The White House Welcomes Team USA Olympians/Paralympians of Milano Cortina

Frequently, since March, I wondered: When will Team USA Olympians and Paralympians of Milano Cortina enjoy the traditional visit to The White House?

Following periodic queries to the USOPC press team, and some weeks receiving/reviewing The White House press corps schedule emails following their instruction to subscribe, the answer finally arrived after bedtime 5 Aug, with fewer than 20 hours' advance notice. 

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR AUG. 6

7:00 PM -- THE PRESIDENT participates in a Team USA Reception

Since this wasn't my first rodeo requesting media access to the Executive Mansion, before dozing I deployed overnight follow-up queries to the USOPC and the Office of Communications at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. By 9 a.m. Aug. 6, there was confirmation this was, in fact, Team USA of Milano Cortina, and by 9:20 a.m., with thanks to a responsive White House press assistant, access was confirmed with instructions to arrive at the security gate around 6 p.m. 

You know, the gate by the row of TV feed cameras, aka the one Charles Grodin drove through in "Dave" and at which the special courier arrived with a stack of hot off the press Washington Posts in "All the President's Men." 

By 10 a.m., with hotel and transit confirmed thanks to banked frequent flyer miles, I was off to ATL airport for an early D.C. touchdown around 3:40 p.m. 

I simply love the approach to DCA, and this visit provided jackpot views of the monuments and Patomac. Then, following an easy Metro ride to the city center, by 4:30 there was time for a quick bite and hotel check-in, then the short hike at 5:30 for the event. 

During the walk, there was time to reflect on past Team USA visits to The White House, some of which are summarized in an official backgrounder. 

My first was in 2016 with President Obama welcoming the Rio team to the East Room, then following the PyeongChang Games of 2018, President Trump was the host for a North Portico ceremony. 

But I had been watching reports of Team USA or Olympic Torch Relay visits as far back as 1984, though the tradition dates back even earlier, in various formal or informal formats.

This blogger's visits three and four took place on the South Lawn with President Biden in 2022 (combining athletes from the pandemic Games of Tokyo and Beijing) and in 2024 after Paris (oops, forgot to write about that one, so no matching link), respectively. 

While the logistics and time of day varied for each Olympiad, I've grown to count on time to appreciate the James Brady Press Room and selfie spots along the walk up from the security gate. Any visit to The White House is special.

And after receiving on-site instructions to hold up in the Press Briefing Room until our escorts arrived, it was a short hurry-up-and-wait before the White House Press Corps. trekked through the Palm Room doors, through the ground-floor corridor and up a carpeted staircase to the East Room in which Team USA athletes were walking accompanied by "Tonight" from "West Side Story" played by the U.S. Marine Band. Our press risers were along the long, west wall of the ballroom, with rows of seated VIPs and cameras facing the athletes on risers between large portraits of George and Martha Washington. 

Minutes later, the music changed to "Hail To The Chief" and the President took the podium.

"It's a real honor to be with stars," said President Trump. "I like being with stars!" 

And for about 15 minutes, the Commander in Chief mostly stayed on script with remarks I suspect were a mashup of talking points from the USOPC and White House speechwriting team. After welcoming and introducing the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury as well as the USOPC's leaders Gene Sykes and Sarah Hirshland, Trump took time to introduce each gold medalist by name, starting with Danny O'Shea, occasionally pausing and stepping to shake hands with each Olympic and Paralympic champion depending on their proximity to the podium.

"Strong legs! How do I get legs like that?" the president said of Jordan Stolz. 

Observing the presentation, more than once I thought to myself, this is actually pretty good. Most of my friends and family are aware of my POVs on the administrations 45 and 47, but the event seemed to break from some norms that usually get under my skin. 

Even after the event, a grizzled Press Corp. veteran near me commented to colleagues, "That was about the best Trump event of this term," in that his warmth for Team USA seemed heartfelt. 

Anyone can draw their own conclusions with the full video provided by The White House:

Two other observations stood out from the experience. 

First, while every Olympian is worthy of brand name status, noticeably many of Team USA's most recognized champions -- think Alysa Liu, Mikaela Shiffrin, Erin Jackson, Elana Meyers Taylor or Lindsey Vonn -- were absent, which was partially explained through on background remarks: "Those [athletes] unable to attend are already back training for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, reinforcing the continuous pursuit of excellence that defines Team USA."

Of Team USA's total 232 Olympians and 72 Paralympians for Milano Cortina, approximately 120 to "nearly half" (sources varied) attended the evening and the day's Athlete Summit organized by the USOPC. The men's hockey team visited The People's House in February, so their roster of athletes did not return, and two of the women's hockey champions -- Abbey Murphy and Joy Dunne, attended in place of the full roster. 

Second, in one of the brief instances when the president did veer off script (minutes 10 to 13 of the video), his remarks about "saving women's and college sports" drew a curious mix of athlete eyerolls or raised eyebrows or glares toward their feet, juxtaposed with a few fellow Olympians expressing nods of approval or brief applause. I was unable to see the reaction of Olympic champion Donna de Varona, seated with Sykes with their backs to the press tribune, given her leadership role with Women's Sports Policy Working Group. 

A shorter Trump improvisation I nicknamed "the FIFA nod" followed around minute 14, earning some confused looks, but soon thereafter there was a return to robust applause as the president delivered apt shout-outs to Utah 2034 and LA28 as upcoming home-turf opportunities for Team USA to shine. 

Then following a presentation of a team jacket and custom shoes delivered by six-time Paralympic skier Laurie Stephens and bobsled's Frank Del Duca, the president invited the athletes to follow him to the Oval Office for photo opps and to receive a special White House coin minted in their honor. 

Patiently waiting for the all-clear to exit the East Room, I chatted up some of the Olympic sponsor reps in the room, eventually trading a few five-ringed Calgary '88 Jeep pins for Milano Cortina skate pins from Deloitte, a sweet new palm tree LA28 pin from Cisco, and the most coveted jewel of the experience: Team USA's 2026 White House Visit pin, this time a 1.5-inch blue square (it was only later I noticed the designer's likely AI-enabled flaws including too many ground level arches and too few doors illustrating the mansion's south face). 

And maybe 10 minutes later, back in the Press Briefing Room, they called "lid" -- the lingo for the president's official appearances du jour coming to a close. With a brief thunderstorm raging outside, several reporters stayed for the showers to clear, thankful the East Room ceremony was a fun and dry success, moved at the last minute from the newly paved Rose Garden. 

Who could resist another pose at the podium?

The walk back to the hotel included a nice surprise. Waiting to cross H Street after exiting Lafayette Square, Team USA came into view again at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters, site for an afterglow gathering of VIP athletes and Team USA sponsors. 

Walking toward the main entry, the first bus of athletes simultaneously arrived, a jackpot of conversations and more pin exchanges, and peeks at the White House coins (unfortunately, my camera did not capture one, but a view is available here via skeleton athlete Austin Florian's Instagram). It was fun to briefly chat again with speedskaters Sarah Warren and Stolz, who seemed to recall our Olympic Village conversations and pin swaps of February (Sarah also encourages fans to attend the upcoming Long Track World Cup qualifying competitions at Pettit Center in Milwaukee and elsewhere, as listed by U.S. Speedskating). 

I also enjoyed a slightly longer post-event conversation with bobsledder Sophia Kirkby, the athlete who made her own ceramic pins as traders and gifts at the Cortina Olympic Village. She seemed genuinely pleased to receive a ceramic Olympic item my sister and I created last Christmas, and Kirkby was generous in gifting us two of her newest designs before answering some questions about July 4 travels for USA 250, her recent "engagement" and other dating adventures as celebrated on her Instagram, and the extent to which grief is a powerful force in life. 

My sincere wish is she'll be open to an extended interview about these and other topics on her journey to Alpes 2030.  

Image credits: Still from "All The President's Men" via Warner Bros.; all other photos by Nicholas Wolaver may not be used or reposted/reprinted without written permission. 

Gracie Gold Gets Real with Page-Turning Autobiography "Outofshapeworthlessloser"

There's a dose of ominous foreshadowing in the table of contents to Gracie Gold's new autobiography "Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out."

Arranged in four parts, the 329-page bestseller includes chapters ranging from "Perfect Obsession" and "Four Is the Loneliest Number" to "Failed Anorexic" and a nod to another dark page-turning literary work (and soundtrack to a skating performance), "East of Eden." 

As reported by initial critical reviews for the book titled after one of Gold's self-disparaging nicknames or personas, her work includes vivid and frank details of life experiences the 28-year-old endured and from which she continues to heal. Anorexia, OCD, pill popping and alcohol abuse populate the club flush of crud and wild Jokers on the table for readers to ponder.  

Gold's mostly no-holds-barred perspectives about U.S. Figure Skating and the unglamorous (often ugly) behind-the-scenes realities of international figure skating competitions also are in full view. Her take on recent doping revelations is aptly stern. She also alleges a rape at the hands of a fellow competitor, references her bisexuality, and delves into nearly three decades of family secrets including her parents and fellow athlete twin sister. 

Impressed (or distressed) the morning after a full read, I described to friends that "Outofshapeworthlessloser" is akin to "watching a slow-motion train wreck or seemingly avoidable car crash" for the narrative's "ability to inspire both gasps and cringes amid an irresistible desire to keep watching, err, reading" with "reader remorse at an inability to take the wheel, inspiring one to holler out, as in a horror movie screening, 'Stop, girl, don't go near there!' or similar when the protagonist in danger is about to make a terrible decision."  

The book also inspired some rabbit hole searches of social media archives to view past posts, images or videos and competition footage referenced by Gold. 

While she did not specifically reference the 2014 Team USA Media Summit at which I reported on her ascent to the Sochi Olympics, Gold did describe her experiences at the 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships from which this blogger posted interviews. Some of her harshest on-ice self-flogging is revealed in a chapter describing the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston. 

There are some light moments, too, that brought a smile or chuckle to this reader. Gold's wry sense of humor shines through some of her interactions with coaches or media. In an early chapter, while detailing work with a youth skating coach nicknamed Cruella, Gold punctuates several paragraphs of verbal abuse with this gem:

"When Cruella lashed out at me, I lashed back louder. Anger was my protection. It got back to me years later that Cruella told people she had always known I'd become a star. I call bullshit! She was doing her best to humiliate me. Or maybe she didn't like me because I stood up to her."

On a more serious note, Gold continues while aptly taking to task the notion of coaching as a bully.

"The years I spent with Cruella normalized the kind of controlling behavior that even if it produces positive results on the ice, can be ruinous to a child's personal development."

Readers may find joy through the Olympian's interactions with Taylor Swift (they baked cookies together) or descriptions of collaboration with sponsors including cosmetics brand CoverGirl. 

In the realm of funny-not funny, Gold describes some of the name-punctuated headlines published to preview Sochi 2014. 

"I remember someone tweeting out to me, 'If I hear one more Gracie Gold headline, I'm going to scream.' And I was like, 'Me too, bud.' It was enough to make me start wishing for a new name. Stacy Silver or Bonnie Bronze, anyone?"

Gold's dry wit also shines in the Chapter 23, in which "chest size and its impact on exercise is absolutely a conversation worth starting." While several notes echoed remarks of female friends who, like Gold, opted for breast reduction surgery, I found the author's self-deprecating comparisons to Charles Schulz drawings -- and her inventive use of (one-time PR client'o'mine) KT Tape -- both original and funny (back in the day, we never had Gold's method in KT press materials). 

The only letdown from "Outofshapeworthlessloser" was Gold's restraint from sharing more than a few sentences about another professional mental health diagnosis: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), buried on page 246. 

Like Gold, my attention-deficit diagnosis arrived in my mid-20s, and upon reading her disclosure I was eager to learn the treatment options or behavior modifications she chose, only to find a succinct reference that she is "on medication for it" without specifics (for moi, decidedly drug-free and it worked/works when you work it, though it's compelling to admit it took me over two weeks sidelined by countless Instagram scrolls to find focus and complete this book review post).

Juxtaposed with comparative oversharing around other wellness challenges, Gold's omission of ADHD details inspired a wave of questions, starting with the extent to which her physicians or therapists place ADHD as the deepest roots of the battery of her other mental health diagnoses. In my case, the hypochondriac on my shoulder labeled, or mislabeled, a lot of "stuff" that more recent therapists consistently trace back to ADD of youth. 

As her childhood memories fill the early pages of "Outofshapeworthlessloser," Gold describes persistent restlessness. If ice hockey was among her parents' attempted remedies for channeling her boundless energy, can Gold relate to other kids' ADD-ness enlightened by her adult experiences? Guess we'll have to find out in her mid-life or later life follow-up books after planting her ADHD "sea legs" on thick ice. 

Since interview requests for Gold went unanswered by her publicity team, I turned to another source for insights: Karen Crouse, Gold's seldom-cited "Outofshapeworthlessloser" ghost writer. 

As of this March 12 post, only two other book reviewers mentioned Crouse by name. 

Via email, Crouse affirmed my hunch that only Gold could speak more about her ADHD management and the reasons for sparsely addressing the topic. It's perhaps too recent a diagnosis or it's simply not as page-turning urgent as other mental health challenges, from my view.

Crouse also was generous in explaining how she tackled the "Outofshapeworthlessloser" project and when she started the writing on Gold's initiative.

"I signed (gladly) a contract that stated I would ghostwrite Gracie's book and that my name would not appear on the cover or title page," wrote Crouse in a Feb. 26 email response. "I had no issue with that arrangement ... it was plenty good enough for me."

Crouse continued that, "My satisfaction was wholly and richly derived from the collaborative process. I loved the work. From the time I spent talking with Gracie for a 2019 New York Times profile, I suspected that this project would be interesting and profound, with great potential to help many readers who recognize themselves in the challenges [Gold] has faced."

According to Crouse, once a proposal and contract got formalized, the collaboration hastened in early 2022 with "at least three" in person visits as well as phone conversations "at least twice a month ... recorded and that I transcribed myself so I could get a feel for Gracie's vocabulary and speech patterns." 

Rounds of drafts later, the lion's share of work concluded last July. Crouse also volunteered background on the foundation for the text.

"It was Gracie's choice to lay bare her soul in the pages," wrote Crouse. "She told me before I signed on ... that she didn't want 'another fluffy sports memoir' and that was all I needed to hear as I had no interest in hagiography.

"From the start I simply asked the necessary questions to develop and deepen the narrative," Crouse added. "[Gold] provided the compelling stories that I, in concert with our editor, crafted into a coherent - hopefully - structure." 

Gold closes the book's acknowledgements "To Matt Inman for the edits" shortly after a dedication "To Karen Crouse for going on this journey ... and helping me write a better memoir than I could have ever dreamed possible." 

For anyone who can't get enough of Gold's perspectives, Crouse also helped the skater with a thoughtful and timely Olympic figure skating commentary published in The Cut during the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. 

"Outofshapeworthlessloser" is an absorbing read that inspires questions, sheds light in dark corners of international skating, and leaves readers with optimism for Gold's future on or off the ice. No matter the degree to which readers manage ADD, they may find themselves hyper-focused on learning the Olympian's lifetime of hard work. 

As of this post, there are no publicized book signing events in the weeks ahead, but Gold may appear at November's 8th edition of "Scott Hamilton & Friends" in Nashville (where she performed in 2022 and 2023) -- details are posted at this link during summer months.  

Book cover provided by Crown Publishing with book design by Caroline Cunningham. All other images -- except of Karen Crouse's Instagram profile image -- are photos copyright Nicholas Wolaver and may not be published nor reposted without written advance permission. 

Tommie Smith's Life and Olympic Feats Get Graphic Novel Treatment in Page-Turner "Victory. Stand!"

On Oct.16, 1968, in Mexico City, three Olympians became global icons. 

In the decades since, the medals won by Team USA's Tommie Smith and John Carlos, with Australia's Peter Norman -- and their actions during the ceremony while officials hoisted the "The Star-Spangled Banner" -- were revisited and replayed countless times through film, broadcast specials, print media and, eventually, online. 

Now for the first time, Smith's life and gold medal feat have gotten a graphic novel treatment on the pages of "Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice" co-created with best-selling author Derrick Barnes and award-winning comic artist Dawud Anyabwile. 

Just days following its Sept. 27 release, the book earned a contender spot as finalist for the 2022 National Book Award for young people's literature, with other accolades via The New York Times Book Review and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Much like Smith's on-track surge to set a 200m world record, "Victory. Stand!" and its compelling messages are likely to capture gold. 

The 208-page glossy volume opens at the starting blocks of the Olympic track but quickly pivots to Smith's hardscrabble childhood with 11 siblings in rural Texas. 

Readers learn Smith's memories of stern and faithful parents, who eventually relocated the family to California as part of the Great Migration. Through the first two chapters (about 100 pages) the narrative toggles from youthful observations back to the on-track action, relating childhood milestones as context for Mexico City's play-by-play. 

At a book signing event in an activities room of Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church last week, about 50 attendees listened as Anyabwile, Barnes and Smith share details of their creative process, which commenced in 2018, in step with a High Museum of Art exhibition honoring 50 years since Mexico City. 

Barnes, who previously wrote over 10 youth books including "The King of Kindergarten" and "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut," described Smith's "excited conversations like an uncle telling a great story" at Smith's home, later inspiring Barnes to engage an illustrator selection process. 

Anyabwile was a natural No. 1 choice given his Cartoon Network and other Turner Studios accolades as well as previous artistic expertise on another Olympian-centric graphic novel in 2020, "Becoming Muhammad Ali." 

Both the illustrator and writer said they grew up with photos or posters of Smith as "a fixture without context" and the collaboration "added context to [Smith's] family life and upbringing."

During the signing portion of last week's event, I asked Anyabwile the most challenging aspect of the project to illustrate, and he turned to Chapter Two's double truck opener portraying horrors of racism from hooded KKK members with torches igniting a cross to a lynched father, an indication this book for young readers does not sugarcoat the many struggles for Blacks before, during and since the Civil Rights Movement. Should this book include a "parental guidance" suggestion, I wondered, as several pages portray adult decisions. 

But part of the point to the book, Barnes stated, is to inspire family conversations. And "Victory. Stand!" does encourage thoughtful discussion of history, racism, faith, focus and when, where and how to take a meaningful stand for what's right. 

Later study of Anyabwile's beautiful images also yielded a full-page celebration of Queta Basilio, the Team Mexico Olympic hurdler chosen as the first woman to ignite the Olympic cauldron. Other Olympians including Bob Beamon and LeBron James also enjoy Anyabwile's excellent artistry, which he explained is drawn electronically. 

For this blogger the most compelling section of "Victory. Stand!" is Chapter Three's "Metamorphosis" of Smith from small town athlete to Olympic and world record contender while studying at San Jose State University. Though I met Smith hours after his 2016 White House visit and later interviewed him at the High, later watching documentaries or reading more about his silent protest, these previous interactions did not fill in the blanks as to his becoming Tommie Smith. 

Reading "Victory. Stand!" also added context to the Olympic Project for Human Rights of which Smith was a key participant. The book draws attention to the International Olympic Committee's hardline stance against protests and comes full circle with contemporary athlete protests inspired by Smith's stand. 

Unavoidable-for-me Nick-, er, nitpicking, did yield minor errors I think occurred only by accident in the illustration process, or via honest copy editor mistakes. One page highlighting the 1968 Olympic Trials includes the jumbo screen installed at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1984 but no Olympic cauldron of 1932, the latter perhaps omitted for the scene to fit the page. 

Also, Basilio's torch and cauldron moment have no flames, and the medal stand on which Smith and Carlos raised their gloved fists is drawn with erroneous Olympic rings that are "smushed" or "crowded" horizontally linking what would be blue-black-red and/or yellow-green rows. The rings appear correctly in other two- or three-dimensional images throughout the book.

Readers will likely savor the variety of comic techniques from intricately drawn "ink" splatters to fine lines and detailed Ben Day dots. I am eager to read other works by the trio of authors. 

As the audience Q&A wrapped, I asked Smith when he thought a turning point occurred in the public's perception of his human rights salute. His response did not acknowledge a specific time nor date range, but he said that at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's recently installed leadership "women turned it" and from his vantage the IOC still has not. 

"Still battling. A continual battle," Smith said. 

Image credits: Book cover via W.W. Norton & Co. Other images by Dawud Anyabwile inside "Victory. Stand!" Book event photos by Nicholas Wolaver except the group photo below snapped, with Wolaver's thanks, by Delois Jordan Smith.

Never Promised A Rose Garden, 600+ Team USA Olympians & Paralympians Visit One At White House

Continuing a decades-long tradition, The White House formally hosted Team USA’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes of Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 on Wednesday morning. 

The gathering was a well-organized, grand celebration of America's best, delivering fun memories for all on the scene. 

Approaching 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on foot, positive vibes channeled with sounds of a military marching band (playing a five-ringed John Williams medley) and sights of aptly-branded "Chariots for Hire" buses from which arriving athletes descended. 

When the musicians performed "One Moment In Time" as media waited by the West Wing, I was beaming, sensing the day might be enough of a consolation prize for missing two pandemic Olympiads.

For this blogger, this third time visit was a charmer in terms of stepping "on campus" (lingo of those employed there) at the Executive Residence. 

Previously, I posted from the October visit following Rio 2016 hosted by the Obamas and the comparatively muted festivities of April following PyeongChang 2018 with many of the Clown Car (err, Insane Clown Posse?) cabinet members of that era in attendance. 

All three events took place on overcast days, with 2016's gathering in one of the ballrooms and 2018's remarks delivered under the North Portico. 

The May 5 ceremony, held on the South Lawn of the Executive Residence, was perhaps the first in history to include competitors of both summer and winter Olympiads together with over 600 uniformed athletes filling a temporary grandstand. 

Hundreds of invited guests including family members of attending sportspersons -- as well as several dozen White House correspondents or visiting Olympic media -- also enjoyed remarks by President Joe Biden, first lady and five-time bobsleigh medalist Elana Meyers Taylor. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff also attended, receiving with the Bidens a set of special uniforms and shoes presented by the Olympians and Paralympians. A brief clip featuring the national anthem performed live is here:

“The Bidens are a big sports family, and we love watching the Olympics,” said President Biden after brief remarks by the first lady, who led the Team USA delegation in Japan. “Jill came home from Tokyo, all she could do was talk about you all constantly. You think I'm kidding – I'm not!”

Though he was playing for laughs, Biden was serious about his Games-time fandom. Similar to the FLOTUS, as vice president, Biden led a Team USA delegation to Vancouver 2010 (my first of several converging paths with Joe). 

On Wednesday the president also expressed appreciation for the uniting spirit the athletes provide, citing 18 U.S. military veterans among the 2020 and 2022 competitors. He also noted the challenges of COVID-19 navigated on the journeys to Tokyo and Beijing. 

“The pandemic made training and competing especially difficult and draining, but you did it,” said Biden. “You all did it, and we were in awe not just of your incredible athleticism but your endurance and your state of mind -- but most of all your character.  You all have such incredible character.”

“As a team … we’ve been through a lot,” said Meyers Taylor. “We came together, and we persevered, and we hope we’ve made this country proud.”

As she spoke, I reminisced about meeting Meyers Taylor in Sochi, her second stop along the journey to become the most decorated Black Winter Olympian and the most decorated female Olympic bobsledder. 

Opting to maintain a celebratory tone for the occasion, during their South Lawn remarks, the president and first lady did not mention Olympians of other nations—such as the unresolved Russian doping controversies of Beijing 2022 that prevented medal presentations for the figure skating team competition—nor world events such as the Russo-Ukrainian War. 

Also unmentioned: Team USA’s two-time women’s Olympic basketball champion and WNBA center Brittney Griner, who was detained for allegedly possessing vape pen cartridges with hashish oil upon arrival at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17. 

In an interview with USA Today published Monday, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said the organization supports efforts to hasten Griner’s return stateside. 

Speaking of the national Gannett newspaper, I wound up spending most of the ceremony in proximity to legendary sports columnist Christine Brennan—a fellow May 14 birthday celebrant—and she kindly swapped Games-time stories of 1984 to present while newsgathering for her column and also introducing other reporters and Olympic figure skating champion Sarah Hughes (thanks, Christine!).

In a media scrum at a White House visit countdown event on Monday, Hirshland also called for sporting sanctions of Russia, according to the Washington Post Olympic reporter Les Carpenter, who was also reporting from the South Lawn. 

No basketball athletes from USA attended Wednesday’s South Lawn event, according to a list distributed to media by The White House Press Office. Also absent: Shaun White, Mikaela Shiffrin, Simone Biles, soccer stars and A-listers of track and field. 

The festive mood and camaraderie, however, seemed to bestow many with all the feels. 

Over in the Rose Garden, tables were stacked with healthy snacks, and some athletes posted selfies or other photos and videos including an impromptu dance from ground floor rooms of the Executive Mansion, revealing some interiors illuminated in red and blue. 

After the president’s South Lawn remarks, the Bidens and the vice president remained with the athletes for several minutes to shake hands, share congratulatory messages and pose for photos. 

We spotted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki uncharacteristically fangirling with a few Olympic stars (believe it, I was also star-struck, but then again, "When in Rome ..." or "When on The White House campus" applies, yes?).  

Soon after Wednesday’s gathering, pole vault champion Katie Nageotte shared videos online, captioned with the message, “White House visit with Team USA! Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

In some ways, the post-event wind-down created the most impactful and funny moments of the experience. 

In addition to brief intros with Hughes and Olympic beach volleyball champion April Ross, Olympians Katie Ledecky, Reggie Jagers III, monobob champion Kaillie Humphries and figure skating medalist Vincent Zhou each worked the rope line with reporters. 

The nicest surprise was a brief reunion with Olympic diver Katrina Young. 

A few days after her Olympic debut in Rio, we first met in a crowd of wishful fans vying to talk our way into the men's basketball final with only our Games credentials. Equally ticketless, she made it to the game. Sadly, I did not. 

Months later, recalling that brief introduction, we got acquainted at the Team USA Gala for 2016 Olympians in Washington the night before each of our first visits to The White House. We both got in the building that time, but by earning her Olympian status, only Young got to sit in the rooms where it happens. It was fun to reconnect in person after occasional Facebook Messenger or Instagram messages during the pandemic. 

There was also a renewal of Olympic joy—severely depleted by the pandemic's many challenges—in the form of a few pin trades, including the hot design du jour given to White House visitors by the USOPC in patriotic, high-quality cloissone (see photo). 

If only the designers at pin manufacturer HONAV could get the Olympic rings on these Team USA designs! 

And finally, the day provided a return visit to the James Brady Press Briefing Room, the theater/workroom for many of the nation's best reporters and publicists/political advisers-turned-press secretaries. I have a lot of respect for Psaki restoring professionalism and decency to this hallowed ground, and was hoping to shake her hand and tell her so. 

As it turned out, the Team USA visit delayed the afternoon's scheduled briefing, creating a short window for me to instead strike a pose, all in good fun. My caption on social channels was, "Psaki was at lunch, so ..." 

Quoting Nageotte again, "Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, here's hoping this horseplay avoided inspiring placement of my name on future no-entry lists, and that additional Olympic reporters may enjoy Team USA visit to The White House down the road.

According to The White House Historical Association, U.S. Olympic athletes have visited the mansion as far back as 1924, with a Team USA delegation from Tokyo 1964 among the earliest-cited full-team ceremonies hosted by a sitting president. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt hosted members of the U.S. Olympic team of London at his “Summer White House” home on the north shore of Long Island, N.Y. 

Earlier in the week I was hopeful the team at Keep The Flame Alive might be able to attend on the heels of their first in-person Games reporting from Beijing. Though there are no promises of a rose garden, in conversation we concured next time is a must!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver. Portions of this post were first published by Around The Rings on May 5. 

Out - Not Down - About Dashed Tokyo Olympiad

July 15 turned out better than anticipated, but not as hoped. 

Woke up to find one client in the news in Atlanta, and another on live TV in Orlando. Great news!

Before breakfast, also learned a third client's July 6 appearance in The New York Times got picked up by a statewide Texas outlet for a nice bonus hit. And a longtime friend met at the Atlanta Olympics of 1996 sent word of his safe arrival in Japan, where he's assisting Team Australia as a driver. More great news!

Even lunch provided surprises at Midtown Atlanta's reimagined Colony Square, where it was fun to discover the re-installed mural by Alexander Calder (a neighborhood personal favorite) and explore the new food court, where sake but not sushi was spotted. 

But throughout the day I was prepped to manage moodiness. For Thursday was supposed to be the date of departure for my twelfth Olympics. 

Cue a favorite Kevin Kline line from "A Fish Called Wanda" -- DISAPPOINTED!

Sadly, I didn't fly to Japan as envisioned for nearly three months. Given the tragedy of the global pandemic, getting to Tokyo was always a long shot still worth a shot. 

The first rising sun ray of hope arrived from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee press office team in April when, after organizers in Japan announced no international spectators could attend, a show-stopping email revealed that a friend at another Olympic-centric news outlet returned a coveted accreditation spot, creating a last minute/last day option for my renewed application. 

And just like that, I was credentialed as media for Tokyo! When the accreditation arrived by mail ... that was an exceptionally good day. 

A couple weeks later, on my birthday, another email arrived with detailed instructions, checklists and the latest Tokyo 2020 "Playbook" for media. Everything seemed to be shaping up better than hoped. Optimism was in abundance -- just needed to closely study that Playbook!

This is where things got messy because, in the last two weeks of May, an extraordinary volume of client work arrived, daily filling my schedule and depleting mental bandwidth for Olympic tasks. 

Though my corrected hotel reservation and airfare purchases got checked off the list after work hours, I naively told myself there'd be time to tackle detailed Tokyo 2020 planning -- specifically, the minutiae on the extensive checklist required to board a plane booked for July 15 -- during Memorial Day. 

It was only on that designated three-day weekend that a fatal mistake came to light in that I missed a critical May deadline to register for a specific Tokyo 2020 COVID-related website. The needed link provided tools for DIY management of all required approvals needed later in the month. I was effectively locked out of the Tokyo 2020 travel approval process, with only myself to blame. 

For the first two weeks of June, optimism returned with each deployed email seeking assistance. And some messages earned timely and helpful or encouraging responses. I thought a key contact with "the magic link" might share it. For reasons still unknown, that didn't happen. 

By June 20: Panic. June 30: Sleeplessness. And when Independence Day rolled around, my girlfriend, family members, longtime confidants and Olympic circle friends were equally exhausted hearing my worries. 

Around July 10 -- having attempted every option I could conceive, or acting on well-intentioned suggestions or referrals of others -- denial was converting to disappointed (and drained, albeit reluctant) acceptance of the inevitable. On July 15, the plug was pulled.

And as Murphy's Law would dictate, on what date did some of the previously "ghosting" approval players emerge like the cicada's of 2021 (Olympic cicadas?). 

Hint: July 16-17!

DISAPPOINTED!

Perhaps it's time to change the adage to Nick Wolaver's Law. Very disappointed. 

In spite of the rip saw of mixed emotions, I do look forward to a few things about to take place. 

First, it is delightful that perseverance and persistence kept Tokyo 2020 on track. Olympians are in the athlete village. Performers are rehearsing for amazing Opening Ceremony reveals. The successful and inspiring Torch Relay is winding down. It's going to be a remarkable Olympiad. 

Second, both of the Olympic media pins designed for this blog should arrive at my doorstep tomorrow, and I can hardly wait to start trading them. One badge features Tokyo's Olympic mascot, while the other reveals my pop culture icon pick for the final Olympic torchbearer to light the cauldron next week.

Third, CoSport informed me of Olympic ticket refunds issued to my address. First time "the check is in the mail" had a five-ringed resonance. 

Fourth, the aforementioned five-ringed friend who landed in Japan yesterday will be visiting the Main Press Center at Tokyo Big Sight on Saturday to seek assistance for my final (and ever-hopeful) ace up my sleeve to get to the Games of the XXXIInd Olympiad during the second week of competition. Turns out those infuriatingly overdue July 16-17 emails DID give me what was needed to renew paperwork to attain travel approval. Fingers crossed.

Finally, if this one-last-shot for Tokyo still fails to materialize, with the ticket refund cash, I have some tours de magie conceived to deliver an experience magnifique des Jeux Olympique by August 8. 

Stay tuned!

For those who've supported the Tokyo journey described above, thank you. And thanks also for reading and sharing this site in the days ahead. It's going to be an inspiring Games. 

Photo of Tokyo Big Sight via Xinhua News of China; Haneda Airport photo via Indian Express; Olympic accreditation photo by Nicholas Wolaver; airline photo via JAL; Team Australia softball players' arrival image by Issei Kato POOL/AFP via Getty Images; torch relay photo via InsideTheGames.biz. Maraitowa image via Olympics.org.