From Walpole to London: Halfway Through the Journey

Today - day five of the track and field competition - was a busy one with four event finals beeing contested in the Olympic Stadium. In the morning, my focus was to log footage for NBC of the men's triple jump, of which Americans Will Claye and Christian Taylor were competing.

Like yesterday, once the morning session was wrapped up me and a few friends ventured through the Olympic Park, stopping at two venues along the way. First we went to the Aquatics Centre, where we took a peek inside and saw a couple minutes of synchronized swimming. It is incredible how the swimmers can stay in synch throughout their entire performance.

One thing that was unique about the venue was the true blue color of the water. It was so clear you could see the high definition cameras at the bottom, the same ones that snapped all of the cool pictures of Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin.

After leaving the Aquatics Centre, we stopped at the Basketball Arena. Soon after we got in, Australia and China took the court. Staying for a few minutes, we saw Lauren Jackson, the three-time WNBA MVP and Liz Cambage, the first woman ever to dunk in an Olympic basketball game.

In the evening, I logged footage for the men's high jump, which was very exciting. At the end of the night, I was able to head to the broadcast booth and catch the men's 1500m final. That was especially cool because soon after the race finished, Lord Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and a former world record holder in the mile came through our booth and stopped next door. Not everyday you see the organizer of the Olympic Games and a running legend!

Now that I'm halfway through my time here in London, I thought I'd make a list of five extra special moments experienced here in the UK!

-The Men's 100m final. Of course, seeing the world's fastest man in person was pretty special. Everyone in the Olympic Park fell silent for the start, then burst out in roars as the eight athletes sprinted towards the finish. Between the sight of thousands of flash bulbs going off, the roar of the crowd, and the electricity of the stadium, it was quite the moment to see. Not to mention Usain Bolt's lighting pose!

-Three Team GB Golds on Night Two. With Mo Farrah (Men's 10,000m), Jessica Ennis (Women's Heptathlon), and Greg Rutherford (Men's Long Jump) winning their respective events all in the same evening within a couple hours of each other was quite special. Watching the 10,000m from the side of the venue, I was torn between cheering for American Galen Rupp and Great Britain's Farrah; I wanted America to grab a long distance medal, yet I also wanted to see how the crowd would react when Farrah, one of the country's most well known athletes, took the top spot. Seeing the two teammates (both train in Portland, Oregon) battle to the line was poignant. It was the success of a host nation and the dreams of an American coming true all at the same time.

-Olympic Stadium. Venturing through the Olympic Stadium for the first time was special. Seeing the track, Olympic flame, and all the flags of competing nations lining the venue's facade, I was simply overwhelmed. Add to that the fact that I got to walk around the track for a few minutes and it was an experience I'll never forget.

-Wimbledon. My first day in Great Britain was spent at the world's most famous tennis club with my great friend Emma. As I recapped in an earlier post, the day was incredibly fun. I don't think I could have had a better first day here!

-The track family. Here at the Olympic Stadium, I have made many good friends with interns and other workers. Throughout the week, we have got to know each other better and better as we spend time in the broadcast compound, booth, and Olympic Park. Working more than 15 hours each day with such great people makes the time fly by. I am so greatful for being able to be part of such an amazing team.

Well that's it for today. If I may, I would like to send Happy Birthday wishes back home to my mom. Wishing you all the best and a special birthday!

Cheers!

Used with permission from Ithaca College Sports Management and Media