The Cliff Meidl Blog

Hats off to a great Olympic Games….

Congratulations to the Beijing Organizing Committee for hosting a great Games. I had a very memorable and enjoyable experience representing the USA Flatwater Kayak Team as Team Leader. Carrie Johnson ( women’s 500 meter) had a great performance as she placed 10th by narrowly missing the finals by 4/100th’s of a second. Congrats to Carrie… She has a great chance for a medal at the 2012 Games in London. Also, great racing and congratulations to Rami Zur ( Men’s 500 meter ).
I had the opportunity to meet Lopez Lomong (photo on right), 2008 Olympic Team Flag Bearer, at the USA house in Beijing to capture this awesome photo… “Flag Bearer meets Flag Bearer….”
There were many other memorable experiences during my visit to the Games. We had a great Pre-Olympic training camp in Komatsu, Japan. The Japanese hospitality was impeccable, the climate was perfect for acclimatizing for Beijing, and the city was beautiful. Along with observing some great racing at the Olympic Rowing & Canoeing venue in Shunyi, China, we also had a chance to meet other Olympians in Beijing such as Janet Evans, Evander Hollyfield, Aron Peirsol, Michael Johnson, Dwight Stones, actor Vince Vaughn from the movie “Old School”, Yau Ming, the Fastest man on the planet “Bolt”- the Jamaican Olympic runner, and many others trying to make their mark in Olympic history.
My trip finally came to an end attending the Closing Ceremony at the “Bird Nest” stadium. The moment was awesome walking through the tunnel and into the stadium. I clearly remembered this very same feeling back at the Olympic Games in 2000. All the US athletes, proudly marching, chanting and screaming USA.. USA… USA…
That feeling in one’s heart will never go away.

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”