Tales from Torino, Part 3
by Laura Fawcett |
(2/12/06) - I have no pictures of the dancers.
I just realized that. I have been here 11 days now and have seen the U.S. dance teams once … team processing for Tanith/Ben and Jamie/Ryan (O.K., not really team processing but in the dark van taking them to the village from team processing), and I saw Melissa and Denis at the team dinner.
The thing is, pictures exist. Lindsay took a bunch of photos at team processing. Denis sent a bunch to us from various locations. So it's not not having them that's the problem.
It's really just the craziness of the schedule. Blogs? You want blogs? I've been able to give you two … and now this one.
The day in the life of a press officer at the Olympics does not mean a lot of time on the computer. It's not necessarily rocket science (though little moments feel that way), just an exhausting time of running around and never really sitting down at the computer. It's about managing, coordinating, writing, calling, answering, researching, and who knows what else. It's definitely not about watching skating.
I did not see a single pairs short program live … I watched the first two groups in the mixed zone. Did I mention the mixed zone at the Palavela is insane? Not nearly enough room for the reporters to do their job. I was trapped in the back next to a bookcase with a TV on it. Someone ran into the bookcase. I barely stopped the TV from falling on my head.
The mixed zone, frankly, scared me. I left and returned to the venue media center after Rena and John came through. Safer to watch from there and work at the same time.
Really, I was never claustrophobic until last night.
Anyway, I wanted to give you all a sample of my day … today actually … just to let you in on why sitting down to write has been pretty difficult. Where's Michelle Wojdyla when you need her?
7:30 a.m.: Arise
7:30-8:30 a.m.: Make phone calls, including one to Galina Cohen, Sasha's mom, to arrange a meeting point for a day pass. Try and get ready for the day and realizing I have one more clean sweater and when exactly will I get to do laundry? Talk to Lindsay about the upcoming day. Our schedule, which we planned out at the Palavela at 12:30 a.m. following the pairs short program, is drastically altered with the Michelle Kwan withdrawal. We plan out who does what and who's with which athlete for which media obligation. Lindsay will run the Michelle press conference at 11:30 a.m., so I take over her original side of the schedule. My original side of the schedule is left for scrambling later on.
8:45 a.m.: Leave hotel in cab
9:00 a.m.: Meet Galina in front of the Main Media Center. Take Galina into the USOC office and wait for Lindsay, who is arriving with Sasha and team leader Taffy Holliday.
9:30 a.m.: Press conference with Sasha Cohen
10 a.m.: Rush out the door of the Main Media Center into a waiting TODAY show car with Sasha, Galina and TODAY show figure skating contact Lynn Plage.
10:30 a.m.: Realize again how long it takes to get downtown from the Main Media Center or the Olympic Village.
10:40 a.m.: Arrive at a café downtown to tape a TODAY show segment with Sasha, Galina and Katie Couric.
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11:35 a.m.: Sasha briefly talks with Billy Bush and the Access Hollywood crew on her way to the car. She has a noon appointment in the village so we have to rush.
12:00 p.m.: Just on time; Man, it really takes a long time to drive through the city.
12:05 p.m.: TODAY show car picks up Marcy and Aaron while our car causes a traffic jam outside the village … see blog #1 to learn that this is not a good thing. Galina and I are stranded, so to speak, outside the village. I've had to go to the bathroom for three hours. Finding a bathroom is just not the same as when I'm in the States. There I will boldly walk into any establishment to use the bathroom whether I am buying something there or not. Here, suddenly I've developed a streak of shyness. I manage to get over it enough to talk a lady at a nearby hotel into letting me use the “toilette” while we wait for a pick up from U.S. Figure Skating staff.
12:30 p.m.: Arrive at U.S. Figure Skating office, a lounge we have set up as a meeting place nearby the Palavela. Make more phone calls. Walk down the street to try and get my first meal of the day. I'm flying off of two cappuccinos. Am on the phone most of the way there and whole way back. And a couple times during the meal. But manage a piece of lasagna and some chatter with co-worker Sharon Morgan, who is part of our staff here.
I suddenly now am drawing a blank on the next three hours of my life. That's frightening. I know I walked back to the main media center and was there by 1:30 or so. I checked e-mail. OK, I know, I was in the USOC office with Lindsay and we spent most of the time answering reporters' questions about Michelle and Emily.
3:45 p.m.: Emily's teleconference with the media is at 4:30 p.m. Sasha and Kimmie practice from 4:15-4:50 or so at the Palavela. There is no mixed zone for the two of them, but I need to arrange getting John Nicks to talk with reporters. I have to be at the NBC compound by 4:30 to meet the “Olympic Ice” people, including host Mary Carillo, for a piece with Johnny Weir.
4-4:30 p.m.: I don't have access to the athletes at this event at the Palavela. So I spend 30 minutes madly trying to describe what I need the mixed zone volunteers to do for me – no mixed zone for Sasha and Kimmie, yes mixed zone for Mr. Nicks. Find press manager Barb and all is well.
4:30 p.m. In NBC compound. Pretty neat. In a darkened trailer … they have a wall of nine TV screens showing practices at both figure skating venues at all times.
5 p.m.: Leave compound with Olympic Ice staff to pick up Johnny Weir and his mom downtown at Louis Vuitton. They're shopping (of course!).
5:30 p.m.: We're about 100 yards from Louis Vuitton in the car and can't reach them. We dropped off the Olympic Ice folks at Café Platti, where the shoot will take place. It's just me and the Italian driver for NBC, a great young man who's a sport about taking us everywhere we ask him to go. The piazza shopping area is packed with people … I can't even explain it. They're all walking in the streets and it takes a minute to move 10 feet.
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7:20 p.m.: Leave Café Platti … be sure to look for Johnny's segment on Olympic Ice! Our driver first takes us to pick up Patti's luggage from an apartment. She's moving to a hotel. Last night when she arrived back at her apartment from the rink there was a body on the street … covered with a sheet. She decided it was time to move on.
7:55 p.m.: Drop off Johnny at the Olympic Village.
8:15 p.m.: Back at the Main Media Center for me! Grab a piece of pizza. Apolo Ohno is skating at the Palavela tonight … Work? Apolo? Work? Apolo? I have to admit Apolo won out … I had planned to just run over for two hours to watch him race. I got three phone calls on the way out the door. By the time I finished with those requests Apolo had already failed to qualify for the final. I decided to stay and work, which is why you have this blog.
9:30 p.m.: The skating world continues beyond the Olympics. Post adult sectional results. Post Spring Cup results … Fond du Lac Blades win gold! Miami University wins silver!
Browse nbcolympics.com. Decide Shaun White, “The Flying Tomato,” is my new favorite athlete.
11:00 p.m.: My roommate, Melissa, returns from the Palavela and short track. Apparently the mixed zone for short track was 10 times as chaotic as it was for pairs. I'm afraid for the ladies free skate.
12:02 a.m.: Reporters are still coming in and calling to ask questions. I think I'll post this now and go to bed.
