Velodrome Training

Today we worked at the Velodrome again, we had to be there at 11 so we left around 9 o'clock and were half an hour early, so we are still figuring it all out. The train was very crowded this morning, so I didn't get a seat until the last couple of stops, oh well.

The final touches of the velodrome seem to be coming together nicely! The 'look and feel' has really been put into it! The actual velodrome has been done for a while, I just mean all the media items, posters and things.

Today we were standing on the bottom part of the track getting the races explained to us by a journalist we are working with and it hit me, I am at the Olympics!!!! It has really just seemed like I have been in Beijing but looking around and being in a venue and seeing "Beijing 2008" posted everywhere with some Chinese music playing it actually made it really! It is SO cool to be able to see where everything is going. We get to stand by the medal podium, inside the platform by the start line where the officials will be, we get to walk on the track (the lower part where the bikes don't race). In a few days we won't be able to but it is just so cool to be at these places where in a few weeks hardly anyone will be!

Track Cycling is one of the main events at the Olympics and also one of the oldest, it has been apart of the games since 1896 when the first modern Games where held. The atmosphere in the sold out velodrome is going to be amazing! I am very excited to be there!

For the first week the two journalists (one from Australia and one Holland) will be at road cycling, so WE will have the chance to write stories! If we come up with good ideas, find the athletes, interview them during their training and can write a clear, concise, good story then we have the chance to! I don't have very much experience with sports writing, I did a little in high school but it hardly amounts to anything, so I don't know if I will write a story or not, but we will see!

Today we also worked our way through the INFO2008 system, which has all the info on the events, sports and athletes and plenty of stats. So we looked up some of the hopefuls and of course I stalked Michael Phelps and some other well-known athletes. This is an intranet system so this info isn't available but on the computers at the venues! It's fun to type in people's last names and see if there are any athletes competing with the same name. There is one guy with the last name Myles-Mills (I think), but he is an African from Ghana, so I don't think we are related.

We also got out uniforms!! I am so excited! We have to wear them now so people are going to look at us even more! There are only 2,000 international volunteers and I have yet to see any of them. People often read our accreditation cards while we ride on the subway. I have had some people grab it to get a better view and I just want to say, "um... excuse me!?!" But oh well, it makes me feel kind of important, haha. I am excited but nervous about all the training that's on the way! We will be training now from Monday - Friday until the Games. I'll keep you all posted.