A Non-Olympian "Thanks, Mom"

With a heavy heart I'm posting from Sochi with news my wonderful mother Betty entered hospice care in Oklahoma on Monday night. The news is surprising given her condition just two weeks ago was good. Writing in a fog.

 

Too many non-Games memories to share, but I will always love that Mom bought me the influential-to-seven-year-olds Lake Placid 1980 Olympic color book when I was in first grade, and she took my sister and I to the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Torch Relay in Edmond, Okla., the fifth-grade summer event that launched my Olympic journeys.

 

In 1989 we volunteered together at U.S. Olympic Festival '89, and the following summer she drove me to the 6 a.m. flight to Minneapolis for my first paid Olympic gig at U.S. Olympic Festival '90 (setting the course for my college days in the Land of 10,000 Lakes). Neither of us knew that flight would be the first of hundreds for this traveler (hard to know who had more nervous excitement).

 

It was Mom who first told me the 1990 news Atlanta won the 1996 Olympics, setting another course for nine Olympiads of fun. On Mother's Day 1996 she held the "runner flag" to start my leg of the Atlanta Olympic Torch Relay. 

 

Before and since her diagnosis of Alzheimer's in 2008, she always supported my five-ringed dreams and every dream. In her determined fight to slow down her condition, we shared dozens of walks and talks -- the above photo from one hike at Lake Arcadia near Edmond -- and it was so fun to show her around D.C., Atlanta and Savannah in recent years. As she did through years of working hard as a self-employed parent (her seamstress business boomed during the 1980s and 1990s in support of my sister's and my dreams), she continued to smile and laugh through each step of her declining condition.

 

I love you, Mom. Thank you, Mom. I will be home to Oklahoma on Friday, the soonest airlines could arrange passage from Sochi. Prayers appreciated for Mom, my dad and sister at her side, and for many family members, friends and caregivers helping mom. Fingers crossed the journey home will get me there safely and in a timely manner.

 

The blog will resume in due time. Thank you for reading and for support.

 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Olympic Blogger Version of Fergie's "Glamourous"

Opportunity knocked a few weeks ago when my great friend and fellow summer '95 U.S. Olympic Committee intern Amy, now a bigwig at Glam.com, invited me to submit a few five-ringed fashion stories from Sochi.

The first of these -- under the headline "Ski Devil Wears Prada" -- features observations about Olympic Champion Bode Miller and his footwear, as seen at the Team USA Media Summit last fall.

Not since Fergie's hit song has it felt so glamorous for this blogger.

My fashion sense begins and ends with the latest Docker's slacks and embroidered Olympic host city polo shirts (not necessarily the Ralph Lauren kind), so I greatly appreciate the Glam.com opportunity and vow to have fun with it.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Hailed a cab last night in Sochi and shook hands with the Armenian driver.

When asked his name he said, "Robert" to which I replied, "... Like Redford, Plant or De Niro?"

Without missing a beat he stared at me with stern look, pointed and said, "You talking to me?"

Most surprising taxi driver so far!

 

There's a surprise around many turns here. On Wednesday the temperatures approached 60 degrees, I found a sushi restaurant and discovered potato chips marked like sour cream and onion are actually dill pickle-flavored (tasty).

 

Thursday was another warm day, and though there was not yet time to try it, the spa in my hotel offers a foot soaking treatment through which flesh-eating minnows go to town on the callouses for one's heels and toes.

 

Olympic pin trading is gaining steam, and about twice a day fellow American tourists and I cross paths and swap stories about the Sochi commute. It's amazing how clean it is on the train, in the venues and all over the city -- I have yet to find serious litter, even at the end of a sold-out event with the rowdiest of crowds. The train is so quiet and smooth (and spotless) people nod off and fellow passengers nudge them at the end of the line.

 

Downtown Sochi features a European-style pedestrian park (gorgeous), mini-zoo (there are monkeys

on display just outside my hotel) and urban views of the Black Sea reminiscent of Milwaukee's hilltops overlooking Lake Michigan.

 

One aviary mystery here: How many tens of thousands of birds are in the black cloud flock 500 yards off-shore? (Seriously, it looks like the Hitchcock film when the black birds churn the water.)

 

The train station is a 1950s design with a clock featuring the zodiac tracked by month.

 

Valentine's Day should be interesting. I have a ticket to skeleton competition but need to sell it as a work project will have our P.R. team taking a couple of athletes to The Weather Channel studio in Olympic park for an interview with Al Roker.

 

It's the mid-point of the journey and all is well.

 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

 

 

Putin on the Blitz!

Some days you go to the office expecting the same-old-same old.

On Monday in my "remote office" at Sochi Media Center, things were mostly routine. Except for the part when Russian President Vladimir Putin stopped by for a speedy tour.

That's right: Putin ... on the blitz!

With a surprisingly sparse security detail and motorcade, Putin arrived at Sochi Media Center, handed his coat to a greeter then strolled on in to the main press room for a look at the scene.

Escorted by a local official (I assume a minister of tourism for Sochi), and accompanied by Sochi's Mayor and Olympic Champion Aleksandr "The Great" Karelin, the Russian president listened carefully to details about the Center -- one of the best unaccredited media centers in Games history (sadly underused by Western media outlets -- once again, I was the lone USA contact with one Canadian gentleman bearing credentials).

As throngs of working media were suddenly aware of Putin's presence, TV and still camera teams rushed to surround Putin, encircling his tour about 15 rows deep.

The president spoke for a couple of minutes, answering just two impromptu media questions, then turned with his hostess to walk back to toward the entry point.

Through all of this, I was tipped by a college student media center volunteer to stand at a fixed point back from the throngs of camera women and men.

I complied to earn a most excellent payoff of three very close -- shake hands close -- photos of President Putin.

It was tempting to offer him a lapel pin for this blog, but the security detail and fears of Siberian GULag served as a deterrent.

Hey, here's a guy happy with his photos.

So happy, in fact, moments later I moved quickly to a prime spot for creating a Presidential #SochiSelfie.

As predicted, Putin turned and stopped to view a working model of the Coastal Cluster to be retrofitted for Indy racing in October.

Putin sternly looked at the miniature Olympic city then disappeared to the third floor press conference room for a private meeting with members of the Russian Presidential Press Corps.

Were the room's two North American reporters able to attend? Nyet -- Russians only. Oh, well.

Two surprises emerged about Putin the man.

First, he is not tall, only an inch or two above five feet in dress shoes. Also, he does smile, and he did so several times on the closed-circuit broadcast (sans audio) of his private meeting.

Putin also beamed during his waving exit and return to a simpler-than-anticipated motorcade featuring just three vehicles (an unusual limousine and two extended vans) and one police escort, leaving behind Karelin and the Sochi mayor.

When Karelin next turned his attention to souvenir shopping at the Sochi Media Center store, I did approach him offering an Olympic blog lapel pin, congratulations on his achievements (most recently as Olympic Torchbearer at Fisht Stadium Friday night) and my awe.

This guy is HUGE, and as a former USA Wrestling intern long-aware of his five-ringed feats in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, I was most appreciative of Karelin shaking hands (his are bear-sized, strong like bull), visiting briefly and posing for a photo before he presented me with a commemorative Sochi.Ru 2014 keychain. Too Great!

One of my first reporting assignments in college involved trekking to Minneapolis for President Clinton's 1992 healthcare reform visit.

Monday's presidential reporting experience was absolutely nothing like the USA version, and I kind of liked it. I liked it a lot.

Only at the Olympics!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Dreams of Russia -- Opening Ceremony

Did you love the Sochi Olympic Opening Ceremony as I did? Spectacular!

Inside the venue Friday night, a duo of Russian celebrities took turns warming up the crowd, showing everyone how to don our "Olympic medal lights" (providing a Roy Lichtenstein-like dots of light across all in attendance). We also learned how to count down in a whisper the final seconds before the magic moment the action would begin: 7 Feb at 20:14 (8:14 p.m. Sochi time).

Impressive were the performances of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" by a group of police, and a gorgeous traditional Russian folk song "Oy Da Nye Vecher" performed by Pelageya, perhaps Russia's answer to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" performed in Vancouver. Not a dry eye in my section.

Seated on row five in a corner used for staging performers, most of my neighbors were Russian. It was fun to meet the nearby mother of a Team USA athlete who scored a last-minute ticket to view her daughter's march into the venue.

In the 24 hours since the Olympic Stadium main event, I remain impressed with all the history learned or reinforced by the presentation titled "Dreams of Russia." The music -- classical and techno -- sent me searching for many tunes online.

There was a friendly, "Sesame Street" quality to the "Russian Alphabet/Azbuka" segment, the glow-in-the-dark fur vests to create the Russian flag stood out, and the massive projection effects to turn the floor into maps, oceans and constellations -- brilliant!

The white horses running across the sky, and the construction of Soviet-era Moscow also impressed me.

It pleases me that New York Times reporter David Herszenhorn provided a very balanced to positive review of the experience (he nailed it!), praising the event's most remarkable and memorable details while noting, but not drawing undue attention to, a couple of glitches that other U.S. media continue to report.

Given the surprise "selfie" photo with her on Thursday, it also pleased me Maria Sharapova carried the Olympic torch into the stadium. She was beaming!

Standing beneath the ignited Sochi Olympic Cauldron at Olympic Park after the show, the warmth from the flame was appreciated (inside the venue it was in the 40s Fahrenheit).

I will now have many new Dreams of Russia.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Right Place, Right Time

Sochi is buzzing now. Foot traffic is getting crowded with more international team jackets and fans with flags.

After putting in a few hours at Sochi Media Center, where attendees were treated to a visit by a historic Russian Folk Group (among them a designated octogenarian Olympic Torchbearer), on Thursday I trekked over to the Coastal Cluster of venues for my first look at the Olympic Stadium.

A-MAZE-ING!

Another reason for the seaside train ride was to retrieve Day Passes to volunteer at the Coca-Cola Olympic Pin Trading Center inside the Team Russia House, a massive and very cool activity center for fans of all ages and nationalities. While inside, word spread that Olympic silver medalist Maria Sharapova would visit with a crew from NBC to film her experience at the venue. Hello!

Readers of this blog may recall the fortunate series of events leading to Sharapova's Olympic tennis final with Serena Williams at Wimbledon. And who could forget the flag ceremony video captured there?

Since capturing many action shots of both players that day in London, I've looked forward to another opportunity to speak with the Russian tennis star, icon and founder of the candy enterprise named Sugarpova.

How sweet it was to spot Maria flanked with a dozen NBC camera, sound, editing and production team members and a legion of fans with cameras like mine fixed on Sharapova, who professionally worked through her taped interviews (set to air during the Opening Ceremony tomorrow via NBC). She also graciously signed autographs for Olympic volunteers.

Then it happened -- a pin collector (not me, but Pete C., in the photo) shouted out to Sharapova those words only a pinhead can proudly exclaim ... "want to trade a pin?"

Apologetically, Sharapova declined with a smile, stating "Sorry, I don't have any pins to trade" over the heads of the entourage.

Enter Nick Wolaver, a.k.a. Johnny on the Spot, with a hot-off-the-press Olympic blog pin and business card.

Sharapova accepted my pin offer and others' then proceeded to complete the pin trade (for fun, note the person she traded with already is wearing one of my blog pins in the photo).

Sharapova, therefore, held on to the pin this blogger gave to her, and only time will tell whether it may lead her back to this site and/or post. As you may concur from the images below, the tennis great is holding an "Olympic Rings And Other Things" business card and pin during the post-trade NBC filming.

Moments later, at the conclusion of her official NBC taping duties, I showed Sharapova my camera and the action shot photographed in London (shown above, with this post).

She said, "O.K." to a 'selfie' pose beside me, and voila! the serendipitous Olympic Park experience du jour was over.

I'm so appreciative of Sharapova's kind response there is no time to frown that the 'selfie' only has my partial forehead, eyewear and cheek. Besides, I have that photo with the octogenarian Olympic Torchbearer to keep me company.

LOVING the Olympics!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver are copyright Nicholas Wolaver not to be reproduced without written permission

 

Trippin' to Grocery for Russian 'Shroom Fix

Today was move-in day at new hotel. After four days in the hills overlooking Sochi (at Hotel Aks), the plan was to board a cruise ship docked here for the Games (advance booking completed in December).

But as is the norm for all things 2014, a surprise change occurred, this time with a dose of serendipity. The ship apparently was commandeered for government or sponsor use, so my reservation changed (an upgrade!) from a windowless cabin off-shore to a fifth floor seaside room in a four-star hotel (I can see the cruise ship from the hotel).

Not quite like the "junior suite" referenced in the SNL "Space Olympics" video, but it will do.

Across the street from the new hotel is a "New York" steakhouse at which I enjoyed a nice filet mignon served with the most savory and unexpectedly delicious grilled plum sauce (Soooo good!) with a Jack & Coke and grilled vegetables (and baked pear with caramel, crushed almond and ice cream for dessert).

Stumbling out of the restaurant with near-food-coma status, my eyes fixed on a small neighborhood grocery to buy some bottled water, and I found the best surprise treat in Sochi so far. Shrooms!

Who says you can't blog and do 'shrooms? Bonus -- the box reminds me of that popular Mellow pizza chain back in Atlanta!

And thank goodness they included a Cracker Jack prize (or warning label) on which "X" means "Just Say No" to real 'shrooms.

Photo by Nicholas Wolaver

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

 

Getting Social

Not sure it was "officially" announced, so here goes: This Olympic blog is now on Facebook, and I encourage and appreciate followers, comments, five-ringed questions and the like.

Thank you for your support!

The Road To Sochi and Other Works In Progress

Unfinished road from Aks Hotel to Sochi.

As promised a few posts ago, this update includes an image of "The Road To Sochi" from the cliff-side Aks Hotel nestled between the Olympic city and Adler.
Though the Aks Hotel completed construction in 2012, as did many of its residential tower neighbors, most of the addresses surrounding the neighborhood are either U.S.S.R.-era abodes or Sochi 2014 ambitions gone awry.

There is just one construction crane nearby, with many more orange-zone projects long-since forgotten.

From an article my friend Jim sent, and also what my sister posted via Facebook (both features courtesy of Deadspin), looks like other U.S. media are having a grand time reporting on the Sochi accommodations experience near the Mountain Cluster and Seaside Cluster of venues ("cluster" being the optimum word).

On the ride home tonight I noted the brand new, would-be-four-star Hyatt in downtown Sochi has a lobby filled with busy painters and hundreds of brand new mattresses stacked like fluffy dominoes, indicative they might open by Friday.

So, Sochi is still getting ready, yes. The basics are ready, with lots more to be done. Sounds like just about every party I've ever hosted (both of them).

But the host planners must be given their due credit for working/trying hard. It's no different here than it was in Athens, where I will always recall the grounds crew busily laying sod by the gymnastics hall during the day of the final event inside the venue.

I am greatly impressed with the Sochi Media Center, which processed my accreditation today.

Though it took three visits during two days, and five "go to the other end of the building to enter" treks to gain access, once the kinks were addressed everything got normal.

"Sochi normal," that is.

It's going to be a great event!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Settling In Across Sochi

 

Day one in the Olympic City was restful then productive. Dozed off just before dawn local time, and awoke to a gorgeous sunny day with the Black Sea and Central Sochi on the horizon from my perch atop the Aks Hotel.

By perch I mean the penthouse -- this five-level hotel is on the side of a large elevation sort of around the bend from the city center. The topography reminds me of those areas of San Francisco where a dramatic elevation blocks a clear view of the urban sprawl. All three taxi drivers hired today each joked that the driveway to my hotel is a "typical Russian road" since a Hummer or Jeep 4x4 would do better on the gravel and water-swept off-road course for the final three blocks of the approach (I will try to photograph this "Road to Sochi" tomorrow).

The Southern view is spectacular, and as my eyes adjusted to the midday sun I spotted the Port of Sochi and one of the cruise ships on the horizon, not far from three Russian Navy vessels about a mile off-shore. Sunset over the Black Sea (shown) also was a feast for the eyes.

Though far-removed from the main city, the taxi ride into town is easy (even with the potholes) and downtown Sochi is a bit like Long Beach or even San Diego with the harbor traffic and many high rise buildings all around. Most of the street lights now don a Sochi.Ru 2014 banner or an LED display shaped like the Sochi sports pictograms (though about every 10th LED looks like it was created by a high school shop class flunky).

My driver dropped me right at Sochi Port at the just-opened Sochi Media Center.

Like similar media centers in Torino and London, the SMC is inside a spectacular and historic venue I suspect opened as a shipping exchange in the 1800s. There are about 300 computers and dozens of giant screen Samsung TV monitors inside -- this place will be a fun "office" not far from "home" in the neighborhood.

About a quarter mile from SMC is the main collection of cruise ships (some friends are staying at a similar cruise ship option in Adler). Though I could not yet board my floating apartment booked for Feb 6-20, the Princess Anastasia is decked out with Olympic sponsor ads and the ship's berth is next to an enormous set of the Olympic rings painted white for the night, likely to appear soon on Olympic broadcast promos. The rings nicely frame the skyline and I felt lucky to get to walk out on a lighting scaffold for some evening photos.

While walking through the seaside shopping district, I noted there were no "Sochi stray dogs" as reported by the Associated Press (if there were strays around, they are now gone in the City Center areas visited today).

But there ARE a number of feral cats. I lost count of all the cats spotted around Sochi Port, near the hotel, the airport parking and about town. How come the AP did not report about all the pussies in this part of Russia?

Thanks to pre-Games research, I found a small Greek café not far from the wharf, window shopped at a nearby mall (remember, no luggage from KLM means I need clothes!) and also stocked up on a few grocery necessities at a 24-hour market next door.

Fun to discover Olympic sponsor beverages including juice boxes with the Sochi Olympic mascots, cereal and Coke products.

Even more fun to find one of my all-time favorite beverages -- Caffeine-Free Dr. Pepper, a drink rarely spotted in Atlanta -- in the store cooler. And this tasty treat is canned in Texas, not Europe, for that home town corn syrup goodness.

While shopping for the right vodka a gaggle of Sochi Olympic volunteers swarmed the store, with two friendly English speakers informing me never (NEBBER!) to get caught drinking on the street.

That's OK, I thought, later happy to toast day one in Sochi while watching the Olympic trains speed along the seaside tracks, just down the mountain from Aks Hotel. Za schast'ye, Sochi! To happiness!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver