Serena Williams = Super Slam (C'MON!)

The word of the day: "C'MON!"

Serena Williams blasted this four letter word -- as if to say "heck, yeah!" -- at Wimbledon at least three times today en route to her rare Super Slam victory with a gold medal at the London Olympics.

Maria Sharapova didn't seem to know what hit her -- by the time she got on the board, it was way too late. C'MON!

I loved learning Williams' trademark fist pump only steps from her place in the field of play. It is unreal to me that from the front two rows at Centre Court I captured the photos posted on this blog. Sharapova is as gorgeous in person as any magazine, (Serena is, too) and it was amazing and unbelievable to see her playing tennis where only weeks ago she won the Wimbledon title.

Viewing Williams' play, it really did seem like watching an Olympic goddess. Her serve is majestic. Her victory dance is entertaining. Though stoic with a hard core game face during match play, once she won Williams never stopped grinning and dancing, having the time of her life.

The Olympic tennis experience included other surprises, like all three women's medalists standing on the same patch of grass from which I grabbed a few blades for a longtime tennis friend back home.

Entering the venue, fellow Oklahomans Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci (married Olympic champions) walked beside me to the seating area (they were across Centre Court from the spot I found along one of the service lines). This was the third time in as many years to speak with Conner and Comaneci.

The most curious moment: During the national anthem, as the U.S. flag went up over the court, the flag flew off its hoist during the line "That our flag was still there" (see video). Williams handled the situation with grace, smiling to the crowd as if to say, "C'MON, it is all good" and "Come on, are you going to play our anthem again and get this right?" all at once (they did not start over, but it was all good).

I am too tired tonight to post about the other tennis feats from Team USA today, but there are/were more medals and a separate post will follow once sleep is achieved. There is also an interesting Olympic exhibit at the Wimbledon Museum about which to post. Today's women's triathlon experience also yielded amazement.

Congratulations, Serena Williams -- Super Slam Champion.

Photos copyright Nicholas Wolaver may not be used without written permission

4 August = Gwen, Maria, Kate, Serena

Saturday will be epic. Two HUGE Olympic events with some of the most beautiful women in the world (if only my girlfriend could be here, too!).

With an early morning wake up call set for 7 a.m., I'll walk from Paddington Station to Hyde Park for the women's triathlon competition.

Hyde Park is gorgeous. The closest thing to it in the U.S. is Forest Park in St. Louis, site of the 1904 Summer Olympics and the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival (one of the best summers ever working at the athlete village at Washington University). From my hotel to the park's northern gate, there are thousands of sycamore trees with Fiat- or refrigerator-sized trunks, and the park's expansive lawns and massive shade and lakes also take me back to western St. Louis.

The 2012 Olympic triathlon venue also reminds me of the lakefront parks in Chicago and Milwaukee, where Team USA's triathlete Gwen Jorgensen grew up and works at Ernst & Young. At the Team USA Media Summit in Dallas, Jorgensen spoke about her upbringing and how the company gave her time to train for the London Olympics. I really, really hope she does well tomorrow.

On an Underground train tonight, a member of Team GB's triathlon support team said their girls will give Jorgensen a tough run for the medals. Go, Gwen, GO!

For months I've been dreaming about tomorrow's Olympic tennis competition, too. Saturday afternoon I have a ticket to Centre Court at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London. The best possible women's final is set: Maria Sharapova versus Serena Williams. Amazing. I've been watching Wimbledon tennis since 1976 and meeting Boris Becker today in London was tremendous. Hope the family is able to tune in back home.

I am convinced that Prince William and Kate will be in either or both of the venues on Saturday, and my crappy camera and borderline Flip camera better be on game for any sightings. My blog question for Kate pertains to the Olympic torch relay -- also, I typically do not ask for photos with celebrities but will make and exception in this case. Well, actually, I'd make an exception for a photo with Sharapova or Williams, too (twist my arm). The tennis ticket also includes the mixed doubles medal round, so there will be plenty of time for strawberries and cream.

A contact from the Wimbledon Museum today confirmed details of their Olympic exhibition "Tennis at the Olympics," so I hope for media access to see their rare 1908 Olympic tennis memorabilia from the first time Olympic tennis took place in London.

If Jorgenson and or Williams are victorious, a return visit to USA House is on deck for Saturday night. If it's Sharapova, see you tomorrow night at Russia House (also in Hyde Park), where that nation's medalists appear nightly.

But if Kate invited me to tea, well, I suppose that would do just fine.

Photo credits: Sharapova via Reuters/Adrees Latif; Kate Middleton via LOCOG/Getty/Ian West; Gwen Jorgenson via this link; Serena Williams via Getty/Clive Brunskill

Boris Becker Wants You to Visit Britain

Boris Becker's resume includes many accolades: Olympic gold medalist (men's doubles tennis in Barcelona 1992), Olympian at Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona, Wimbledon champion (1985, 1986, 1989), and winner of the Australian Open (1991, 1996) and U.S. Open (1989).

Now a London-based businessman who set up house (one of many in several nations) a few blocks from Wimbledon, Becker now wants you to Visit Britain.

Today in London, Becker took part in a Visit Britain press conference announcing his role as an Ambassador for the organization charged with generating tourism. Becker joins Olympic boxing champion Lennox Lewis and golfer Colin Montgomerie as part of Visit Britain's "GREAT Britain, You're Invited" campaign.

With about 25 reporters in attendance, media viewed Becker's short campaign film then Becker took questions about his many connections to London and Great Britain. For instance, two of his children are in school here, he resides near Centre Court at Wimbledon, and his company and many business interests are in the city Becker describes as among the most cosmopolitan in the world. He also joked that he is one German who British love.

When I asked Becker to detail his many Olympic experiences, he answered describing Olympic tennis as a demonstration sport at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, and brief details about his part in the 1988 and 1992 German teams at Seoul and Barcelona, respectively. From a 1992 New York Times article I knew Becker resided in the Olympic Villages, and he shared details in the video response (the aforementioned article also talks about a very long men's tennis match played in Barcelona Olympic competition, much like today's lengthy men's singles semifinal match for London Olympic tennis players Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro (Federer won).


Becker also answered questions about his role in the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, stating he got the call and invitation to participate about three days ahead of its arrival in the London suburbs.

He said winning at Wimbledon on July 7, 1985, was like being born again or "a second birthday" and that winning the Olympic gold with his tennis nemesis-turned-doubles-partner Michael Stich was another life-changing experience.

"Carrying the torch was a near-life changing [experience]," said Becker.

The one glitch of the Visit Britain press event came from a German news outlet who posed questions about Becker's personal life and recent reports he was in default on property in Majorca (a question on the heels of a tourism trade reporter's inquiry about Becker's British holiday wish list for which Becker claimed not to be a beach person). Becker cringed but took the high road and politely moved on to answering other questions (though Becker apparently had a stern word or two for the German reporter immediately after the press conference). Schadenfreude!

Visit Britain has a lot of cool stuff going on so be sure to check out their site www.VisitBritain.org for some very cool stuff, including the Becker video.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver, except the torch relay photo via LOCOG