The Olympics are contagious

By Chris Longo

At the start of the games, Jacob Corrigan wrote a story about Olympic super-fan David Chin, who said: “This will not be someone’s first and only Olympics. They say you catch a bug. You have no choice but to come back.”

Olympic Stadium, Friday, August 10th (Photo by Chris Longo)

As the finals days of the Olympics winded down, I began to understand what Mr. Chin was saying. I can throw out a few sappy lines about having the time of my life in London, but instead I’ll give some concrete evidence. Everyday, whether it was at the venues, in the tubes or at Waterloo station, I found the red maple leaf. That’s right, the Canadians were one of the most visible fan bases at the games, even more so than American fans. Maybe the Americans are a little more discreet about showing their colors, but for Canada – a country who isn’t well known for their summer Olympic prowess – the turnout was unbelievable. I have to chalk it up to the Olympic fever spilling over from the successful 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 

When I woke up in New York this morning, I had an Olympic hangover. I wished I could do it all over again. This time in my life, with an incredible group of people, in a city like London, truly once in a lifetime. As London 2012 passes the torch to Rio 2016, it’s tough to look forward because I have no idea where I’ll be at that point. If I get the chance, I’ll be there in Brazil cheering on the Americans, the Canadians, the host nation and all the athletes who sacrifice so much of their lives for one shot at glory.

With London still fresh in my mind, I think back to the Michael Phelps press conference I was lucky enough to get into. After Phelps took his final gold, he answered question after question about retiring, then left the future of U.S. swimming to his younger teammates. When the conference was over, Jake and I walked up to ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, one of my favorite sports personalities, to get his thoughts on the London games thus far.

“After 10 Olympics they all start to mesh together,” said Wilbon.

He asked us if we were enjoying our first Olympic experience, then posed for a picture.

“Your first Olympics will be my last.”

With a half smirk, he passed us the torch and walked off into the sunset. Or at least that’s how I’ll remember it.

U.S women basketball players stay humble and hungry for gold

By: Melissa Wells

LONDON – Teammates Diana Taurasi and Sylvia Fowles said they are working hard to uphold the legacy U.S women’s basketball has established at the Olympics.

“We have been in the gym almost everyday,” Fowles said. “You have some days when you don’t want to get up but you have to come get it done.”

The hard work has been paying off. The women are currently 4-0 and are ready to take on China (3-1) tomorrow, Aug. 5 at 4:45 p.m.

“We just are focused and are taking it one day at a time, then we can celebrate,” she said. “That’s the beauty of us women, you know we are going to go out there and work for it.”

With four consecutive gold medals won from 1996-2008, the U.S Women’s Olympic Basketball Team has become the most successful U.S women’s team sport in history. They haven’t lost a game since 1992, and are currently on a 37-0 winning steak. Overall the women are 54-3 in Olympic play since women’s basketball was added to the Olympic slate in 1976.

This 2012 team has a lot to live up to. They also have a lot to look forward to. However, the path to success hasn’t always been the easiest.

Sylvia Fowles, a 6’6” Louisiana State University Graduate, makes her second Olympic appearance in London after leading the U.S women in rebounding, scoring and to the eventual gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Fowles didn’t always want to be a basketball star, though.

Ohio University student Melissa Wells interviews U.S. women’s basketball player Sylvia Fowles after practice Saturday, Aug. 4

“I grew up with three older brothers and I always used to watch them play,” she said.

Fowles enjoyed watching, but she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother and sister. She wanted to run track. However, it didn’t quite work out that way.

“The summer going from seventh to eight grade I grew four inches,” she said.

She was too tall and too athletic not to try basketball.

“At school my basketball coach hounded me to play two years prior, but I refused to play,” she said.

Eighth grade was her first official year playing basketball.

“I didn’t like it at first, but it turned out pretty good for me,” she said.

She moved on to high school where she began to blossom as a basketball player.

“In high school I started to get a lot of looks from recruiters with the help from my coaches,” she said. “My mom wasn’t financially stable and I was the youngest of five, so I figured basketball was my key out.”

She played at four years at LSU before being selected 2nd overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA Draft.

After traveling to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, she says she feels physically and mentally prepared for the rest of the competition in London. If the team stays consistent, it will have no problem beating China and will be one step closer to its fifthgold medal.

Fowles also plays for Galatasary in the EuroLeague during WNBA off-seasons with Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi.

Now 30-years-old, Diana Taurasi led the University of Connecticut to three straight NCAA championships (2002-2004) and won National Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. She is appearing in her third Olympics.

Ohio University student Melissa Wells interviews U.S. women’s basketball player Diana Taurasi after practice on Saturday, Aug. 4.
Photo by Jillian Fellows

“We have come here really focused and not think about the past,” she said.

She also gets to share this journey with some familiar faces. Her Team USA coach, Geno Auriemma, previously coached her at UConn.

“It’s a familiarity that’s really nice,” she said.

While she likes the competition, Taurasi said respect and love for the people she plays with and against is the most important.

“Basketball is based on respecting who you play, win or lose,” she said. “I’ve played with and against a lot of the girls, so I have a lot of respect for them.”

After competing as a basketball player for most of her life, Taurasi said she still appreciates the game and can always find something to motivate her to keep her career exciting and fun.

“I have played basketball all my life and sometimes I do ask myself if I have enough drive and passion to still do it,” she said. “It only takes a little bit to get the fire going again.”

Watching History Being Made

View from my suite seats during the 2012 Olympic Men’s Gymnastic Team Finals

Kayla Hanley

London, England 

Who would have thought that on a cloudy, and rainy Monday I would walk with royalty, watch like celebrities, and see history being made all within 3 hours. Being at the Men’s Gymnastic Team Finals on July 30 allowed me to do all of this and made me experience the Olympic spirit first hand in a venue covered in pink.

China won gold, Japan won silver, and Great Britain won bronze causing the crowd to arise in chaos. Great Britain medalled for the first time in the past 100 years for the team finals within the summer Olympics. Originally they were placed in silver followed by Ukraine but due to a Japanese appeal they were awarded bronze. No matter what the place was every fan in the crowd was on their feet showing their support.

Seeing the reactions to the entire crowd was really indescribable. Flags from USA, Great Britain, China, Ukraine, France and many others were flying all throughout the arena in every corner around the stage. As I was looking down at some of the fans from my suite seat I could see fans with tears in their eyes knowing that their nation had just accomplished the task of medalling which is the goal for every athlete here in London.

I had chills and goosebumps the whole time that I was watching the athletes compete at a different apparatus because I couldn’t believe that I was actually at an Olympic event in person. This was an event that I have been watching from home at every Olympic competition since the age of 8 and not only was I a fan but a journalist which was more than I could ever dream of.

Everyone seems to know the importance of the Olympic games when they watch each event on their televisions at home. I thought that I knew the significance and that feeling of pride when watching the athletes walk to the podium yet being there to experience and first hand see their reactions really was priceless. More often than not when one watches the games from their televisions at home they do not get to see the reactions from the audience and to me that was one of the highlights of this event.

China-Gold Japan-Silver Great Britain-Bronze

Not only were the residents of London and those visiting the city supporting the men, but also Prince Harry and Prince William were in attendance. I could see them from my seat and they were directly in front of me and they were on their feet cheering and standing the whole time. I am not sure whether or not they were there the whole time but they were there to see their home country take the bronze medal which really was a great accomplishment for the entire country.

As I am writing this and looking back at being in North Greenwich Arena for this team finals around I am still in shock and awe at experiencing something that will be talked about for a very long time. Being from America it is unfortunate that USA only placed 5th but seeing the strength and drive that Great Britain had, as well as China and Japan, they deserved their places. History has finally been in the making here at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and I am proud to say that I am a part of it.