The London Olympics 2012 Start Now!
It’s here. Tonight is the opening ceremonies of the London Summer Olympics 2012. I couldn’t sleep last night; it was like Christmas Eve.
John Williams’ score is in my head – you know it – Olympic Fanfare and Theme based on Leo Arnaud's “Bugler's Dream:” Bum bum bum bum-da-bum bum bum bum & doot-doot-doot-doot doo doo.
We will watch the United Kingdom’s response to China’s jaw-dropping opening. How will it start? The Queen in her jubilee year will open it but to what fanfare? Who will light the cauldron? What ancient rock stars will perform? Will non-Olympian, but rugby-hero and anti-bullying-advocate Ben Cohen be involved? (I think I’m only of handful who are thinking about Ben versus Beckham at the games.)
Starting 10 days out, I tweeted my favorite Olympic Moments of all time. For the sake of clarity, I’m repeating them here (but switching out the Winter Olympics moments for other Summer memories) for my personal top ten significant Summer Olympics moments.
10. Kerri Strug’s Gold Medal Vault. Atlanta, 1996.
Fresh out of college, I was living in my first apartment on my own and I was glued to the TV watching the Atlanta Olympics. It was the first Games on home turf since Los Angeles, and the first time when Russia, China and the US all vying for hardware in an American-hosted Olympics.
9. The US Boycott of the 1980 Olympics
This obviously is not favorite Olympics moment, but a significant one, that I wanted to add. As a seven year old, I didn’t understand politics or the difficulties in Afghanistan that still linger today. I did know that I wasn’t going to get to watch this magical sporting event that I only vaguely understood since the last Games occurred when I was three.
8. The Inaugural Women’s Marathon, Los Angeles, 1984
Do you remember the inaugural women’s marathon in LA in 1984? I remember being glued to my TV during the summer to watch as many events as my parents would allow. I recall Joan Benoit being one of the favorites and watching her start to edge out from Grete Waitz. She had a lead early one and won the Marathon definitively. Then the focus moved on to Switzerland’s Gabriela Andersen-Schiess. Suffering from fatigue and dehydration, Gabriela painfully entered Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There riveting issues was the debate about providing her medical aid immediately and subsequently disqualifying her or letting her finish and risking brain damage.
7. Carl Lewis Equaling Jesse Owens’ 1936 Performance, Los Angeles, 1984
Originally, I had ranked the US Entrance into Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, 1996, as one of significant memories. However as I was working to replace my Winter Olympics moments with Summer ones, I came across a rush of memories: Greg Louganis Accident and Redemption, Seoul, 1988; Zola Budd and Mary Decker Collision, Los Angeles, 1984; Juan Antonio Samaranch’s Final Closing Ceremony, Sydney, 2000, where he proclaimed, "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever." However, Carl Lewis and his feat of repeating Jesse Owens’ 1936 Berlin Performance, reminded us Americans, that we have the constant potential to be the best in the world if we only make that our goal.
6. Nadia Comăneci & her Perfect 10.0, Montréal 1976
This is my first vague memory of the Olympics – my parents who were recreational skiers back in the day had avidly watched the 1976 Winter Olympics, Innsbruck, Austria, in February. Married in January 1972, my mom and dad honeymooned in Innsbruck and felt an affinity for the games because they had been there four years prior. This excitement continued into July, and the Montréal were on the TV every evening. It is hazy, but I do remember the world’s reaction to the diminutive Romanian’s perfect score.
5. 2008 Drummers, Beijing, 2008
All eyes were on the Bird’s Nest, on August, 8, 2008 (8/8/08). The date was extremely auspicious as the number 8 is the Chinese lucky number, akin to our Western beliefs about the number 7. We all knew that Chinese had the human resources to out-maneuver, to out-perform and to out-shine any past Opening Ceremony. With the combination of edited reality in the form of CGI, lip-syncing, Han-only volunteers, Zhang Yimou and Zhang Jigang still awed the world with 2008 coordinated drummer pounding the heartbeat of the Games into a pulse racing rush.
4. Clepsydra, Athens, 2004
The games returned to Athens after the sting of the IOC awarding Atlanta the Centennial Olympics. I remember having a dream in 1997, just days before the IOC’s decision announcing the 2004 host that Athens would win the bid. (My dream including the originally bid’s logo, http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/27/1758/full/7015.gif, which I never recalled seeing before.) Finally the day had come for Greece to welcome the world home, and the pageantry was amazing. In movement of the Opening Ceremonies called Clepsydra, the water clock, The AOGOC visually told the world the complicated, tempestuous but beautiful history of Greece in a stunning parade with Eros giving his blessing.
3. Michael Phelps's 7th Gold, Beijing, 2008
I wasn’t alive for Mark Spitz. If I were, he would have made this list. However, Michael Phelps’s races were inspiring and collectively we wanted him to best Spitz, because then, we could show the world that America’s only completion is ourselves – not the Russians, not the Germans, not the Chinese. We truly are the only people who hold the bar so high for ourselves, and through diligence, we will surpass our expectations. I think that I held my breath during each lap, like my not consuming oxygen would help him (and regardless that the footage was televised about half a day later.) Hope and desire and fandom don’t always allow for reality to crash in.
2. Cathy Freeman’s Gold, Sydney, 2000
Ten days after setting the world on fire with the lighting of the Olympics Cauldron through the beautiful though-glitched water ignition, Cathy Freeman burned up the track in 400 meter final in front of a jubilant home-nation crowd.
Freeman won the Olympic title in a time of 49.13 seconds, becoming only the first Australian Aboriginal to win goal in a solo event. (Nova Peris-Kneebone won goal in for field hockey in Atlanta). After the race, Freeman took a victory lap, carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags, despite the fact that unofficial flags are banned at the Olympic Games. Though the Aboriginal flag is recognized as official in Australia, it is not a national flag and therefore not recognized by the IOC. However, her lap was without incident and the Aussies cheered her on.
1. Antonio Rebollo Igniting the Cauldron, Barcelona, 1996
In this one magical motion, Antonio Rebollo captured the imagination and awe of the globe; this lighting still gives me chills. This smooth, fluid act remains the pinnacle of all Olympic memories for me. In the climax of the ceremony, the paralympian lights the tip of his arrow from the Olympic torch and shoots it up into the gas floating above the cauldron – it erupts into flames – to the cheering throngs of athletics, coaches, supports and fans in the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
I hope that tonight’s ceremony adds many thrilling and awe-inspiring moments to my memories.
Happy Opening Ceremonies!
John Williams’ score is in my head – you know it – Olympic Fanfare and Theme based on Leo Arnaud's “Bugler's Dream:” Bum bum bum bum-da-bum bum bum bum & doot-doot-doot-doot doo doo.
We will watch the United Kingdom’s response to China’s jaw-dropping opening. How will it start? The Queen in her jubilee year will open it but to what fanfare? Who will light the cauldron? What ancient rock stars will perform? Will non-Olympian, but rugby-hero and anti-bullying-advocate Ben Cohen be involved? (I think I’m only of handful who are thinking about Ben versus Beckham at the games.)
Starting 10 days out, I tweeted my favorite Olympic Moments of all time. For the sake of clarity, I’m repeating them here (but switching out the Winter Olympics moments for other Summer memories) for my personal top ten significant Summer Olympics moments.
10. Kerri Strug’s Gold Medal Vault. Atlanta, 1996.
Fresh out of college, I was living in my first apartment on my own and I was glued to the TV watching the Atlanta Olympics. It was the first Games on home turf since Los Angeles, and the first time when Russia, China and the US all vying for hardware in an American-hosted Olympics.
9. The US Boycott of the 1980 Olympics
This obviously is not favorite Olympics moment, but a significant one, that I wanted to add. As a seven year old, I didn’t understand politics or the difficulties in Afghanistan that still linger today. I did know that I wasn’t going to get to watch this magical sporting event that I only vaguely understood since the last Games occurred when I was three.
8. The Inaugural Women’s Marathon, Los Angeles, 1984
Joan Benoit
Gabriela Andersen-Schiess
Do you remember the inaugural women’s marathon in LA in 1984? I remember being glued to my TV during the summer to watch as many events as my parents would allow. I recall Joan Benoit being one of the favorites and watching her start to edge out from Grete Waitz. She had a lead early one and won the Marathon definitively. Then the focus moved on to Switzerland’s Gabriela Andersen-Schiess. Suffering from fatigue and dehydration, Gabriela painfully entered Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There riveting issues was the debate about providing her medical aid immediately and subsequently disqualifying her or letting her finish and risking brain damage.
7. Carl Lewis Equaling Jesse Owens’ 1936 Performance, Los Angeles, 1984
Originally, I had ranked the US Entrance into Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, 1996, as one of significant memories. However as I was working to replace my Winter Olympics moments with Summer ones, I came across a rush of memories: Greg Louganis Accident and Redemption, Seoul, 1988; Zola Budd and Mary Decker Collision, Los Angeles, 1984; Juan Antonio Samaranch’s Final Closing Ceremony, Sydney, 2000, where he proclaimed, "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever." However, Carl Lewis and his feat of repeating Jesse Owens’ 1936 Berlin Performance, reminded us Americans, that we have the constant potential to be the best in the world if we only make that our goal.
6. Nadia Comăneci & her Perfect 10.0, Montréal 1976
This is my first vague memory of the Olympics – my parents who were recreational skiers back in the day had avidly watched the 1976 Winter Olympics, Innsbruck, Austria, in February. Married in January 1972, my mom and dad honeymooned in Innsbruck and felt an affinity for the games because they had been there four years prior. This excitement continued into July, and the Montréal were on the TV every evening. It is hazy, but I do remember the world’s reaction to the diminutive Romanian’s perfect score.
5. 2008 Drummers, Beijing, 2008
All eyes were on the Bird’s Nest, on August, 8, 2008 (8/8/08). The date was extremely auspicious as the number 8 is the Chinese lucky number, akin to our Western beliefs about the number 7. We all knew that Chinese had the human resources to out-maneuver, to out-perform and to out-shine any past Opening Ceremony. With the combination of edited reality in the form of CGI, lip-syncing, Han-only volunteers, Zhang Yimou and Zhang Jigang still awed the world with 2008 coordinated drummer pounding the heartbeat of the Games into a pulse racing rush.
4. Clepsydra, Athens, 2004
The games returned to Athens after the sting of the IOC awarding Atlanta the Centennial Olympics. I remember having a dream in 1997, just days before the IOC’s decision announcing the 2004 host that Athens would win the bid. (My dream including the originally bid’s logo, http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/27/1758/full/7015.gif, which I never recalled seeing before.) Finally the day had come for Greece to welcome the world home, and the pageantry was amazing. In movement of the Opening Ceremonies called Clepsydra, the water clock, The AOGOC visually told the world the complicated, tempestuous but beautiful history of Greece in a stunning parade with Eros giving his blessing.
3. Michael Phelps's 7th Gold, Beijing, 2008
I wasn’t alive for Mark Spitz. If I were, he would have made this list. However, Michael Phelps’s races were inspiring and collectively we wanted him to best Spitz, because then, we could show the world that America’s only completion is ourselves – not the Russians, not the Germans, not the Chinese. We truly are the only people who hold the bar so high for ourselves, and through diligence, we will surpass our expectations. I think that I held my breath during each lap, like my not consuming oxygen would help him (and regardless that the footage was televised about half a day later.) Hope and desire and fandom don’t always allow for reality to crash in.
2. Cathy Freeman’s Gold, Sydney, 2000
Ten days after setting the world on fire with the lighting of the Olympics Cauldron through the beautiful though-glitched water ignition, Cathy Freeman burned up the track in 400 meter final in front of a jubilant home-nation crowd.
Freeman won the Olympic title in a time of 49.13 seconds, becoming only the first Australian Aboriginal to win goal in a solo event. (Nova Peris-Kneebone won goal in for field hockey in Atlanta). After the race, Freeman took a victory lap, carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags, despite the fact that unofficial flags are banned at the Olympic Games. Though the Aboriginal flag is recognized as official in Australia, it is not a national flag and therefore not recognized by the IOC. However, her lap was without incident and the Aussies cheered her on.
1. Antonio Rebollo Igniting the Cauldron, Barcelona, 1996
In this one magical motion, Antonio Rebollo captured the imagination and awe of the globe; this lighting still gives me chills. This smooth, fluid act remains the pinnacle of all Olympic memories for me. In the climax of the ceremony, the paralympian lights the tip of his arrow from the Olympic torch and shoots it up into the gas floating above the cauldron – it erupts into flames – to the cheering throngs of athletics, coaches, supports and fans in the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
I hope that tonight’s ceremony adds many thrilling and awe-inspiring moments to my memories.
Happy Opening Ceremonies!
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