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

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

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) 

Seeing is believing!

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)

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

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 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 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!
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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 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?
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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 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!
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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!

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!