The local connection

Today's post comes from the venue media center at Ariake Urban Sports Park. After a long bus ride back to the hotel from the arena just down the street last night (in which us passengers had to tell the driver how to find the hotel), it was back at it this morning with the hope of seeing a little BMX racing.

However, Mother Nature is currently dealing us a bit of a curve ball, as it has been raining for a while and the 10 a.m. scheduled start for the racing semifinals was bumped until at least 10:45 a.m. Obviously, as a creature of habit, this throws off my planned schedule, but I will hang out in the media center and hopefully see some action on the track in a little while.

Another reason to get to the track is to catch up with Alton's Dr. Tamara Lovelace, who is here as a doctor with the US Cycling Team, working at the BMX track. This is her first Olympic experience, though she has spent a few years now working for the tour traveling to various locations around the world. She also recently got added to the medical staff for Team USA for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics coming up in February.

I am always looking for the local connections to any sport. Earlier in the week I caught up with Hilary Gehman of Wolfeboro, a two-time Olympian herself who is now coaching the women's quads scull for Team USA and is in her first Olympics as a coach. I also got to chat via e-mail with three-time Olympian Gevvie Stone, who calls Massachusetts home, but has a great love for Camp Onaway on Newfound Lake. She spoke glowingly of her time at the camp, where she was a camper, a counselor and now teaches rowing and other water sports when she can.

Then there was another New Hampshire connection in Jessica Parratto of Dover, who came home with a strong silver medal performance with her partner in the 10M synchronized platform diving event earlier in the week. I was happy I got the chance to see that, as I entered the venue not expecting a medal performance and got to witness a great moment for the US team.

Coming up next week, more New Hampshire connections with St. Thomas graduate Rachel Schneider racing in the 5,000 meters and UNH star Elle Purrier St. Pierre racing in the 1,500 meters. I'm also planning on seeing the US men's basketball team take on the Czech Republic, a team that includes Brewster graduate Blake Schilb. Fellow Brewster alum Avi Schafer plays for the Japanese hoop team.

Thanks to everyone who has provided me with updates on any local connections to these Olympics, it helps to make them a little more interesting for me.

And, I've also been to a number of events that have no local connections. Softball, judo, weightlifting, volleyball, beach volleyball, swimming and more. It's fun just to see some sports that I may not see on a regular basis.

Now, if we could just get the rain to stop, that would be helpful.

Ariake Urban Sports Park is ready for some BMX racing action, though Mother Nature is proving difficult this morning.