Olympics

A symbol of the Olympic Truce in the Museum park

2006-05-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Olympic Museum park has a new sculpture that symbolises the Olympic Truce. It takes the form of a green, sheen bronze pillar, decorated with the Olympic rings and the Truce symbol (a stylised dove holding an olive branch in its beak). The monument was officially unveiled by Jacques Rogge, IOC President and President of the International Foundation for the Olympic Truce (FITO), and by the two Vice-Presidents of FITO, George Papandreou and Fany Palli-Petralia.
Presentation to the United Nations
The work was originally commissioned to Spanish artist Rosa Serra by the American philanthropist, Irwin Belk. The patron then gave it to FITO on the occasion of the second meeting of the Foundation in New York that took place at the UN headquarters in May 2001, attended by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
FITO at the UN
This was the first time that a body of the Olympic Movement had held a meeting in these confines, where the fate of humanity is determined every day of the year. The United Nations General Assembly, which has 189 member states, sits from September to December each year to address all the subjects as a commission or as a plenary session. It is in this way that the General Assembly examines, every two years, the IOC’s draft resolution on the Olympic Truce, submitted through the host country of the Olympic Games.
A patron of sport and Olympism
Irwin Belk is passionate about sport and Olympism. A retired businessman from South Carolina, he was a member of the US National Olympic Committee for more than 30 years, and continues to work promoting sport. In 2002, he was awarded the Olympic Order. As for Rosa Serra, one of Spain’s most talented artists, it is impossible to count how many works she has devoted to sport. It is impossible to forget the “Olympic Suite”, a collection of 22 sculptures that were exhibited at the provisional Olympic Museum in 1987, and now belong to the IOC.

Olympics unkind to Canucks, Senators

2006-02-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

For the teams that measure success by playoff rounds, Stanley Cups and television ratings, who did what for king and country in Turin is meaningless.
Tonight, with the Winter Olympics concluded, the NHL resumes its schedule with a little more than a quarter of the regular season remaining.
Here's a quick look at the winners and losers coming out the Olympic break.
WINNERS
TEAMS SELLING GOALIES Every team looking to peddle a goalie before the March 9 trading deadline no doubt salivated when Ottawa's Dominik Hasek went down on a routine save in the Czech's first game of the Olympics. Instantly, the bargaining positions of Buffalo (Martin Biron), Phoenix (Curtis Joseph) and several other teams improved immensely.
ED SNIDER The Philadelphia Flyers owner, along with general manager Bob Clarke, was among the loudest critics of sending NHL stars off to possible injury at the Winter Games. While Philadelphia lost Simon Gagne for two weeks, Peter Forsberg made it through healthy. And the Sweden-Finland final, which hardly provided the boost in American interest the NHL was hoping for, might have helped push the league to pulling out of the Olympics after 2010.
FLORIDA PANTHERS According to Los Angeles Kings assistant general manager Kevin Gilmore, Finland provided the biggest surprise of the Games. "You look at that Finnish team, you've got some players that really played hard and had a strong tournament and teams may sit there and say 'You know what, that may be a good fit for us down the stretch,' " he said. Panthers centre Olli Jokkinen is probably the top Finnish player on the block and, at just 27, could net a big return if Florida GM Mike Keenan deals him.
SANDIS OZOLINSH The Mighty Ducks blueliner, whose Olympic participation with Latvia was in doubt after he entered the NHL's substance-abuse program in December, not only played but played well.
LOSERS
VANCOUVER CANUCKS "They're on the losers' side, there's no doubt about that," said Canucks analyst John Garrett. "The feeling is you can't replace [injured defencemen Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund]." With Markus Naslund and Ed Jovanovski hurt before the break began, and Todd Bertuzzi sitting in the penalty box when Canada saw its hopes dashed, it can be argued no team lost more at the Olympics than the Canucks.
TOMAS VOKOUN The Nashville goaltender, a Vezina Trophy candidate before the break, had a disappointing Olympics. Playing in relief of Hasek, he posted just an .879 save percentage and gave way to Milan Hnilicka in the semi-final. "Our game is built so much on confidence," said Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford, "and when the players have their confidence, that's when they're at their best. And if they're still thinking of something that didn't go their way at the Olympics, it's going to affect their play going forward."
WAYNE GRETZKY This tournament exposed The Great One to the kind of questioning he has rarely, if ever, had to deal with. Many people felt Gretzky's 2006 Team Canada rewarded too many veterans for their loyalty and not enough for their skill level, something that ultimately falls at the feet of the team leader.

The lost Olympics

2006-02-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

The United States left the Turin Olympics with 25 medals and almost as many unhappy memories of lost opportunities.
Much of the pre-Games hype centered on erstwhile world champion skier Bode Miller, who was slow when he wasn't clumsy -- and worse yet, professed not to care much. Speed skaters Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis tarnished their medal-winning performances with their testy exchanges in public. Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis was zipping toward an impressive victory when she decided to add a touch of flair -- grabbing her board in mid-air -- and stumbled into second place.
Another would-be megastar of the Games, U.S. figure skater Sasha Cohen, fell twice at the start of her long program. To her credit, she persevered with a powerfully graceful finish - then accepted the silver medal with a joy and class that was too often missing from American stars in Turin.
As always, there were plenty of inspiring performances in the Olympics -- veteran speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno and "Flying Tomato" snowboarder Shaun White among them -- but no certified American idol emerged from these Games.
Did we say "American Idol?" Count NBC among the disappointed. It spent $600 million for the broadcast rights, and kept getting swamped in the ratings by a Fox show featuring amateurs without any pretension of world-class proficiency.

the torch was lit yesterday!!

2005-11-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Lighting Ceremony - Olimpia

The Torch Lighting Ceremony will take place on Sunday 27 November, at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece. The actual lighting process will in fact take place one day during the week preceding the Ceremony, so as to avoid any setbacks caused by adverse weather conditions. The flame will subsequently be kept at a secret location until the official ceremony takes place. On Sunday 27, the flame – ignited thanks to a special parabolic concave mirror capable of capturing the sun’s rays – will be handed over to the Greek relay’s first torchbearer.

Torino 2006

2005-11-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for the games to begin here in Torino. As an American who has lived here on and off over the last 7 years, I cannot wait to share what is now my adopted city with the rest of the world.

Torino is an undiscovered gem in Europe, one of the few cities that has yet to be overrun by tourists. Unlike most places in Italy, where everyone automatically speaks English, in Turin when you ask a question in anything but Italian, you still get a puzzled look in return. It retains the old world charm of a city wholly proud of its' origins and not entirely eager to sacrifice that for the arrival of the ever-eager tourism industry.

The Torinese are interested in the spectacle of the Games right now but have yet to band together as a whole in support of the Olympics. Surprisingly, it is the youth who present staunch opposition. They're fiercely protective of their city and the onslaught of Americanization that the whole event could bring is a widely debated topic.

Nevertheless, the city is preparing and polishing itelf for presentation to the rest of the world. The works in progress seem tedious at the moment but will pave the way for Torino as a center of culture, tourism, and interest to those unfamiliar with it as of yet.

Already a city of industry and economics, Torino has much to offer in the arenas of art and history. As the original capital of Italy under the Savoy reign, the royal palaces dotted throughout the metro and suburban areas are full of artwork and furniture of the Baroque period. The Egyptian museum is the second largest in the world. The museum of cinema is incredibly innovative and provides a great narrative of the Italian contributions to the world of moviemaking.

You'll be surprised when you arrive. There's far more to Torino than one would expect. From the spectacular food and wine to the impressively maintained palaces in the center, it's a feast for the eyes as well as the body.

the women' hockey team

2005-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

from SI.com
One hundred days before the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, the U.S. women’s hockey team embarked on the longest day of its lives.
For forward Julie Chu, a 5:20 a.m. wake-up call on Nov. 2 was “like a shock” to her system. The team had rolled into New York City just four hours earlier after drubbing the women’s Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association team 6-2 in New Haven, Conn.
Despite the lack of sleep, the women appeared, most of them wearing a fresh layer of makeup, ready to tackle the day with television and print media appearances.
7 a.m. The first stop is NBC’s Today show. In full uniform, the team skates around the ice rink at Rockefeller Center while several ski aerialists jump on trampolines across the street. Meanwhile, Bode Miller talks with Matt Lauer in the studio.
8:45 a.m. Behind schedule, Katie Couric runs across the street from the studio down to the rink to interview the team. Leaning over the boards, she asks the team to give a demonstration of stick-handling and how to shoot a puck.
“Well, you want to transform your weight with the puck,” says defenseman Angela Ruggiero, who, at 25, is making her third Olympic appearance.
Ruggiero slaps a puck. Lined up in a row, the women of the team rapidly tap their sticks onto the ice in unison.
“Katie was supposed to be in skates, and we were supposed to go up to her and spray her [with ice],” Chu says. “She was wearing high heels, so we had to improvise.”
Already behind for its next TV gig, the team packs up its things in a spacious green room beneath the Today studios.
“We got to hustle,” Chu says. To the surprise of the team, Couric drops by to say thanks. They quickly surround the NBC anchor to take photos outside the green room. Couric smiles at Chu, who had given her a tour of the athletes’ village at the ‘02 Salt Lake City Games.
“Julie, you’re still at Harvard?” Couric asks.
“Yeah,” Chu replies as USA Hockey assistants frantically snap shots with a half-dozen digital cameras.
:30 a.m. Chu, Ruggiero and newly appointed captain Krissy Wendell rush to a black car waiting to take them to ESPN’s Cold Pizza studios, 18 blocks away.
“Hey, you just missed Justin Timberlake,” someone yells. But there’s no time to chase him down. The teammates pass through the TKTS booth in Times Square.
“This is where you get cheap tickets for Broadway shows, Krissy” Chu says as Wendell peers out the window. Ruggiero calls her mother to see if she taped the Today show and to explain how to download the women’s hockey games on the Internet.
Sitting in the back seat, the three discuss who will teach Tony Danza how to play hockey for The Tony Danza Show later in the afternoon.
“It’s all you Angela, Wendell says. “We’ll just support you. I heard he’s going to be wearing hockey pads.” Chu says she thinks The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be more fun.
9:50 a.m. The teammates arrive 20 minutes late for the Cold Pizza taping when they run into bobsledder Vonetta Flowers, the first African-American to win a Winter Olympics gold medal at the ‘02 Games.
“I saw you guys on the Today show,” says Flowers, who is also taping a Cold Pizza segment.
“Busy day for Olympic athletes,” Chu replies. The team is quickly escorted to a green room with turquoise walls, a black leather sofa, three chairs and eight TV sets.
“Hey, who was that?” Wendell asks.
“That was Vonetta Flowers — bobsledder,” Chu says. Turning up the TV, Chu smiles as Flowers gives a live interview on ESPN. Wendell and Chu collapse onto the couch to relax for a few minutes before their interview. Ruggiero yawns and says she wants good coffee.
“I don’t drink coffee,” Wendell says, showing off her pearly whites. “Stains your teeth.”
“You can drink it through a straw,” Ruggiero says. “You get coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. Oh my God, that’s the best.”
10:45 a.m. Goalie Pam Dreyer and forwards Natalie Darwitz and Kelly Stephens arrive at the Cold Pizza studio to meet up for the group interview. While the majority of the team was at the Today shoot, the three players were busy ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange downtown and were stuck in morning traffic. They are rushed to get their makeup touched up.
Darwitz, 22, who rarely puts on makeup, returns wearing mascara. “I feel like a hooker,” she says.
A producer named Pete comes to prep the six players about the five-minute taped interview. He tells them they can shoot at host Jay Crawford, but they can’t kill him.
11:02 a.m. Chu, Stephens and Dreyer stand on a box behind Wendell, Ruggiero and Darwitz, who are seated in front. The players are all wearing USA Hockey fleeces over dress pants, except for Ruggiero, who lost hers at the Today studio and had to wear her jersey.
“You guys have that killer hockey instinct,” Crawford says.
Crawford begins by asking Wendell, the star forward, about veteran Cammi Granato, who was left off the U.S. women’s team for the first time since 1998.
“She’s an amazing person,” Wendell says. “We’ve learned so much from her. She’s definitely someone to be remembered. There’s a little part of Cammi that comes out in all of us.”
Ruggiero is asked about the tight-knit group. “We do everything together,” she says. “We eat together, sleep together.”
A few of the teammates stifle a laugh. The interview ends when Stephens shoots three pucks into a net Crawford is guarding with a baseball mitt and a football helmet. “I wasn’t ready,” he says.
Afterwards, Crawford thanks the group and invites them back when they win a gold medal. The teammates are given Cold Pizza caps and hop into taxis headed for NHL headquarters in Midtown, where they’re scheduled to have lunch with league representatives.
3:54 p.m. The women’s team is taping a segment for The Tony Danza Show at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Danza was a no-show, which made the USA Hockey handlers cranky. Hungry and tired, the day was trying Wendell’s patience, too. The two-hour lunch meeting on the 42nd floor of the NHL headquarters consisted of catered cold-cut sandwiches and soft drinks.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Wendell says. “Lunch sucked.”
Adds Stephens, “Some of the others were saying what a great lunch they had while we were stuck at the NHL. We had barely eaten anything all day. I mean, come on. We’re women hockey players.”
After signing autographs and interviewing with print media for several hours at Wollman Rink and answering questions about Granato’s absence, Chu offers to buy Wendell a cup of hot cocoa.
“I get asked about Cammi a lot,” Wendell says. “I just try to repeat the same thing over and over. Sometimes [the media] will have follow-up questions, so I’ll just keep saying the same thing.”
The sun begins to go down and Wendell tries to stay warm by sipping her cocoa.
“This has been a never-ending day,” she says. “Me and Chewy are done.”
Just then, the team captain is wanted for a local TV interview. Wendell puts down her hot chocolate and with a weary smile, obliges.