The Olympics... and beyond

Talk about a quick start. I got the e-mail saying that I had been approved for credentials for Milan-Cortina just about noon on Wednesday afternoon. With the e-mail came a form that we were told we had to fill out for Milan-Cortina, requesting access to the Accommodation Management System (AMS), which is where we book our rooms for the Olympic period. It also said that the form had to be filled out by today, Feb. 28, so I filled it out and sent it back as requested. I had made a few mistakes on the form (or accidental omissions) that the very helpful Milan-Cortina press team helped me fix. I had figured the form had to be filled out by today and we'd choose hotels in the next few weeks. However, as I read the e-mail they had sent, I realized that they actually needed the hotel requests by today. That sent me on a scramble, once my access to the AMS had been granted. Part of the trouble was that I didn't really know the transport plan for the Olympics and my access to the Milan-...

My last blog post just a few days ago tried to look forward with the idea that there would be no trip to the Winter Olympics next February and how I was adjusting my outlook and what things looked like moving toward 2026. As it turns out, that was all for naught. A few weeks of being bummed out and disappointed, unsure as to what was coming next and how to move forward is now in the past, as the e-mail came through on Wednesday afternoon just as I was leaving my Yum Yum Shop shift that I had been granted a credential for the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Along with the e-mail came a form to fill out that had to be submitted to the Milan-Cortina Organizing Committee as well as a short document about what we as media can expect when it comes to covering the games in Italy next February. As I had surmised even before I was turned down in my initial credential application, it will be very different covering these Olympics than the last three Winter Olympics that I have covered. In Sochi, Pyeong...

I've had a few weeks now to digest the gut punch that came when my credential application for the Milan-Cortina Olympics next February was not fulfilled. As someone who has been covering the Olympics for the last 10 years, it came as a surprise, but it was also a blow in other ways that I maybe hadn't thought of. First and foremost, after receiving the e-mail from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee that my credential application was not fulfilled, I e-mailed for a reason and they replied relatively quickly. They stated that they had fewer credentials available from the IOC than they had allocated in Beijing and they were only able to grant credentials to 77 outlets while more than 130 outlets applied for credentials. They also stated that they received twice as many credential requests than the number of credentials allotted to the USOPC by the International Olympic Committee. I get it. I was well aware when I put my name into the credential process more than 10 years ago ...

Eleven years, five Olympics. And that just may be the end of the road. Today I received an e-mail from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee stating that my credential application for Milan-Cortina 2026 had been denied and that I was put on the wait list. They stated that demand was high. To say I am disappointed and completely bummed out would be an understatement. This has been a journey of more than a decade that has taken me to Russia, Korea, China, Japan and France. I've been lucky to have incredible community support along the way, including a huge fundraising effort in my first years leading up to the Sochi 2014 Olympics. What I thought would be a once in a lifetime experience became a decade of incredible experiences. While I am bummed about not heading to Italy next year, I do have tons of great memories from five awesome experiences and that is something I am grateful for. I was under the impression that once I was in the credential system for the Winter Olympics (or Su...

Once again, the countdown is on. As all of my Facebook memories pop up from Beijing three years ago and Sochi 11 years ago, with memories from PyeongChang seven years ago coming in the next couple of days, that means that the next milestone for what's to come is in sight. Today, Feb. 6, marks one year until the Opening Ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and with any luck, I will be a few days into my trip to Italy at this time next year. Of course, that is all contingent on many things. First and foremost, the credential approval from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has still yet to come through. The process for Paris was a little delayed and I am assuming that this is the case here as well. There's obviously no guarantee that credentials will be issued and I am always grateful when the USOPC grants me a credential, as has been the case for all five of the Olympics that I have submitted my credential application. Assuming my credential application is approved...