Diary
August 10, 2007
Dean Brenner
Team Leader, Chairman of the US Olympic Sailing Program
Greetings from hot, hazy and humid Qingdao, China. Most of the U.S. team has arrived in China for the 2007 Olympic Test Event, held exactly one year prior to next August’s Olympic Games. We are greeted by countdown clocks at every turn in Qingdao, and they remind us there are exactly 364 days left. This test event is a major regatta on the Olympic circuit and every country has sent their best athletes. Our team has been welcomed here with open arms by some very excited hosts.
As of this afternoon, most of our team has arrived at the venue sight to begin preparing for next week’s regatta. The rest of the team will arrive this weekend, and all of us will spend several days preparing for the racing, which begins on the 15th.
We have a great team here in China: 18 athletes sailing in 11 Olympic Classes. These sailors earned the right to be here by winning the US Sailing Team ranking system – all of them are ranked #1 in the U.S. in their respective classes.
The early days of an event like this require a great deal of unpacking and preparation. We have shipped significant amounts of boats and equipment half way around the world, and it will take a few days to get everything organized for a major event. In addition to our 18 athletes, we have 19 support staff here, covering a range of duties – coaches, physical trainers and medical support, weather forecaster, translator, boat wright and a team leader. Everyone has been busy these first few days, but this weekend our time will transition from unpacking and organization to practice and then eventually racing.
The Chinese people here in Qingdao are both fascinating and fascinated – with the sailors, themselves, as well as the spectacle of this Olympic Sailing event. They take notice of everything we do, and our hotel hosts seem extremely interested in our comings and goings from the hotel. They have someone in the lobby 24 hours a day, taking notes on when we arrive at and leave the hotel. Everyone likes to be the center of attention once in a while, but this is a little much!
But in all seriousness, the city is gearing up for a great Olympic Games next year. The number of volunteers who are helping with this event is mind-boggling… literally in the thousands. If the wind and sailing conditions measure up to the organization and excitement on shore, we’ll have a great Olympics.
That’s all for now. We’ll write more in the next day or so. In the meantime, please make sure to follow along with the event at www.ussailing.org/olympics/qingdao/qingdao.htm .
Sail fast,
Dean Brenner
Chairman, US Olympic Sailing Program
Team Leader, 2007 Olympic Test Event