The most exciting two hours of dead time, and an encounter with an Olympic champion
AdvertisementArisa Trew gave Jordan Baker her favourite moment of the Games. Credit: AP Skaters don’t injure their knees, they smoke them. They don’t fall on concrete, they eat it. Their tricks have names like “McTwist” and “kick for bindi” (I think that’s it). We asked Arisa Trew, 14, what her coach said before her final, gold medal-winning run. “I’m a ‘skibidi sigma’,” she said. Note to Los Angeles organisers: you may need to provide a translator. “Le-e-on! Le-e-on!” Nearly a quarter of a century after the fact, people still talk about the cacophony inside the Sydney Aquatic Centre when Ian Thorpe won his first Olympic gold medal. Having had the privilege of being in the stands for both, I can tell you Léon Marchand’s butterfly/medley double inside La Defense Arena matched it for decibels and drama. The French went wild for Leon Marchand. Credit: AP It’s easy to get lost in the kerfuffle and shuffle of the Olympics, schlepping from event to event, from shuttle bus to tram to taxi to train – from hotel room to press tribune to media centre, mixed zone and back. Where am I today? Tonight? My moment of the games was the day I decided to step into Paris by pedal, renting an electric bike – buzzing my way through the city, along its leafy paths, wind in my hair, baguette and a Perrier in my bike basket, all the way to the beach volleyball, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. C’est magnifique!AdvertisementThe beach volleyball at Eiffel Tower Stadium. Credit: AP Part of my brief coming into the Olympics was that I would cover security issues, scandals, protests and crimes. As such, most of my time in Paris has been spent chasing the police and debating whether I needed to pack a tactical helmet and full-face respirator to head out to a protest. Snoop Dogg has been a constant celebrity presence. Credit: Getty Images There haven’t been any tearful gold medal moments or extraordinary tales of sporting prowess. However, I have found immense joy in speaking to fans in my macaronic French, marvelling at the architectural wonders that are some of the venues, and watching Snoop Dogg play tennis. I spent a significant amount of time during these Games sitting cross-legged on the floor of various mixed zones, typing away on the laptop while waiting for athletes to come and be interviewed. Sometimes rushing to get a story in before they arrived, other times chatting with fellow journalists to pass the time.AdvertisementAustralia’s team pursuit riders Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Kelland O’Brien celebrate gold. Credit: Getty Images At no point did I envisage that one of these generally monotonous logistical exercises might become an occasion to remember. And yet there I was, coated in a film of sweat in the in-field of the famously humid velodrome, waiting but also on the edge of my non-existent seat. Because the exhilarating, unexpected gold medal Australia’s team pursuit men had just won brought the country’s overall tally to an all-time record-equalling 17, and now everyone had one eye on the athletics to see if Nina Kennedy or Matt Denny could make it a magic 18. We all know what happened, and it was the most exciting two hours of dead time I can remember in a long while. Patty Mills gave Greg Baum his favourite moment. Credit: Getty Images My choice is limited. It can’t be any of the Australian gold medals because, as the Jonah of the Nine Publishing team, I’ve only seen one live. That was Cam McEvoy’s, and I was at the other end of the pool, which in a 50-metre race is definitively the wrong place. So I’ll settle for a small big moment. The Boomers were about to lose their quarter-final against Serbia when Patty Mills launched a ridiculously good jump shot over the gigantic Nikola Jokic to send the match into overtime. It typified Mills in the way the green-and-gold still stirs him to deeds even he must have thought were beyond him. But Australia lost anyway; I’ve had that sort of Olympics. I’ll let you in on a secret: covering an Olympics can be a pain in the bottom as you struggle with transport, mixed zones, crowds and media tribunes in the blazing sun. But it’s all worth it when you are watching incredible sport live, like the men’s 1500m at Stade de France earlier this week. The French crowds have been a highlight, especially for a country that has rarely been so divided politically. However, my best little moment involved 14-year-old skateboarder Arisa Trew, who I bumped into outside the Main Press Centre hours after she won gold in the women’s park. She was riding along without a care in the world. I asked her if she’d tried the 900 (two-and-a-half rotations) in the final. “Noooooo!” she said with a smirk. Shut up, old man. How good.AdvertisementJess Fox provided multiple memorable moments. Credit: Eddie Jim I was able to see Jessica Fox win gold in a thrilling women’s K-1 canoe slalom and witness up close just how much of a professional she is. Articulate with a winning smile, you haven’t lived until you’ve heard her seemingly go from answering questions in English to perfect French. The first few nights at the pool were also remarkable. The Ariarne Titmus “race of the century” win in the women’s 400m freestyle was epic, as was her defeat at the hands of teammate Mollie O’Callaghan in the 200m free. What a privilege to have seen them both. As far as atmosphere goes, it will be difficult to go past the feeling inside the Stade de France when France, led by superstar Antoine Dupont, won gold in the rugby sevens. It was the first time I was exposed to the Allez Les Bleus chant, which I was singing for the rest of the Games. LeBron James and Steph Curry celebrate. Credit: Getty Images When it comes to pure sporting brilliance, sitting inside the Bercy Arena watching Steph Curry sink bucket after bucket and an ageless LeBron James lead Team USA back from the brink against Serbia in the semi-final was something of beauty. Long live the king!Advertisement
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