud Greenspan. I had just seen a special about his many years of Olympic coverage. He was in a meeting at the restaurant but was nice enough to accept my handshake and introduction on the way back from a bathroom trip. Most any vision of Olympic history or glory shown in a documentary has come from this man and I was truly honored to meet him.
Kay and I went to the Coca-Cola Olympic City today (where we saw and photographed former U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist, Bart Conner and his wife Nadia Comaneci, and picked up a postcard with one of our athletes throwing the discus) which is adjacent to the absolutely huge Centennial Olympic Park (which wasn't there during the Olympic Trials). Another section had been added to the Olympic City also since the Olympic Trials. Highlights/Lowlights are:
It is getting busier but more fun. One week from today it will all be over for our group. Fortunately my flight home is not until the afternoon so I can see how Dan (O'Brien) finishes in the decathlon. I predict gold medal but no world record as he rarely puts out a lot of effort in the 1500 meter run (last event) when he is ahead. It's been a long month, but the next week is what I am here for. One week from today, I will be home and sleeping in my own bed with incredible memories for life. Until then I must focus at the business at hand.
My wife Kay, woke me at approximately 1:30 AM Saturday morning for seemingly no reason because she kept hearing helicopters flying over. It wasn't until we saw the news that morning that I knew why her motherly instincts would be correct. A bomb had gone off in the very same exposition that we had proudly taken pictures of that day, the Centennial Olympic Park. As impressed as I was with the layout of the grounds, I mentioned to Kay that the security seemed sparse at the site itself, but was quite adequate at the parking garage where we saw many of the same military/police techniques we have become accustomed to at all of the other training sites.
My first observed report from CNN (6:30 AM) stated a very significant point; every competition or training site is protected by the ultimate in security. I certainly know and have reported that. This area, though not an excuse, is totally open to the general public without ANY security at all! NBC video showed that the "bomb package" observed, the area cleared by 50'. The spirit of these Olympic Games must carry on. I have spoken to no one who has not emphatically stated that if we shut down the Games, terrorism will thrive.
Today was Simon's (Australian pole vaulter and friend, Simon Arkell) last training session before he competes on Wednesday. Though it rained all of the way to Cheney (Olympic practice and warm-up stadium) we/I rationalized his preparedness and that a vault session in the rain and it's potential for injury was not worth the risk. In reality we both knew he HAD to jump today to finalize his game plan. He had an outstanding last session clearing 5.60 meters (18' 4") by over a foot.
The Games are on as the tension is thick. I believe that it helped Simon to see so many "game faces". He too adapted one and overcame some of the frustration caused by that type of anxiety and channeled it into a productive effort.
The fun thing about the athletes in preparation for their event at Cheney
is the fashion statements. I saw a guy from Hungary (Pete's native country.
He talked to one of their coaches today for an hour in Hungarian. They were
probably making fun of my Texas accent. Twenty years in California and I
still have it) who had the official flame logo in all of the appropriate
colors shaved on his head. Another guy had blue sideburns, a green mustache,
and a red beard to match his country's colors. Many girls had strange colored
highlights which matched their team uniforms identically.
On the way in to Cheney I saw David Patrick (represented the U.S. in Barcelona
in 1992 in the 400 meter hurdles) and his wife Sandra Framer Patrick (also
at those Games) as she prepared for her event. I've never had the opportunity
to sit next to a spouse as he watched his wife run on TV. She got second
in the first heat (historically the fastest) and moves on to the next round.
She had to push the last 40 meters to get second which made him nervous.
I offered that it would serve as a confidence builder for later rounds and
the final. He smiled and agreed that that was a better way to look at it
and more importantly, a better way to convey that to his wife.
Suzy Powell, UCLA and U.S. discus thrower (only 19 years old and daughter
of former great, John Powell) said hello and was upbeat about her first
of probably many appearances in the Olympics. Unlike the mold of a typical
thrower, Suzy is a very nice and attractive person who is outweighed by
at least by 25 pounds by the entire field. Because of her "two fathers",
her dad and the incredible UCLA throws coach and friend Art Vinegas, she
has perfect body mechanics and does not disobey the laws of physics.
Speaking of fathers, that is how you feel when your athlete goes to get on the bus to go to the stadium at a major championship. I watched and could relate to the emotion that Art felt as Suzy got on the bus to take her to her first Olympic Games. You wish you could do more, but you've done all that you can and you just hope that they will do okay. More importantly I think that you want to go do it for them because of your past success in these situations but you know that your bird must leave the nest. Fortunately when Simon boards the bus at 8:03 AM on Wednesday I will know that he has been to the Olympics before and has made a significant living and traveled the world alone and knows how to handle the pressure.
If you are Simon, here are the agonizing moments: You board the bus in the Olympic Village with your team coach and manager at 6:30 AM and head to Cheney Stadium. Once there you will do a basic warm-up until your final call to board the bus at 8:03 AM.
At that last call you will be directed to a "call room" (a tent) where your bags will be checked for contraband (anything provided for you at the Olympic Stadium like tape measures, etc.), spike length (so you don't tear up the track), excessive commercial logos, etc.
At that point your bag is taken from you and you will not see it until you arrive at the Olympic Stadium. His poles were put in holding today and he will not see them again until the same time. At 8:13 AM his bus will leave for the stadium and he will be held in a "call room" (warm-up area underneath the stadium) until 8:35 AM where he/all pole vaulters will be lead to the field as group. There they will find their equipment and have just 55 minutes to complete their sport specific warm-up before the event begins at 9:30 AM. The top 12 out of approximately 50 athletes will reconvene for the final on Friday at 6:30 PM. The top pole vault prognosticator (yes there is such a thing) picks Simon as the 10th qualifier at 5.70 meters (18'8"); a reasonable guess.
In most meets you can communicate openly with your athletes in a specified area. At the Olympic Games you are a ticket holder and basically helpless to assist. To add to this frustration, Simon's team coach, Alan Launder told me today that he had a serious case of Angina last night and plans to return to Australia tomorrow if he experiences any complications today.
I saw workers putting up cones this morning at Cheney. When I inquired why, I was told that it was the "alternate marathon finish". This means that at a predetermined time (in this case 3 hours and 15 minutes) marathon finishers will not be allowed to complete their torturous journey in the Olympic Stadium and were routed to Cheney where we saw the last finisher, who collapsed and had to be helped to the medical tent.
The going rate for parking near the stadium (which is ample) is $5-$10. I have decided and been given permission to park at Cheney for free. More importantly, Sport Supply Group President and friend, Bruce Caldwell has given me an assignment tomorrow inside the Olympic Stadium and I have a very realistic chance of being on the field for the pole vault prelim. If you know me, you will know that I am always on the field at every major meet except for the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games. What a breakthrough! Bruce described my job as, "enter through the equipment door, enjoy the Games, and check in with me every couple of hours to see if I need anything".
I'm sure there are many stories similar but here are a few people I saw today who train or went to schools in the U.S. but compete for other countries, all except the first one, may not have made our team:
Bellaz Kiss (won the gold) from Hungary was last year's World Champion
in the hammer throw, went to USC, and was trained by my friend and, again
fellow AAF instructor Dan Lange.
Ato Bolden (3rd in the 100) from UCLA is representing Trinidad Tobago, and
got third in the 100 meters.
The best case of competing for another country because you can't make our
team is pole vaulter, Dominique Johnson from the University of Arizona.
His best vault is only 5.52 meters (18' 1"), far below our third place
finisher at 18' 8" by Scott Huffman. It seems he was born there.
I am flying back home with my wife Kay next Saturday evening. Needless to say I can't wait to get home but I am growing anxious as our time approaches. I think this is natural for athletes as well as successful people to feel apprehension before the big event, only to stay, face the challenge, and conquer. I know a lot of those people in our community.
I was pleased to see my friend and Southwest Texas State University (my undergrad) alumni, Charles Austin win the gold medal in the high jump. I met him at the Sunkist Invitational at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1991. I congratulated him on his success and introduced myself as a former track & field athlete it his alma mater. He responded that he knew who I was and that there were still pictures of me pole vaulting in the newly constructed gym and stadium. We have tried to see each other at least briefly at all of the big meets. A very nice and hard working guy.
Another such acquaintance, American Record holder in the pole vault Lawrence Johnson, (19'7 BD") was profiled during the Olympic coverage yesterday. When they showed a scene with his singing group, everyone in the room noticed that he was wearing our company's "ATLANTA 1996" shirt that we had made for all of the Olympic Trials Qualifiers we have worked with or had contact with. For Lawrence, it was taking video of his vaults, running it through my computer to produce a movie, which was then broken down into a frame by frame sequence and printed on poster sized specially treated paper in color at 720X720 dpi. He autographed a few and sent them back to give to our younger athletes as inspiration.
He is the only black pole vaulter to ever have the American Record and has the potential to be the first black Olympic Medalist in the vault in history. He is an awesome talent and Simon says that everyone on the international circuit reports that he as nice as he is talented. That is my experience with he and his coach, Bill Webb, as well.
Last night we went to Buckhead, which is basically a restaurant and bar area, for dinner. When we arrived we noticed TV cameras glaring at what looked like Dennis Rodman. It wasn't the real guy but an impersonator who was helping a radio station promoting "Dennis Rodman Night" at this club. He was to arrive later but I wasn't compelled to stay out late for that purpose. My wife Kay, did have her picture taken with the impostor who was only about 5' 9" but really did look the part. Our Southland Sweetheart Janet Evans was there as well and of course displayed her usual sincere class.
I entered the Olympic Stadium today for the first time since the Olympic Trials last month. The stadium was packed and once again I could hear the crowd cheering as I approached on foot from the Olympic warm-up track. at Cheney Stadium. Though I had an additional credential, I think I can get in with my own as no one asked to see the extra badge which was under my photo I.D. I will try tomorrow which is an off day for track & field. I passed through all security and sat in about 30 different seats that I found empty. This will be important on Wednesday as my sister (who bought our tickets nine months ago) bought them for the evening session and the pole vault is at 9:30 AM. OOPS!
I surveyed the area for ticket sellers and saw absolutely none while I noticed at least 50 people seeking tickets. Worst case I will ride over on the coaches bus that follows the athletes. Continuing to check my access, I got all of the way down to the tunnel that leads to the track and stood in the outside lane of the track and watched part of the men's discus throw qualifying. I took a picture of a group of guys who move hurdles on and off the track playing basketball near the entrance to the field. I found it amusing that the greatest Games in the world are taking place and visible only 15' away and we have a pick-up basketball game going on in the same photograph. I didn't want to risk being ejected or lose my credentials by going further onto the field but I will inquire about that restriction tomorrow as it will be easier to get information on an off day. I did notice on our schedule that we are allowed two "field access passes" in addition to the four "stadium passes". I will pull some extra duty to get one of the field passes. A great opportunity presented itself today as the Official Olympic Pole Vault Pole Bags arrived and no one seems to know how to put them on.
Pole vault poles for elite athletes are of three common lengths based upon/limited to the individual athlete's ability. These lengths are, 5.10 meters (16' 8"), 5.20 meters (17'"), and 5.30 meters (17 ' 4"). Athletes usually carry between five and eight poles of varying stiffness for different weather and physical conditions.
These poles are transported in leather or fabric "cases". Because Fiberglas is in fact breakable (almost always where it has a scratch), there is an insert to the case made of 8" plumbing/irrigation type plastic or PVC pipe to protect them. The problem comes in that these cases will just barely hold an 8" diameter insert. Having wrestled with these myself, I understood the frustration of a non vaulter trying to do this. It's kind of like trying to get back into your high school prom dress or suit, if it does happen, it probably won't be very comfortable. I volunteered Pete and I to change all pole bags for 50 pole vaulters as well as 50 decathletes. I am hoping this will be good for a field pass and an Official Olympic Pole Vault Bag for myself. This is the finest of the Olympic bartering system.
Simon's wife gets in from Miami today so he had a short workout at the Olympic Village. We will have one final brief training session tomorrow morning and then I will see him at Cheney at 7:00 AM on Wednesday, the morning of his Olympic Games Qualifying. By the time I see the door to the bus close to take him to the Olympic Stadium, I will be absolutely certain that everything possible has been done to prepare him mentally and physically, and probably will be able to predict his performance outcome based on his attitude and physical comfort. His team coach, Alan Launder who had the serious bout with chest pains felt better after a full day of rest and will try to meet us at Cheney Wednesday morning. Alan taught Simon how to pole vault when Simon was only 13 years old. Now at 30 years old, and possibly in his last Olympics (I'll probably talk him into 2,000 in his home country), we all want to be there.
I believe I mentioned that last Friday was supposed to be my last day of work. Just as I was delayed in starting, I have been asked to continue daily until I leave on Saturday. Believe it or not, the end is near as one of my assignments today was to oversee the shutdown of a practice facility.
I arrived at Cheney Stadium early today for the daunting task of putting on the Official Olympic Pole Vault Bags. I was met by my friend and four time Olympian pole vaulter Earl Bell (bronze in 1984 and first American to clear 19'). He coaches Jeff Hartwig who made our U.S. Team by finishing 2nd at our Olympic Trials with two lifetime bests (the sign of a true big meet competitor). Together we showed about 15 assistants the process that would have to be duplicated 100 times. I asked Bruce Caldwell if I could get a bag for myself as a momento and he said that if there weren't enough here, he would have one made for me. They are beautiful with all of the Official Olympic and Atlanta 1996 logos. Mission number one accomplished.
All of the necessary materials weren't there yet so I decided to embark upon mission number two, getting into the Olympic Stadium with my own credential and not the, supposedly needed attachment. Though this was the only off day for Track & Field, there was a baseball game going on at the Fulton County Stadium where the Atlanta Braves play.
I reasoned that I may be able to get into the empty Olympic Stadium,
but would not really know how valid my chances were when it was operational,
so I tried the packed baseball stadium first.
As I approached the entry (there is one entry for the two adjacent stadiums)
two military guys joked that they shouldn't let me in but did anyway. I
really failed to see the humor of the timing of that statement, but as I
passed one of them said, "we just haven't seen many of you guys today
since the Olympic Stadium is closed". I then proceeded to the turnstile
entry and was told I had to go to gate "P". It was through another
fence and more security, but I went there anyway and had no problem getting
in. With a sigh of relief, I left for the short walk to the Olympic Stadium.
It was hard to find a gate open as they obviously didn't want the general public inside. So I held my breath and asked an usher how to get in. She looked at my credential and gave me directions. At the next checkpoint I met a security officer in the same uniform as the police at Cheney. She looked at my credential and let me in. Once inside, I saw cleaning crews and about 150 police and military checking absolutely everywhere for anything harmful. One crew was even on the top of the stadium rim pulling up every flag and checking the lining for hidden explosives. I then went down to the stadium floor for my ultimate mission. Once again, the police looked at my credential, said "hello, have a nice day", AND I WALKED ONTO THE TRACK AT THE OLYMPIC STADIUM.
Many thoughts and emotions raced through my mind (I couldn't even get on the field for the Olympic Trials) but I felt like a kid who was some place he shouldn't be and I was going to make the most of it. This stadium has been filled for two sessions at 80,000+ people per session and will be again tomorrow, and I was in there during the Games nearly alone. First I thought that I would run a lap. It then occurred to me that with the large number of nervous people carrying weapons, I should probably not draw any attention to myself by running. I began my walk slowly and said hello to anyone I passed. As I neared the pole vault area a group of twelve police officers came down on the field. I just kept walking and acted like I belonged. They looked at my credential and said hello and just kept going. I went over to the take-off area of the landing pit (huge foam rubber pad) that Simon was assigned to tomorrow, and put a "heads-up penny" in the plant box for good luck. When I put the box cover back on, a policeman came over, looked at my credential and asked me what I was doing in the box. When I told him he smiled and said, "cool". He left the penny and I continued my lap.
After I left the vault area, I thought what might you want to do if you were here. So I ran across the finish line, stood on the awards stand, sat in the VIP box where the President and other dignitaries sit. I was going to make some public address announcements for the guy setting up the sound but I would have had to wait another hour.
With my fantasy as complete as it could be today, I decided I had better get back to Cheney and work on those pole bags. When I was leaving I couldn't remember which gate was still open so as one last test, I approached the group of 12 police officers and told them my dilemma. They again looked at my credential and told me I had only missed it by one gate, and to have a nice day. I have every confidence that I now will make full use of my open ticket.
When I got back to Cheney there were pole vault bags, poles, and huge rolls of inserts (8" plumbing/irrigation pipe) scattered everywhere. Earl was just beginning instructions to the 15 assistants when the vaulters started to arrive. They were so pleased at how nice the bags were that they wanted to help. I helped my friends Sergey Bubka, American Scott Huffman, 1992 bronze medalist from Spain, Javier Garcia (he speaks much better English now), Australia's Jimmy Miller (I did Simon's first because he wasn't out). We took several photos of this mass confusion. It seemed the only people that weren't getting "star treatment" were the decathletes (except for American Steve Fritz who I met and helped). Dan O'Brien was seeing Simon's massage therapist so we didn't see him. He and the pole vaulters start tomorrow.
Having finally spent time in the Olympic Stadium, I now know what all of the shirt colors mean. We all have the same design except for bus and van drivers, but the colors are different. Here are the breakdowns for your TV viewing:
Dark blue & green (like mine) = athlete, equipment, or field support.
Dark blue & light green = official or official's assistant.
Red & green = medical.
Yellow & green = usher or information.
I noticed yesterday that most of the busses and limos aren't from Georgia.
In fact I intentionally looked today and didn't see one. I saw California,
Maryland, Connecticut, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado. I
couldn't get close enough to see the three that were broken down. Go Figure!
For the first time today I regularly saw military helicopters. During the
women's marathon at one time I counted 12 helicopters and two blimps. We
could hardly hear ourselves at Cheney near the finish.
Tomorrow is our first big day as the pole vault qualifying starts at
9:30 AM and the decathlon also begins. We will stay over for the evening
session to hopefully, watch Michael Johnson make Olympic History by winning
the 200 meters as he did the 400 meters last night.
I have been hanging out pretty regularly with Roman Botcharnikov, a former
USSR vaulter now coaching and working on his master's degree in Missouri.
We first met in Reno at the USA Track & Field Pole Vault Development
Summit where he was interpreting for Sergey Bubka's coach, Vitaly Petrov.
Simon's Australian coach, Alan Launder wants (and needs to) to retire and
would like Roman to head up the Australian program. I am acting as Alan's
inside influence to help direct Roman to Australia. I mention this because
the fall of the "iron curtain" has dissolved or greatly diluted
many of the financial resources available to sport. We are the benefactors
of much of this great knowledge and science as these talented people must
work in systems that provide them a living. I spend a great deal of time
talking to and learning from people like Roman and have become good friends
with many of them.
The Centennial Olympic Park reopened today to over 50,000 participants who
came with flowers and the American spirit that makes us so proud to live
in this great country. The weather and traffic has been like the majority
of people I have met or come in contact with during my stay, very pleasant.
Everyone has been very friendly. I have to go most places in uniform because
of my hectic schedule so I am constantly approached in grocery stores and
restaurants to find out what I am doing here. Even people that aren't going
to the Games will thank me for coming to help and tell me to have a great
time while I'm here. If I didn't know better, I would think that the Mayor
of Atlanta, the Governor of Georgia, and ACOG President, Billy Payne, told
everyone before we arrived to go out of your way to make everyone feel welcome.
I just prefer to believe these are nice people.
A little after midnight I was awakened by the flash of lightening, the sound of thunder and driving rain, and immediately got a sick feeling in my stomach. I slept only sporadically for the rest of the night. I told Simon when he first arrived to work with me that from my experience (three times now in Atlanta this year), that he should expect the worst of conditions at these Games. He told me that the hardest part of Barcelona was standing at the end of the runway with the wind blowing into your face, and knowing that you would have to use a smaller pole than you usually use in practice (which provides little lift). I demanded that he expect worse conditions and they were delivered today with a major headwind and constantly threatening rain.
I have tried to raise his level of strength and confidence in these situations and unfortunately I may have been too successful as he challenged himself to be aggressive on a pole that was too stiff for the conditions. Alas, though he vaulted well in the bad conditions, he did not qualify for the final (neither did his teammate Jimmy Miller) though he moved down to smaller poles in the competition. Other surprise non-qualifiers were the great Sergey Bubka who withdrew before vaulting with a strained Achilles tendon (Roman Botcharnikov told us Sunday that he thought Bubka might not jump, but after the practice we observed, we weren't buying into that story), the number two all-time vaulter, South Africa's Okkert Brits failed to clear a height, and Barcelona bronze medalist, Javier Garcia from Spain also failed to qualify. Near misses included the silver medalist from Barcelona, Igor Trandenkov (though he has had a great year) who did not clear a height until his last attempt and looked very shaky, and our own Lawrence Johnson did not qualify until a last do or die jump. The door is now wide open as our other two Americans, Scott Huffman and Jeff Hartwig qualified easily and looked great.
Everything had been going so well for Simon, so how could this happen. When I arrived at Cheney this morning Simon and his team manager were ballistic as someone had removed one of his poles from his bag and left it out all night in the rain. Bruce Caldwell asked for my help in calming the waters as he expected, and received an international protest. Before he got on the bus, Simon was back to normal but that was certainly not a productive way to have to expend precious emotional energy. I believe he recovered from his initial reaction before he took the field, but I will always wonder if that incident didn't upset a delicate positive mental/emotional balance at the wrong time. It wasn't just Simon, EVERYONE was so tense that it was uncomfortable to be around. In fact, I left for the stadium early and left Pete see the loading of the busses.
The only cool heads were U.S. decathletes Steve Fritz who just smiled when I said good luck and said, "let me out there, I'm tired of waiting", and Dan O'Brien who looked somewhat nervous, but winked at me and said, "let's get this show on the road."
I met an email friend who is a graduate student working on his P.H.D. in Chemistry at Boston College by the name of Douglas (Gus) Lang. Though only a 13'6" range pole vaulter, this guy is fanatic enough to have started a "webpage" called "Pole Vaulting News From Around the World" and produces a weekly newsletter that is now the pulse of the pole vault for the entire planet. I liked the wacky answers that people entered to his questionnaire. Noticing that most of the vaulters were between the 9' to 15' range, I spread the word and got a lot of world class guys to respond with advice and funny stories about their international travels. This morning I met him for the first time as I took him to Cheney to watch the pole vaulters warm-up before the transport to the Olympic Stadium. He is a very nice, obviously intellectual, but laid back guy who thought he was in Disneyland. He was actually worse than a kid at Disneyland, and I certainly mean that in an affectionate way. We are having a barbecue tomorrow night where a lot of the elite vaulting community will come to meet the guest of honor, Gus. It should be fun.
My test yesterday worked as I walked right into the Olympic Stadium today and even helped roll one of the carts loaded with poles out to the vault area as the athletes were arriving. I then went and sat with my wife and brother in law for the 5 ½ hour qualifying round. With rain threatening and a long day already (we left at 6:15 AM), we sold our tickets to the evening session and came home to relax.
I saw a rather compelling demonstration of Olympic spirit today when pole vaulter, Aleksandrs Obizajevs of Latvia sprained an ankle while competing. Knowing that these are the Olympic Games, he had his ankle iced and re-taped between every attempt. He could barely walk away from the landing area but continued this process until finally being eliminated just missing the final. The pole vault is an all or nothing sport akin to motorcycle jumping. There is no such thing as a less than 100% effort or you risk serious injury or possibly death. As I watched this athlete attempt to walk without limping and then observed his obviously uncertain approach run, I feared for his safety. Somehow he competed at a very high level with far less than optimal abilities. The stadium cameras showed every icing, taping, and grimace and the crowd cheered wildly every time it was his turn to vault. A truly inspiring image.
Of course the U.S. should be expected to be the most enthusiastic cheering section. Second place goes hands down to the Germans who chanted each athletes name in unison throughout the entire stadium while waving flags with synchronized clapping in between the chants. It was amazing. And we thought "the wave" took coordination.
This is my last full day as the pole vault final is tonight. I'm meeting Simon and Gus at Cheney at 3:30 to watch the American's warm-up (all three qualified) and wish them good luck and see if they need any last minute assistance or strategy questions. Though my flight isn't until tomorrow afternoon, Pete and my car are leaving at 5:00 AM. As my computer will be in that car, this will be last entry. By Saturday night I will be home, and on Wednesday evening I will be at our annual family beach party at Corona Del Mar State Beach to celebrate Kay's mother's (Linda Isle resident Barbara Burnham) birthday. I have really enjoyed my stay and the people here have been great, BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO GET HOME!
A funny story before I close. As mentioned, we sold our evening tickets from Wednesday. We got $200 for three tickets with a total of $240 face value. Not bad. The funny part was that Pete didn't have his ticket with him so he and my brother in law Greg, drove the 25 miles home, got the ticket, and in rush hour traffic drove back to the Olympic Stadium to try and sell it. As it began to rain, Greg said he felt the value of that ticket falling as hard as the rain. To make a sale in the rain, he thought it might be smart to wedge the ticket on the passenger side window. As a potential purchaser approached, Greg lowered the window. When he got out to negotiate, he asked Pete for the ticket, and Pete replied, "I thought you had it".
Yes you guessed it, when Greg rolled down the window, the ticket was drawn into the door panel. Yelling and screaming, the boys went on a hunt for a body shop to have the panel removed, and retrieve the ticket before the evening session began. The body shop guy, who was about to close, had a decent sense of humor when he suggested that he would take the door off and Greg could just take the door to the ticket entrance. In five minutes, for $5, the man did his work and the $80 ticket was finally sold for $50.
I read my entire diary off of the Internet this morning (a practice I have resisted in hopes that my reports would remain fresh) and all I can say is WOW. I also looked at the many rolls of film we have taken. We take the film in daily and have two copies made including Simon's. The experiences and memories I will have of this trip have certainly been worth the sacrifice.
Probably the strangest revelation occurred to me about midnight on the night following the preliminary qualifying round … it's over! I told my wife Kay in January that this would be an extremely trying year as the large group of athletes that I work with in many sports would experience great swings of emotion depending on their success or failure in their Olympic year quests. Fortunately (I think), I knew I would also be along for that emotional roller coaster. For some, like Big Canyon resident and CDM graduate, Morgan Mead, she just hopes to make the practice squad for Cal's soccer team as an incoming freshman. For others, meeting the provisional qualifying mark for our Olympic Trials was a monumental success, even though they missed the cut to compete.. That late night awakening gave me the greatest sigh of relief that I have had this year. With Simon out of the competition for the Olympic Games final, my responsibilities that started around Thanksgiving of last year are now over, and I can begin to relax, be a spectator/fan, and find my life again.
As mentioned in one of my first entries, I joined a gym the day that we got here and have not missed a day since. I mention this because my promise to Kay was, next year I will train for ME! Though I will continue to coach and provide advice to athletes locally, nationally, and internationally, the World Championships for Masters Athletes (five year age groups for 40 years and above) are in Durban, South Africa in July 17 - 27, 1997 and I intend to win.
Last Year a Decision was made at last year's World Championship's in Buffalo, when I actually had to run across to the other side of the stadium to coach another athlete while I was still competing. The guy I helped, Dan Borrey, won his age group to become World Champion while I finished eighth (very close attempt from fourth). We also had the Junior National Champion, Borya Orloff from UCI who then represented the U.S. in Santiago, Chile where he got 2nd in the Pan American Junior Championships. Pete Kovacs (UCI and former El Modena athlete, who made this trip with me) won his Southern Section Division and was a California State Meet Finalist.
That's when Kay said, "enough is enough, after the Olympics, it's your turn to attempt to once again achieve greatness". Who knows, maybe we will meet again in this column as I go to South Africa in MY quest to earn the title, World Champion! The work for me has already begun. See you in July of 1997.
The Olympic Final in the pole vault produced three Olympic Record marks. I was able to see all three Americans off to the Olympic Stadium as well as have pictures made with them. During the competition I sat with my wife, four 19', and two 18' vaulter friends as we watched the highest overall competition results in the history of our event.
1.Galfione France 19' 5" (5.92) Olympic Record
2.Trandenkov Russia Same
3.Tiwontschik Germany Same National Record
4.Potapovich Russia 19' 2 ¾" (5.86)
5.Bochkaryov Russia Same
6.Markov Belarus Same National Record
7.Lobinger Germany 19' 0 ¼" (5.80)
8.Johnson United States18' 8 ¾" (5.70)
9.Stolle Germany Same Personal Record
9.Andji France Same
11.Hartwig United States18-4 1/2 (5.60)
11.Krasnov Israel Same
13.Huffman United States Same
14.Botha South Africa Same