FSU Nole-ympian Correspondents Blog

It's All Over?

arj1991 — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:56:50 -0400

I woke up Sunday and thought just that. The London 2012 Olympics had come to an end. All that pain, sweat and hard work by athletes from around the world was done just like that. I think if you asked any of us that went to some of the events, the whole Olympic experience is something we’ll never forget. I’d like to thank everyone that’s taken the time to view the blog, I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

The last thing I’d like to leave you with is this: If you ever have to chance to go to the Olympics, DO IT!!! Heck, start saving for the winter games in Sochi, Russia, as they’re right around the corner or Rio in 2016 if warm weather is more your thing.

Thanks again!

The End.

sarahmhuffman — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:06:00 -0400

Sarah Huffman [9:00 AM, Tallahassee, FL]

Unfortunately another Olympic Games has come to an end. It’s sad to think we have to wait another four years before we get to experience the magic again (unless you’re counting down to the Winter games which are only 18 months away!) London 2012 will always hold a special place in my heart. I know the city received some grief before the games began, no one was sure if they could pull off this international event. But they really did, and they made sure to do everything in true British fashion. Not only was it a success for London, but for the Americans who topped the medal count blowing China out of the water in the last couple of days! I’m so happy to have been able to share my experiences with you. I’ve definitely become an Olympics junkie, so who knows maybe you’ll see me in Rio in 2016!

Cheers!

Anna Hyatt [9:48 AM, Galveston, TX] The time has come for me to...

ahhyatt — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:54:33 -0400

Anna Hyatt [9:48 AM, Galveston, TX]

The time has come for me to sign off from these fantastic Olympic Games. I traveled home right at the end, and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to fly out of Heathrow Airport! The airport was full of Olympic souvenirs, signs, and fans all making the long trek back to their homes. Attending the 2012 Olympic Games was a dream come true; I’m sure one day I will bore my future grandkids with stories from the Games. It was truly incredible to see so many people from so many countries come together for one united goal. Attending the events, I was inspired by the good nature of the fans and the general spirit of everyone there. Everyone was enjoying themselves and having a fantastic time, it really was special to see.

Now, I’m back to Texas with way too many souvenirs and not enough time to tell everyone how wonderful it was! I just have to figure out how to display my tickets now! Thank you for listening, and for being part of the London 2012 Olympic Games!

Until Rio, Cheers!

Lousia Blenman [recorded August 8, 2012] FSU’s own Gonzalo...

floridastate — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:28:00 -0400

Gonzalo leaps!

Gonzalo on the big screen.

Gonzalo Barroilhet give us the Seminole Chop!

Scoreboard!

Alberto Salazar: "Is this seat taken?"

Alberto Salazar coaching US silver medalist Galen Rupp.

Lousia Blenman [recorded August 8, 2012]

FSU’s own Gonzalo Barroilhet competed in the Decathlon, representing Chile. I could hardly believe how amazing our seats were for the morning events, with the 5000m start and the Decathlon long jump occurring right in front of us.

In fact, Alberto Salazar came to ask us if we minded if he sat in the empty seat in front of us. Alberto Salazar! He is the coach for Mo Farah (GB gold medal winner in the 10,000m and finalist in the 5000m) and Galen Rupp (US silver medalist in the 10,000m and finalist in the 5000m). I have to admit, I was a little star struck.

It was also fantastic to have such a great view of ‘Gonzo’ as he competed in the long jump and the shot put as part of the decathlon competition. After he finished his last event, as he chatted with his coach and supporters, he humored me with the Seminole Chop!

Park Life...Park Life

floridastate — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 09:48:01 -0400

British Airways sponsors a huge, two-sided ‘telly’, which is situated right in the middle of the park. People who are in the park but not at an event can sit in the park and watch events as they occur. While nothing is like seeing an event live, it is pretty amazing to hear the roar of the crowd from the track stadium with a slight delay after watching an amazing feat on the big screen. We were very lucky to be in the park on Britain’s most successful Olympic day since 1908. The track events were the talk of the town: Jess Ennis won the heptathlon, Greg Rutherford became the first British long jump champion in over 100 years, and Mo Farah was the first British man ever to win the 10,000 meters.

Photo by Louisa Blenmau (From London)

Olympic Hoops: Spain v Russia

floridastate — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 09:41:42 -0400

Photo by Louisa Blenmau (From London)

Our first event was the basketball, where we saw an amazing game between Russia and Spain. The game promised to be exciting, with big-time NBA players like the Pau Gasol (Lakers), Marc Gasol (Grizzlies), Jose Calderon (Raptors) and Serge Ibaka (Thunder) on the Spanish side, and Alexey Shved (Timberwolves), Timofey Mozgov (Nuggets) and Andrei Kirilenko (Timberwolves) playing for the Russians. I must admit, we were in the nosebleed section, so the only players I could identify were the huge, bearded Gasol brothers, and even then I couldn’t tell which was which!

Photo by Louisa Blenmau (From London)

The Spanish dominated the game from the beginning, with two point leads for most of the first half. The Russians kept chipping away at the lead, and as you can tell from the scoreboard, their three-point shooting made the difference in the end. With just 5.3 seconds left to go, Russia took the lead for the first time, and sealed their victory.

Photo by Louisa Blenmau (From London)

FSU International Programs

sarahmhuffman — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:49:40 -0400

Sarah Huffman [2:48 PM, Tallahassee]

So many people have asked me how I had this amazing opportunity to attend the Olympics! I couldn’t have done it without FSU International Programs. I participated in the Global Sports Management program. We were enrolled in two courses and were able to see a number of sporting events and venues, along with the Olympics! Earlier in the summer we attended rounds of Wimbledon and the British Open. We also toured a number of stadiums and arenas. The neat thing about studying abroad is that they really emphasize that the city is your classroom. That was clearly displayed as we only had a number of days where we actually held class in a classroom. Most of our learning was based off of things we were seeing or doing. Personally, I learn much more with these techniques than I ever would in a lecture class.

The study center in London was a unique place to live. FSU owns about four buildings that house student flats, offices, classrooms, computer labs, lounges and a library. It is in the heart of central London, our tube stop was located in Zone 1. The farther away from the center of the city the higher the zone number is, all the way up to Zone 5, so you can see we were really right in the middle. The building is a very historical building, it is older than our country! This also means it lacks a few modern amenities, including air conditioning and elevators, but that added a lot of fun memories to the experience. I can’t recommend these programs to enough people. FSU has been a leader in study abroad programs for over 50 years. About 1% of college students across the board study abroad, at FSU one out of four students studies abroad. They feature four full-time locations and over twenty part-time locations. If you have the slightest interest check out their website for more information! Or even better stop by their offices in University Center A, suite 5500 on campus.

http://international.fsu.edu/

Seeing is believing!

floridastate — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:25:38 -0400

I was fortunate enough to have a tour of the park as it was being built, thanks to my colleagues at the FSU London Study Centre, who arranged a group tour back in March 2011. You can see from the picture that it was hard to believe the adamant assertions that they were ahead of schedule with all of the building plans.

Photo by Louisa Blenmau (From London)

My husband grew up about 3 miles from the park, so there was no way we were not coming to these games. The patriotic buzz about London is so amazing, especially considering the English propensity for self-deprecation and understatement. As local residents, our family was able to get tickets for us to visit the park even without an event ticket. We hopped on the W15 bus for the short ride to the back entrance of the park, where we were met with many friendly attendants and no waiting lines.

We had been waiting for this moment since July 6, 2005 - the day London was chosen to host 2012. Our first entrance into the completed Olympic Park certainly did not dissapoint. It was magnificent.

Photo by Louisa Blenmau (From London)

Do You Have It? (Raymond Daly, 2:18 PM EST)

arj1991 — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:18:00 -0400

Hello All! Think I’ve finally beaten the jet lag from getting back from London, and I’m back to deliver some insight. I thought this time, I’d change the format a little bit and allow you to learn about one of our ‘Nole athletes via video. I found a cool YouTube video of Chilean decathlete and current ‘Nole Gonzalo Barroilhet that I think you’ll enjoy, take a look!

Belgian Power! (Raymond Daly, 11:04 EST)

arj1991 — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:04:45 -0400

Anyone get a chance to watch the Borlee twins, Kevin and Jonathan on Saturday? The former ‘Noles put on a show in their qualifying heats for the 400m dash, with Jonathan setting the Belgian national record at 44.43 seconds, which happened to be previously held by Kevin.

Both Borlee’s were members of the FSU track and field team in 2009, with Jonathan leaving to become a professional after winning the 400m in the NCAA Outdoor Championship that year.

After successfully qualifying for the 400m finals last night, both brothers will try to bring home a medal tonight, make sure to tune in and cheer them on!

You can follow the both of them and their sister, Olivia on Twitter at @BorleeOffical.

Sarah Huffman [4:53 PM, Eastern Standard Time] Yesterday was...

sarahmhuffman — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:09:37 -0400

Sarah Huffman [4:53 PM, Eastern Standard Time]

Yesterday was dubbed “Super Saturday” of the Olympics. Why? Because they had 25 medal events going on in one day, the most out of any day during the two week period of the Games.

Not every Saturday can be “Super Saturday” in London, so I’m going to give you some insight on what a normal Saturday is like. The biggest activity that city-dwellers and tourists participate in are markets! There are a number of different markets around the city that have huge displays on Saturday. There is a market for just about everything: antiques, clothing, souvenirs, flowers, knick-knacks, and food. My personal favorite was the Borough Market, which was a large food market located under railway tracks near the River Thames.

Here you would find fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, breads, sweets, cakes, and pastries. The best part about this market were the food stands that were scattered around the perimeter of the market. This is where you would find something the market is famous for, it’s grilled cheese! This is no ordinary grilled cheese. Walking up to the stand you know that these people are cheese experts, mainly by the large wheels of cheese that are bubbling under hot lamps right before your eyes! The sandwich is piled high with a mixture of fresh shredded cheese. They also put in their own concoction of onions and spices to add a little kick. It is pressed with great care and then served! We went back on a weekly basis to get our fill of grilled cheese before we left. Maybe one day I’ll learn how to replicate it here in the states.

Cheers!

Anna Hyatt This morning was the Women’s Marathon! In...

ahhyatt — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:07:00 -0400

Anna Hyatt

This morning was the Women’s Marathon! In retrospect, I probably should have picked a place along the race route to watch it live in person, but it’s also my last day in London, so I had to make the most of it! This morning the buses were on diversion, and it took forever to get anywhere! All of the races (marathon, race walk, cycling) have used parts of London roads, which has been great for spectators but terrible for transportation! I took this photo outside of Spitalfields Market, where we watched the very end of the race! It’s always fun to see how everyone stops what they are doing to watch the Olympics, and the public places in London have been no exception to this! There are so many places in London to actually watch the Games, you really have no excuse to not be in the know! Also, here’s a traveler tip: if you are visiting London, make sure to visit at least one market! There are so many in the city, it’s hard not to run into one. The markets offer some of the best food, shopping, and overall experience London has to offer!

gettyimages: Oscar: “Oscar Pistorius of South Africa...

arj1991 — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 07:58:00 -0400

gettyimages:

Oscar:

“Oscar Pistorius of South Africa competes in the Men’s 400m Round 1 Heats on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 4, 2012 in London, England.

Photo by: Paul Gilham/Getty Images”

Easily one of the most touching moments of the Games so far. Wouldn’t it be great if he won a medal?

Anna Hyatt Wenlock is the official mascot of the London 2012...

ahhyatt — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 11:15:00 -0400

Anna Hyatt

Wenlock is the official mascot of the London 2012 Olympic Games. He has a counterpart, named Mandeville, that is the official Mascot of the Paralympic games. These two guys are supposed to be representations of drops of steel, a tribute to the industrial background in many parts of England. For the past two weeks, Wenlock statues have been popping up everywhere! They have been painted with lots of different designs, to represent the neighborhoods or areas they’ve been put in! Wenlock-hunting has been one of my hobbies during the Games, and it seems like each day there are more of them around the city! I’m beginning to think that Tallahassee needs some Chief Osceola statues around town too? If you are in London, try and spot some of these interesting guys!

Good-Bye London!

sarahmhuffman — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:57:07 -0400

Sarah Huffman [8:55 PM, Eastern Standard Time]

I’ve officially said my good-byes to London and the study center. After a long day of travel yesterday, I made it safely back to the USA and the great state of Florida. I can’t emphasize enough how great this entire experience has been. I have to give a lot of credit to FSU International Programs. The classes and guidance they provided through their facilities and staff made for an unforgettable 5 weeks. It ended up being more than I ever expected. My Olympic experience was just an added bonus.

If any of you ever have the chance to attend the Olympics, do it. I have tried my best to put into words how culturally moving the events are, but to witness it on your own would be a truly life changing experience. Start your own Olympics fund and the next time they are in the states, go. Even if you can only get to the most obscure event, just go see something, or plan on being a volunteer. The entire movement was amazing to be a part of. It is something I’ll be talking about for the rest of my life.

As I mentioned I have left London, but I won’t be leaving this blog just yet! I’m going to stick around and write to you from the states continuing to give you an inside scoop to the Olympics and the host city, London! Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Former ‘Nole Kimberly Williams, who will complete in the...

arj1991 — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 13:35:50 -0400

Former ‘Nole Kimberly Williams, who will complete in the triple jump for Jamaica talks about her career aspirations.

Ready, Set, Go! (Raymond Daly, 5:30 PM London Time)

arj1991 — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 13:34:18 -0400

It’s Friday! One more day till the weekend and the start of the Athletic events in London! Much like swimming, I think Track & Field is one of the sports people really enjoy watching during the Olympics, I know I do. That being said, why don’t we learn about a few of our ‘Noles who have competed today?

Did You Know? Along with USC and Auburn, FSU has the largest representation of track & field athletes in London with 12.

Kimberly Williams

I had a class with Kimberly in the fall, so when I heard that she was going to be a part of Jamaica’s track & field team, I was quite happy for her. As one of the most decorated track and field athletes that FSU has ever seen, it should be no surprise the former 2008 Outdoor and Indoor ACC Freshman of the Year is in London. Participating in the women’s triple jump, Williams will look to keep up her quest for a gold medal.

Ciaran O’Lionaird

Representing Ireland, O’Lionaird was ACC Outdoor Champion in both the 1500 and 5000m in 2011. After transferring from the University of Michigan in 2009, O’Lionaird quickly found success as a member of both the FSU cross country and track teams. Look for him in the first round of the 1500m run this afternoon at 3:05.

Dorian Scott

Last but not least, we have shot-putter Dorian Scott. A teammate of Kimberly Williams on the Jamaican team, Scott will look to qualify for the men’s shot-put finals today. A member of the FSU track team from 2001 to 2004, Scott had a very successful career as a ‘Nole, being named All-ACC and All-Indoor and Outdoor All-American in 2003.

olympics: The ultimate beach #volleyball court Sarah Huffman...

sarahmhuffman — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:16:24 -0400

olympics:

The ultimate beach #volleyball court

Sarah Huffman [5:45 AM, London Time]

Check out this amazing venue, Horse Guards Parade! We were here throughout the morning yesterday watching four different sand volleyball matches! If you haven’t caught one on tv I highly recommend it. The games move pretty quickly and are very entertaining. They had us dancing and cheering the entire time! The crowd did the wave around the entire arena 23 times in a row. It was a little tiring! Could you imagine if FSU’s sand volleyball matches were like this?!

Sarah Huffman [6:06 PM, London Time] This morning we went to our...

sarahmhuffman — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:59:00 -0400

Sarah Huffman [6:06 PM, London Time]

This morning we went to our last Olympic event, Beach Volleyball! Upon arrival we were greeted by the Royal Marching Band and a familiar tune. Don’t let their formal attire fool you, these guys knew how to get funky. Could there be a better way to start off the morning?

Football, Football, Football. (Raymond Daly, 3:16 PM London Time)

arj1991 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:46:01 -0400

College football season is right around the corner, but that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. I’m here to talk to you about futbol, or soccer as its more commonly called in the States. Yesterday, I took a train ride to Newcastle, which is about a 3 hour trip from London to attend 2 Olympic futbol matches. I saw Canada play Sweden and France play Colombia.

Canada-Sweden

The Canada-Sweden game was great, even before it started. Canada faced down the possibility they may be eliminated from the Olympic tournament should they not win or tie against Sweden. With their backs against the wall, Canada was down by 2 goals quickly in the first half. That was in till forward Melissa Tancredi flashed her magic and pulled Canada within one going into halftime. Withstanding offensive charge after charge from the Swedes, Canada held their ground till the final 7 minutes of the game, when Tancredi struck again, this time from an assist from sub Kayln Kyle.

Afterwards, I was able to meet one of my favorite players, Lauren Sessleman, who is a defensive back for Canada.

Hanging with Lauren post-game.

France-Colombia

The 2nd match was just as entertaining as the first, as it gave me the opportunity to see one of the best teams in Europe, France. The French, led by striker Louisa Necib and forward Gaëtane Thiney, came out firing and scored merely 9 minutes in on a gorgeous breakaway from Élodie Thomis. This 1-0 score would hold for France over the course of the game and they would hold on to win.

The final score: France-1, Colombia-0

All in all, I had a ton of fun in Newcastle and would highly suggest you attend any kind of Olympic event if you ever have the opportunity.