Meet Some Olympic Medalists

The morning of my most recent post, I exited my Ipanema apartment pumped to see Kim Rhode compete in Olympic shooting.

My friends who've seen me since that afternoon will tell you the toll that commute took on me.

Sadly, getting to the most remote venue in the Deodoro Olympic area northwest of Rio forever tarnished my to-that-point positive impressions of 2016 Games execution.

I am convinced the Rio 2016 planners who created the spectator pathways are either complete morons, heroin addicts, masochists or some combination of the three. More about these observations will be shared later. 

Meanwhile, the last 16 days provided many positive interactions with Olympic medalists from around the world.

Since I am dog tired and prepping for the final day of the Games including tonight's closing ceremony, presented here is a partial roundup of Olympic champions and silver or bronze medalists encountered in Brazil, some as recent as last night at basketball and the track.

Enjoy!

All photos by Nicholas Wolaver may not be used without permission.

Heavy Medal Arrives In Sochi

On Wednesday at Sochi Media Center, attending reporters and photographers were treated to the VIP arrival of 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic medals -- 1,254 of them, with a combined weight of one ton, to be exact.

Scanning the room filled with dozens of media and P.R. folks, I think this blogger may have been the only U.S. outlet rep in attendance.

The ceremonial special delivery included a press conference including Russian Olympic figure skating champion Aleksei Yagudin and Olympic speedskating champion Svetlana Zhurova who joined Andrey Sidorenko, chairman of ADAMAS, Russia's largest producer of jewelry. ADAMAS CEO Maksim Vainberg also spoke.

Through brief remarks by executives and both Olympians, presented with three videos about the medal design concept and detailed manufacturing process, we learned of several "Olympic firsts" related to the medals.

According to ADAMAS, the Sochi Games presented a first-time challenge of geography between the host city and the capital, necessitating a "unique transportation solution" and "unprecedented security measures." The challenges yielded the new opportunity and concept of taking the medals on a 16 city national tour which helped more than 2.5 million Russians get close to the medals during their circuitous journey to Sochi.

Like the Torch Relay, shall we say there is now a "heavy medal tour" option for future host nations?

The Sochi medals are the first to feature a "high-tenacity transparent polycarbonate insertion"

featuring the Sochi 2014 "patchwork quilt" look of the Games engraved by laser.

There are more medals for Sochi given 12 new competitive events.

ADAMAS is the first jeweler entrusted to create Olympic medals, through which about 2,500 employees contributed to the design, engineering, manufacture, finalization and secure delivery of the medals.

ADAMAS also created and sells dozens of jewelry items such as bracelets, charms, earrings and pendants celebrating Sochi.

Yagudin and Zhurova shared stories of their own Olympic medal experience to provide perspective on what a Sochi Olympic medal may mean to its future owner.

"I did not take off my medal; I wore it for one week and a half except to shower," said Yagudin of the Salt Lake 2002 experience.

Zhurova, winner of gold at Torino 2006 (her fourth Olympics), accompanied the 2014 medals as a tour ambassador.

She said the new medals had a different meaning for each person she met.

"Everyone who saw the medals and touched it had a special idea of who might later win it," said Zhurova. "Perhaps the IOC will let the tour process occur again [for future Olympiads]."

A live feed showed the ADAMAS couriers arrive with special containers and security who carried some of the medals into the press center.

The executives and Olympians took turns showcasing the gold, silver and bronze for cameras.

"This gold one might look good for a hockey team," said Zhurova. "A Russian team."

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver; video by ADAMAS

 

Swimming Into Olympic History

London Olympic swimming -- that's one ticket I've not invested in for this Olympiad. For me, seeing Michael Phelps' final race in Beijing may never be topped in terms of extraordinary tickets landing in my lap (though several event tickets popping up in London are close runner-ups).

With a ticket to women's gymnastics yesterday, there was no way to get to swimming in time for what became Phelps record-tie and new Olympic record-setting swims that make him the most decorated Olympian of all time.

But in the London Media Centre I was tuned in to the races and saw the BBC's "breaking news" of Phelps' remarkable achievement. What a great victory! And only a couple hours before, I spotted the previous all-time Olympic medals record holder at the women's gymnastics team final (the announcers did a nice introduction of her to the audience).

Olympic records are falling all over. Today's cycling road event includes recent Tour de France victor, Team GB cyclist Bradley Wiggins, chasing the British record for most Olympic medals (up to this point held by rower Steve Redgrave).  London is Wiggins' fourth Olympiad after Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

I've seen Phelps in person three times so far -- twice in Beijing in competition, once in May at the Team USA Media Summit in Dallas. When I presented him a pin for this Olympic blog, he stated he remembered it. Whether true, or he was just being polite, I appreciate his positive feedback.

Congratulations to Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic medalist in history.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Heavy Medal

A few nights ago my Olympic buddy Brian and I went back to age 10, if only for a few hours, as we absorbed about two hours of expertly crafted hard rock music.

Van Halen. In concert. It was so ... ON!

Yes, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth & Co. put on a good show. Neither Philips Arena, nor my eardrums, may ever be the same.

Who knew that an ocean away some heavy metal was unveiled in the form of the London 2012 Olympic medals.

Check out The Princess Royal (former resident of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Village -- I still have one of her custom porcelain Centennial Games plates, thank you) with LOCOG Chairman Sebastian Coe opening Pandora's Box of praise and criticism for the newly minted designs.

I like the traditional side featuring Nike above the 1896 Athens Olympic Stadium (see design of 1896 Greek Olympic stamp a couple of posts prior to this one). Not sure what to make of the "modern" and logo-clad side, though the design is growing on me.

The Daily Mail newspaper crafted an interesting albeit commentary-rich Olympic medals infographic.

What do you think of the Olympic medals for London 2012?

Photo of The Princess Royal and Sebastian Coe via Getty Images; Infographic via the Daily Mail.