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| 2.4 Meter | Europe | 470 | Yngling | Tornado | ||
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2004 Olympic Diary
For the sixth time in his 24-year career
with US SAILING, Olympic Director Jonathan Harley is accompanying the
USA's Team to the Olympic Games. |
|
 August
13 – The schedule for the day of Opening Ceremonies kicked
off at 2:30 p.m. when USOC had a bus pick up any U.S. sailing athletes
in Glyfada, where most of our delegation is staying. Everyone had to be
in the Athlete’s Village dressed and ready to go by 4:00 p.m. when the
village closed. USA Team busses departed for the stadium at 6:09 p.m.
Once at the stadium the teams entered a “holding area” where they then
wait to march in – for the athletes from the USA until about 9:45 p.m.
when they marched in as the 57th country of 202 nations.
Immediately after the “parade of nations” athletes could choose to
depart, especially if they were to compete the next day. The whole
ceremony would not end until well after midnight, making it a long
10-hour day. In fact, I heard a rumor that the Australian Olympic
Committee had “forbidden” any athlete who was to compete on Saturday or
Sunday to march in the Opening Ceremony. I
had planned to watch Opening Ceremonies with my family on TV to enjoy a
much needed day off. My wife and daughter have finally joined me after
staying home the five previous Olympic Regattas. (They both have
volunteer jobs in the Sailing Media Center.) However, at the 11th
hour we received a phone call that one of the other NGBs had extra
tickets available for 100 euros each, so off we went. It was well worth
the last minute scramble, racing in a taxi to the area of the stadium
where many streets had been closed since early afternoon. In fact, all
of Athens was in “holiday mode” with stores and businesses shut down for
the day, leaving Athens eerily empty of both drivers and also
pedestrians. Some ticket holders had been advised to arrive three hours prior to the ceremony, which was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. We arrived in our seats, three rows from the top, at 7:30 p.m. The parade of athletes began at about 9:30 and took over two hours for the 202 countries to process in. Several times during the ceremonies “the wave” would go through the audience. Like a “seventh inning stretch,” it helped to shake out the kinks, catch the barely noticeable breeze, and keep awake! Sailing was very well represented in the parade of athletes, as the flag bearers from six countries (BRA, AUS, ARG, BER, AUT, and ITA) were well-known sailors. Greek native Nikos Kaklamanakis, the Windsurfing Gold Medallist from Savannah (’96), ignited the torch to a thunderous roar at the culmination of the evening -- the lighting of the Olympic flame that had traveled “home” for the return of the Games to their modern birthplace. 
These ceremonies were very different than any previous Opening Ceremonies that I have attended. The performances were imaginative, and included audience participation, and there was a display of ancient Greek culture and history. But the focus of the evening, as it should be, was on the athletes. |
