Olympic Diary - Day Six, Feb. 13, 2002
Baylor University graduate Erika Snoberger, who is covering all speed skating events for the U.S. Olympic Committee at the Winter Olympics, is filing a daily diary with Baylor Public Relations, as she experiences the "shining moments" that only the Games can provide.
Day Six, Feb. 13, 2002
Whew! Today was long! We had both long track and short track events today and even though I had another person cover long track for me, it was still hectic!
Today at the Salt Lake Ice Center, Apolo Anton Ohno debuted in the men's 1000m and 5000m relay. He is definitely the fastest American speedskater and probably the fastest in the world. If anyone has the chance to watch short track on TV, I highly recommend it. The individual events are good, but the relays are awesome. They're so exciting - 16 total guys (or girls) tagging off, racing each other around a rink the size that hockey is played on - it's wild! The Korean team got DQ'd in the relay because of an "illegal pass."
When it happened, the Korean skater and an Italian skater went flying into the side wall (these guys are skating around 30 mph) and the Korean had to be taken out on a stretcher, in a head brace! It's exciting, but a dangerous sport at times.
The men's events today were all preliminary races and no U.S. women made it to the final round in today's short track event.
The media section at the short track venue is adjacent to the "friends and family" section (hopefully that is self-explanatory) and when I looked up a row and across the aisle, there was Todd Eldredge, a U.S. figure skater! Then, when I was leaving the venue, I saw Tim Goebel (another U.S. figure skater) about 10 feet away! That was today's brush with greatness.
I am trying to hunt down some tickets for a Medals Plaza event. There are concerts there every night, and I would like to see at least one. Our office often gets last minute tickets, so I am hopeful. Tonight, everyone went to see the Barenaked Ladies perform, but I had to stay and write my speedskating story! Oh well, there are always those exchanges. As my first non-speedskating event, I am going to try to catch some of the first round of women's bobsled. But for now, I am really tired, so I am going to bed!
Erika