Tonight I watched the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejing China. I missed the beginning because Jerry and I went to dinner with his mom and cousin Maureen who is vitising from New Jersey. I've always loved the Olympics, both winter and summer games, and was considering my favorite/strongest Olympic memories.1 - Being a volunteer for the Anchorage Organizing Comittee. I lived outside of Anchorage at the time (circa 1987) and helped with mailings and answering phones for the committee trying to get the winter Olympics in Anchorage for 1992 or 1994. France and Norway ended up hosting those years and while I never truly thought a "remote" town of the size of Anchorage would be awarded the games, it was fun to participate in that dream.
2 - The 1972 Munich games. In case there is anyone on the planet that doesn't know about this tragedy, eleven Isreali team members died as a result of a terrorist attack. We (Americans) were looking forward to seeing our Olympic hopeful March Spitz and, even though he had an amaizing performance at the games with 7 gold medals (a record still held today), there was a tarnish on the games for me. I grew up with years of hearing about death and the Viet Nam war and the Olympics would have been a nice respite from the killing.
3 - Romanian Nadia Comaneci and the first perfect 10 score in gymnastics (1976 Montreal summer games). That was the year I graduated from high school and the bicentenial of the United States but I was more excited about this tiny gymnast that seldom smiled despite her accomplishments. She transformed the sport for me - previous to Nadia I liked watching Gymnastics, after her I loved watching gymnastics. You can see her performances on You-Tube.
Well, those are my top 3 personal Olympic memories. What are yours?
P.S. I could care less about medal counts. I just like to watch the athletes perform at their peak. Sure a little national pride but for me it is more about reaching your goal or potiental than it is about the win.
5 comments:
1. Mary Decker collides with the lead runner Zola Budd in 1984 (I was 8 and I still remember it clearly)
2. Nancy Kerrigan getting wacked. (not really Olympic, but I was glued to the tv throughout the drama.)
3. Kerri Strug lands her vault on one foot in 1996.
(I watched the Opening cermonies with my daughther last night. It is the first games she is really conscious of. She was completely entranced.)
Wicked, you'll be buying gymnastic lessons soon!
My top three are
1-Mark Spits performance
2-The hockey team wining over Russia at Lake Placid
3-Dan Jansen story in 88 Olympics
oh yes i do remember the zola budd fiasco, the girl from sa who ran barefoot.wasn't the opening ceremony fantastic?
Oh God...so many highlights every summer and winter games! It is all good, isn't it?? I have a lot of the smae memories as you, since I graduated HS in 1974! We remember a lot of the same. I loved when they were held in Atlanta...so close by...it was very exciting! Many of my co-workers attended at that time. The opening ceremony had me blubbering the whole way through...it was all so beautiful and artistic.
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