Olympic News Briefs

Work's had me on the run of late, but that hasn't stopped Olympic news from arriving at the in box. Here's a quick pick list of recent items on the five-ringed front:

• Allen Brooks, noted as a “veteran Olympic Games marketer” (according to a press release) joined GMR Marketing as vice president overseeing international client management, specifically to co-lead Procter & Gamble Olympic marketing in London and other future Olympic sites.
• Rome's 2020 Olympic bid is gaining steam, according to the Associated Press. In other news, a shoe company is handing over a pile of money to refurbish Rome's famed Colosseum.
• New Waverly, Texas, will be an official training site for USA Gymnastics, according to a local Fox News report noting the decades of work by Bela and Martha Karolyi (disclosure: the Hilton/USA Gymnastics news element of this report is related to clients of Edelman, the P.R. agency where I work).
• Vancouver is going to celebrate like it's 2010 again!
• Munich's Olympic bid books are now in the hands of the IOC, according to the AP.
• Jan. 25 Update: I intended to also include this link to a Natalie Coughlin video related to BMW's support of the USOC and national governing bodies USA Bobsled & Skeleton, USA Swimming, USA Track & Field and US Speedskating.

Have a great week!

Photo of Munich Olympiapark via Reuters

Lao-tzu For You

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," was the quote that came to mind at the Atlanta airport yesterday (this thought sent me scrambling online to find its author, Lao-tzu -- who knew?). Given the long history behind this quote, at this moment, wondering the stage at which the word 'miles' was added to the translation.

The journey of more than ten thousand miles from Georgia to China at last is underway! Touched down in Milwaukee on Sunday for a day of last-minute pre-Games prep, visit with girlfriend and family, an overdue haircut and a free lunch courtesy of Milwaukee's cool Downtown Employees Appreciation Week (we have got to get one of these in Atlanta!). On the flight here via the BEST Care In The Air, had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Compton, a CEO from Calhoun, Ga., who was heading to Wisconsin for a week of presentations (good luck to him!).

Milwaukee has a curious mix of Olympic connections. The Pettit National Ice Center west of downtown is a great home for U.S. speedskaters (though not likely any will be in Beijing). Downtown's historic Hilton Hotel is fabulously affordable (and an Olympic lodging sponsor). And the magnificent Milwaukee Art Museum was designed by Spain's Santiago Calatrava (it's my understanding he's behind many of Barcelona's and Athens' key Olympic venue designs, and according to reference sites, today is his 57th birthday). Milwaukee would be an outstanding satellite venue for Chicago 2016 thanks to perfect (summer) weather and proximity north on Lake Michigan.

Also learning the how-to's of Flip Camera use (perhaps the coolest camera of all time!) and will post videos once more editing practice is complete. Dog tired, but jazzed that in just 12 hours the next leg (MKE to Detroit) will be complete before the long leg to Tokyo and Beijing.