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This has been a fun and exciting month, mainly due to the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City! Many of us here at the BASOC offices were fortunate enough to attend part of the Games. From pre-Opening Ceremonies to post-Closing Ceremonies, representatives from BASOC and it's Board of Directors joined the festivities in Utah. The Olympic Games went smoothly and Salt Lake City did an incredible and amazing job during the two weeks. Kudos to them the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee.
Special congratulations to Brandi Chastain, Captain of the San Jose CyberRays and two-time Olympian, for her commitment to being a great role model for girls and young women and a community leader. Brandi will receive the Juliette Gordon Low Award, presented by the Girls Scout of Santa Clara County (the highest award given by the council to a leader in the community) on March 20, 2002. Congratulations, Brandi!
Best Regards,
BASOC Staff
Join Olympians Kerri Strug and Maureen O'Toole for the Monte Carlo Classic, a celebrity gala benefiting Special Olympics athletes. This premiere charity event will be held on Saturday, May 11 at the exclusive Diablo Country Club in Diablo, California. The evening includes a seated dinner,
silent and live auctions, casino gaming with sports celebrity dealers, live entertainment and dancing. It is a wonderful party that has attracted more than 400 guests each year. Last year, the event raised over $100,000 for year-round sports training and competitions programs for developmentally disabled youth and adults. Tickets are $150 each. For more information or tickets, please contact Colleen Gaard at Special Olympics at (510) 553-0280,
ext. 30.
Take me out to the ballgame! Don't miss BASOC's 3rd Annual BASOC Night at Pac Bell Park! The event will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 beginning at 5:30 pm. The evening begins with a buffet dinner on the Club House level, followed by an exciting match-up at 7:15 pm - Giants vs. the 2001 World Series Champs, the Arizona Diamondbacks!! Tickets are $50 (includes both dinner and ticket to the game) and are on sale now!
Questions? Please contact Berta Lim at 650-856-2234 or berta@basoc2012.org.
The 7th World University Taekwondo Championship of FISU will be held June 12-15, 2002 at the University of California, Berkeley. Thirty-five countries from six continents will participate with teams of eight male contestants and eight female contestants in Haas Pavilion. For more information and to find out how to register your university, check out: http://www.ucmap.org/events/wutc2002
The USOC Bid site inspection team will be back in the San Francisco Bay Area on July 14-15. BASOC will take the USOC on a tour of several sports venues identified in the San Francisco Olympic Bid. BASOC will host the USOC team at a reception that will showcase the commitment of BASOC, the Bay Area, and its Olympians.
Come and watch some of the world's most elite athletes compete in one of the most challenging Olympic events – the Modern Pentathlon. This five-event competition requires expertise in the fields of athletics, equestrian, fencing, swimming, and shooting. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity!
This second annual event promises to be even better than last year's inaugural golf tournament that raised $100,000. Many Olympians and other professional athletes will participate in the day to help raise funds for the San Francisco Bay Area's 2012 Olympic Bid. Corporate foursomes are now available for $5,000 per team. Call Helen Mendel, BASOC Director of Marketing, at 925-426-5339 for more information or to reserve your team.
The past couple of months have been very exciting for BASOC. As we get closer to the final selection process of choosing the U.S. Host City in November 2002, we are getting more enthusiastic and focused as we create public awareness about the bid.
In the past month, several fun events have taken place. 12 Olympians helped promote the Olympics and the Bay Area Bid at the Tech Center's Science and Sport Exhibition Kick Off in San Jose in early February. BASOC had a locker next to the pro teams displaying Olympic wear and explaining what the Olympics are about and what it would mean to have them in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012.
Also, during the Chinese New Year Parade, BASOC had a float with 10 Olympians who waved to the crowd and signed autographs this past weekend.
Thanks to all of you Olympians who have participated and who have helped with these events. By being present and talking with media and the public, you are helping bring more appreciation for the hard work and dedication that is involved in training to make the Olympic Team and competing at the world class level. THANK YOU!
There's no end to the ways that the Salt Lake Games exceeded expectations. While it is well known that the U.S. team nearly tripled its previous best medal tally, other measures of success received less attention (and, in some cases, deservedly so). Consider:
More than 400,000 hot dogs - the total amount planned for 17 days of competition - were eaten by spectators and staff in just the first five days of the Games. To keep up with spectator needs at outdoor Olympic venues, organizers had to reverse their original policy and allow spectators to bring food into the outdoor venues.
The official U.S. Olympic Team beret became a must-have item to an extent usually seen only in toy stores before the holidays. In one morning, shopping network QVC went through thousands of the caps in an Olympic-themed show. When a Park City store put the berets on sale – with a limit of one per customer – lines formed outside the store three hours before it opened.
NBC's coverage of the Opening Ceremony drew both the largest TV audience of any Opening Ceremony in Winter Olympic history and the highest rating of any Opening Ceremony – Winter or Summer – in Olympic history.
It may be more than 1,400 days until the 2006 Winter Games, but Italians near the host city of Torino seem ready to light the flame now. The good folk of Cirič have set up a small snowboard run in their town's main square, using snow that had accumulated during recent snowstorms. 'In view of the 2006 Olympics,' explained Cirič Mayor Luigi Chiappero, 'we have to exploit all the possibilities this area possesses in an attempt to show that these valleys also play an important role in the Olympic circle.'
The organizing committee president for the 2008 Summer Games told IOC officials that China will work hard to stage a 'Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics,' to protect the environment, utilize state-of-the-art technologies and put on an athlete-oriented Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge praised Beijing organizers for their speedy pace in establishing their organizing committee. In a separate interview about the IOC's expectations for 2008, Rogge said, 'We can hope that the Games will allow better understanding between the Chinese and other peoples of the world.'
And then there were eight: The IOC's Executive Board on Feb. 5 approved the list of eight cities that are applying to host the 2010 Winter Games. One of the eight will be chosen as the host city when the IOC meets in Prague in July 2003. The candidates are: Andorra La Vella (Andorra), Bern (Switzerland), Harbin (People's Republic of China), Jaca (Spain), Pyeongchang (Korea), Salzburg (Austria), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Vancouver (Canada).
As the seventeen-day glow of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games begins to fade, we're left with fond memories and the examination of what the Olympic Games mean to us. There were exquisite performances by athletes from around the world, with a number of world records and 'firsts' marking these Games. Everyone seemed to be watching as the athletes inspired, warmed, saddened and encouraged us. NBC boasted a record-setting audience and Olympic venues were filled to 90% capacity. The record-setting 34-medal performance by American athletes was also a sweet surprise for a 'good-news' hungry America, the U.S. total besting Nagano medals by 10. And despite some ugly judging, drug and personality controversies, at least they were within the sports themselves and not surrounding venues or security as many feared.
The heart of the Games that continues to beat strongest, remains the athletes' dedication, love, joy and accomplishments that extend far beyond just the outcome of the events. On her way to a record-setting four medals (three Gold) in Alpine skiing, 20-year old Croatian sensation Janica Kostelic sported a huge smile during her medal-runs, making winning look fun as well as easy. The diversity of the American squad also scored a large victory, as the first medals in Winter Olympics history were handed out to an Hispanic-American (Jennifer Rodriguez), Mexican-American (Derek Parra) and African-American (Vonetta Flowers). 13 of the American medals came in X Game-style sports like freestyle skiing, snowboarding and skeleton, where watching the style of the athletes (wearing earphones playing music during an event?!) was almost as much fun as watching the performances themselves.
Of course, we're now also seeing more of some of the athletes than we did before or during the Games. Did you happen to catch Sarah Hughes presenting a Grammy award? If you managed to miss him on your television screen, Apolo Anton Ohno can be seen on floor-length posters at your favorite Nike eyewear retailer. Despite the criticism of post-event commercialism, the fact remains that we consider Olympians and their performances heroic. Seeing them after the Games feels good because it both honors the accomplishment and lets us remember how we felt when the athlete won their medal. The 2002 Winter Olympic Games were a huge success for all no matter what the outcome; continue to enjoy them!
From February 22-25, I, along with two co-workers, attended the 19th Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. This was my very first Olympic Games and it was everything that I expected it to be. Nothing can ever compete to attending an Olympic Games in my home country – unless it was in my hometown! Because I had such a great time, I wanted to share my experiences with everyone. Here is my diary from the 19th Winter Olympiad.
February 22, Friday – We left after work and arrived into Salt Lake around 11:30 pm. By the time we rented our car and made it to our hotel in Woods Cross (approximately 10 min. from SLC) we were tired. But then I saw the Olympic rings shining brightly against the mountainside and my excitement was renewed.
February 23, Saturday – In the morning we had tickets to the Men's Slalom event in Deer Park. We drove our car to the nearest Park & Ride and took a bus to the venue. The hike to the venue was long and hard, but it was worth it since the view was spectacular! We stood at the front of the stadium with thousands of other spectators, cheering everyone who crossed the finish line. We were there to watch the Gold Medal winner cross the finish line and to watch American Bode Miller have one of his least memorable days.
At night we watched Short Track Speed Skating at the Delta Center in Olympic Park. Apolo Anton Ohno was incredible in all his races – including the relay race. Unfortunately he didn't medal, but we stayed to watch his teammate Rusty Smith receive a Bronze Medal in the 1000 m event.
February 24, Sunday – The last day of the Olympic Games was spent wandering around Olympic Park and taking in my surroundings. I watched the excited faces of teenagers and adults. People were taking pictures like crazy and children's laughter could be heard everywhere. I sat in the middle of the square for a while just observing people and soaking in the atmosphere.
February 25, Monday – The Olympic Games were over, Olympic Square was bring dismantled, and there were only a few stragglers left in the main square area. Luckily we saved all our shopping for today so all our purchases in the Olympic Superstore were 25% off! Our plane left late that night so we were able to fit in workout time.
On the flight home, I was sad to say goodbye to my Olympic experience. But I will always remember my time in Salt Lake as being magical. And hopefully in 2012, it will come home to my backyard.
For the final article of this three-part series, I would like to give you a little bit of history on the Paralympic Games and to shed some light on the athlete selection process and preparation for the Games.
In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttman organized a sports competition for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later, Holland joined the Games and the international movement began. The first Paralympics were held in Rome, Italy in 1960, and approximately 400 athletes from 23 countries participated. Since it's humble beginning, the Paralympics have grown in size and scope in a manner that mirrors the Olympics. Today the Paralympic Games consists of elite sports events for athletes from six different disability groups, but emphasize the participants' athletic achievements rather than their disabilities. More than 4000 athletes from over 125 countries participated in the Sydney Paralympic Games.
The Paralympics have always been held in the same year as the Olympics. The word "Paralympics" reflects the idea of a "parallel" Olympics for disabled athletes. A common misperception is that the word comes from "paraplegic," but there are many other types of disabilities represented. Since the Seoul Summer Games in 1988 and the Albertville Winter Games in 1992, the Paralympic Games have taken place at the same venues as the Olympic Games. This was an exciting step forward that is much appreciated by Paralympic athletes. The Paralympic Winter Games 2002 in Salt Lake City will begin on March 7 with daily coverage on the A & E channel. The opening ceremony will be televised on Saturday March 9.
Qualifying to compete in the Paralympic Games is a grueling and challenging process. In tennis, only two men and two women from each country are chosen to participate. The athletes are chosen based on national and international rankings, which means they have to play many tournaments over several years in order to gain sufficient ranking points. Typically this means between 15 and 20 tournaments a year for at least three or four years, but usually longer.
Preparation for the Paralympics is also quite intense. Most athletes train five or six days a week for between four and eight hours a day. Although Paralympic athletes do not often receive as much attention as Olympic athletes do, their training schedules are very similar. The rewards, however, can be just as great. While Paralympians may not receive multi-million dollar endorsements, they receive satisfaction that comes from dedicating yourself to a goal, finding the self-discipline to train hard every day, performing to the best of your abilities, and having an opportunity to shine in front of the whole world.
Everything Olympian Jennifer Azzi touches seems to turn to gold. Her success as one of today's leading sportswomen is testament to her dedication to personal fitness and commitment to her sport. Although Azzi spends her summers in Salt Lake City playing point guard for the WNBA's Utah Starzz, her heart remains in the Bay Area where she is presently an active BASOC board member and spokesperson.
A native of Tennessee, Azzi was selected to the National Team in 1995 and played in the Atlanta Games in 1996 where she was a member of the gold medal team. Azzi became a founding member of the American Basketball League and she was also starting guard for the San Jose Lasers for the duration of the league. In 1999, Azzi played for the WNBA's Detroit Shock and was traded to the Utah Starzz in 2000. Azzi took some time out of her busy schedule to talk with me about BASOC, her Olympic experience, and why she feels the world should come home to San Francisco for the 2012 Games.
How did you get involved in BASOC?
Anne Cribbs (Co-founder of the American Basketball League and BASOC CEO) asked me to help out. Obviously, bringing the Olympics to San Francisco is really something worth doing! To know she is running the show is definitely what made me want to be involved because I know she's going to get the best people involved.
What is your present role with BASOC as an Olympian?
A lot of it is being a spokesperson when I'm in town. I was able to attend a lot of the meetings early on but since I've been spending a lot more time in Salt Lake City, it's been difficult for me. I know my life is going to shift a lot when I finish playing so I'll have a lot more time and want to continue to be involved.
More than anything is why not? Compared to any other city in the world that I've been to, I can't think of a better place. Number one, the weather in the summer is awesome for all of the outdoor events, Atlanta was so hot and humid. Not only would the San Francisco Bay Area be great for the Olympics, the Olympics would be even better for the community.
What was your most memorable Olympic experience?
One was just making the 1996 team. For all of us on the team, just knowing that you're going to this incredible event was so special. For women's basketball, it was, and still may be, the height of competition. For most people, it's a once in a lifetime experience.
Thank you Jennifer for your continued support of BASOC and good luck on your upcoming season!
For a venue that has seen a wide variety of outdoor events, the San Francisco Bay Area Olympics Games would bring a new visitor to San Jose State's Spartan Stadium. After hosting events ranging from the 1999 Women's World Cup to a maximum-capacity ZZ Top concert, field hockey is set to take the field in 2012.
Spartan Stadium is accustomed to hosting large-scale events and has seen over 100 international competitions played out on its field. The Stadium has hosted San Jose State's football games since 1933 and more recently became the home of college football's Silicon Valley Bowl. In addition, two professional soccer teams – the San Jose Earthquakes and CyberRays – play home games in Spartan Stadium.
At just over 30,000, the bowl's seating capacity is more than adequate for an Olympic event. 'The stadium is the perfect size to provide a wonderfully intimate fan experience,' said Spartan Stadium Director Anne Palmer 'Since the seats aren't separated from the field by a track (as in many larger stadiums), every spectator is right on top of the action.' The Stadium doubles the size of the venue used in the Sydney Olympics, allowing a much larger number of sports fans to enjoy the competition.
Field hockey would bring some alterations to the Stadium's normal outlay. The grass field would be replaced with an artificial surface selected by the FIH and installed in coordination with USA Field Hockey. A separate 5,000-seat stadium would be erected for preliminary competition at the Bud Winter field, immediately adjacent to Spartan Stadium, and a training pitch would be provided.
As an established high-profile venue, Spartan Stadium is already equipped with all of the facilities necessary for a successful event. Training rooms, media and official accommodations and spectator hospitality areas are already in place. With a large worldwide following of both men's and women's field hockey, the amenities of Spartan Stadium will certainly be appreciated by athletes and fans alike in the 2012 Olympic Games.
It's no surprise that Barbara Kolesar was chosen to lead the coordination effort of the Bay Area segment of Salt Lake City's Olympic Torch Relay. With two marathons and numerous 10K runs clocked on her own, Barbara could have nearly run the torch all the way from San Jose to San Francisco by herself! Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Barbara moved here in 1970 and received a degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco.
It seems that she knew her calling, because she dove into local politics twenty years ago and has been committed to serving the city ever since. For the past six years she has served as the Special Assistant to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, and prior to that worked on housing issues and was a liaison to the Board of Supervisors for the city's trade association. In addition to working for the mayor, she also serves on the Small Business Advisory Commission and is the 2002 Chair of the Youngstown Better Business Bureau. Barbara's other hobbies include swimming and bicycling, and she was involved in staging the first ever Treasure Island triathlon last year with BASOC. Barbara recently talked to us about her love of sport and public service.
How did you become involved in the efforts of BASOC?
Before Anne Cribbs became the BASOC President, the Bid Committee was chaired by Senator Quentin Kopp. That committee was made up of public officials from the Bay Area, many of whom I had worked with in the past, so they contacted me and asked me to get involved. As the mayor's link to BASOC, I help to organize his appearances at events in the city, and I also help bring different municipal groups together during planning.
What role did you play as the San Francisco liaison for the Salt Lake Torch Relay?
As Chair of an inter-departmental group of city officials, I worked with the Salt Lake Olympic Committee's (SLOC's) Western Region Director to plan the Bay Area torch relay and pick the torch runners. We had 750 applications for the Bay Area segment of the run, not including the individuals selected by sponsor Coca-Cola, so our team of 30 judges from the region spent a weekend at Treasure Island pouring over the applications and selecting 65 runners. We picked those that had overcome special obstacles and those that most exemplified the Olympic spirit. Our team also had to revise the route proposed by SLOC, make sure traffic on the Friday night run wouldn't become grid-locked, and work with each neighborhood the torch passed through to plan unique celebrations. Thankfully, all the San Francisco residents were very supportive!
What did you like/dislike during your recent trip to Salt Lake City for the Winter Games?
Overall, my five days in Salt Lake City during the Games were very impressive! I checked out their transportation and crowd control plans, and observed the overall feel of the Games environment. Only a few adjustments had to be made during the first few days to improve the flow of traffic and people. Security checkpoint lines tended to be slow, but no one minded the wait and I felt very safe in all of the venues. We were also very excited to be able to purchase the navy blue berets worn by the entire USA team—great souvenirs!
How has the mayor's office been involved in bid-related events during the past and at present?
Mayor Brown has always been a supporter of the concept of a Bay Area Olymic Games, but he only wanted to do it if the community support was strong, so he worked hard to raise awareness and to bring different leaders together. The city was very involved in planning and hosting the national sailing trials and the Treasure Island triathlon, as well as all of the sports activities like Bay to Breakers that are held here each year.
What has been your most memorable Olympic moment?
The Salt Lake Winter Olympics was the first Games I have ever seen in person, so they definitely left quite an impression. We saw the 90-meter men's ski jump and the figure skating pairs Short and Long programs, including the controversial performance of the Russian and Canadian pairs. While the judges' results were heartbreaking, I was awed by the extreme athleticism and commitment of all the athletes and I could have sat and watched them for days!
Which events or activities are you most looking forward to attending at the 2012 San Francisco Bay Area Games?
Track and field events have always been my favorite due to my love of running. I also think that the triathlon will be great because the Treasure Island triathlon was so successful, and it is a relatively new sport in the Olympics. I am most looking forward to the opportunity to share the beauty and diversity of the Bay Area with the world, and to making all of the athletes and visitors feel welcome.
The technology sector is a major pillar of our way of life in the Bay Area and sees to support everything that we do. One of BASOC's key supporters is eBay, one of the committee's Silver Founders. In seven short years, eBay has become cyberspace's premier marketplace where one can buy just about anything. The San Jose company has supported the Bay Area's Olympic bid for three years, and is the subject of this month's Company Focus.
eBay's highest profile activity to raise support for BASOC is the eBay auction each month. For a 14-day period of fun, sports-related activities are made available for bidding. One example of such an opportunity was a chance to play soccer with Bay Area Olympian Brandi Chastain. eBay's involvement with us has been spearheaded by Gary Dillabough, eBay's Director of Business Development. Gary also serves on BASOC's Board of Directors.
Please send comments, suggestions, and questions to: BASOC E-Newsletter, Attn: Berta Lim, 2479 E. Bayshore Road, Suite 703, Palo Alto, CA 94303, info@basoc2012.org
BASOC e-newsletter writing provided by dedicated BASOC volunteers, editing by Berta Lim, and writing and editing by Elizabeth Faletti of The Write Stuff! - Berkeley, CA (510) 486-1843.
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