I will be writing up a few back-posts of events, ideas and adventures, as well as updating all posts with appropriate pictures taken and given of these Olympics. This is because I have a very small window in which I'm able to write before I fall asleep from exhaustion. I am sorry for the inconvenience.
Today was my third shift at Whistler Olympic Park, and the first day of competition at the ski jumping venue as athletes outside the top ten attempted to qualify for the medal round that is to happen tomorrow. Yes, there was official Olympic competition going on before the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver.
Ski Jumping venue at Whistler Olympic Park on Feb. 12th, 2010
As a press assistant, I was placed in the Mix Zone of the venue to help organize and aid the written press that was present to witness the event. My responsibilities were to keep the broadcasters from going where they should not, and distribute information regarding the event, whether it was start lists, results or releases.
The whole event went smoothly, with the only issue coming at the end, when the top athletes for the event were delayed 35 minutes at the broadcasting mix zone, and then as a result, the time consumed by the broadcasters left little time for the written press with the athletes.
The top 40 of those who needed to qualify would move onto tomorrow's medal event. One Korean jumper just barely made the cut. All three Canadians at the event however did fail to qualify, as a result of being overmatched and outclassed by the field, particularly by the Austrians.
It was only after the qualification event at ski jumping, when we had made our way back down to the Media Venue tent, that news began to filter in among the media, and by extension us volunteers of the tragedy that happened at the Whistler Sliding Center only hours before.
Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia, today at Whistler Sliding Centre crashed on the final turn of a training run this morning. He died in hospital soon after.
He was only 21 years old.
The place had become quiet. A few reporters came up to the press room help desk and asked our media relations supervisor if she knew the press attache of Georgia. We did not have their name. They asked if we knew of any Georgian reporters being present. There were none to our knowledge. Quickly, the press filtered out of the big media tent and off the facility, probably to chase the story where the information is easier to find. We were not able to do that. En masse, we were told not to speak to the reporters about the event and to simply refer them to the press conference at 1:30 PM. It was not our venue after all.
Wagging tongues right then would not have been appropriate anyway.
In a television in the press office, I listened into the conference with a cupped ear. I watched everyone on the panel express an array of distressing emotions as they formally announced his passing,trying to come to terms with the sobering effect it would have on the entire event and Games itself. But when the press attempted to seek out reasons, they were cast aside in the face of a serious investigation with both the Luge sport federation and the RCMP.
A few days ago, in the wake of the tragic death of the 21 year old son of Toronto Maple Leaf and The Team USA GM for ice hockey Brian Burke, I lashed out at one who made disparaging comments about its relevence to the game. I replied that in times of one's loss and personal sorrow, you realize that competition is meaningless. What is a hockey game when a parent has to bury their child, a fate none should need or have to experience? In these times, you gain a better understanding of why we value life, and why we value the human spirit.
Because it is our humanity that is truly at stake.
It is not the country's colours that you wear or the ranking you hold, but the heart and soul that you give towards achieving the best that a human can give. That is the true spirit of the Games. That is the true spirit of the Olympics.
My deepest condolensces to those Kumaritashvili called family, his friends, and the Georgian Olympic team for their most tragic loss today. May his spirit find peace in the message that all athletes will carry for you.
For a fantastically written piece of the tragedy go to:
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centre/newsid=39621.html
I think that this qualifies as a fantastically written piece. <3
ReplyDeleteLove the blog so far. Have a blast now that the games have started!