Abbott Paris Blog: Wrapping up Paris Games, and appreciation for the Olympic spirit

Wednesday, August 14 – Sorry for the delay in the final blog posting from Paris. The last day of the Olympics is always the most hectic and can be a blur, and then there is the long task of traveling back on what is one of the busiest travel challenges on earth.

Sunday was the last day of the Olympics and the last day of wrestling. Because of Closing Ceremonies that night, they condensed the final competition day to one session so it could finish up in time for those competing to participate in the Closing if they choose. We started the Group 6 repechage at 11:00 a.m., then went into the medal matches at 12:00 noon. We did not have anybody in repechage, because Zain Retherford withdrew for medical precaution the night before, after getting pulled back into repechage by Rahman Amouzadkhali of Iran, who beat Retherford. The repechage had only four of the six matches, and they went right into the final medal round before the scheduled noon start.

The last day did not go the way we would have liked. Kyle Snyder lost a tremendous battle with Amarali Azarpira of Iran to place fifth. He got very bloody in the match, which slowed it down considerably. For the first time in his career, going back to being a teenager at the 2015 Senior Worlds, Kyle did not return with a medal. However, his nine straight medals is a U.S. record and an amazing feat, and we are confident he will add more medals to his legacy in the next Olympic cycle. Kyle handled things with class and dignity, which is exactly how he managed things when he won all those medals.

The final wrestling match of the Paris Games including our phenom Kennedy Blades against Japan’s World champion Yuka Kagami. It was a great showcase for women’s wrestling to close out the Games with two fantastic athletes. The first period was tied 1-1 with Blades having criteria, but the only takedown of the match went to Kagami in the second period, which gave Japan the 3-1 win. A silver medal for 20-year-old Blades was a signal to the World that she has arrived and will be a force for many, many years. Blades was upbeat in her interviews after the match and left no doubt that she planned to be back to claim gold the next time around.

First thing first. Team USA winning seven wrestling medals at the Olympic Games is a great achievement, even though the USA had higher goals and expectations based upon our recent successes. There is no competition more difficult than the Olympic Games, where all the athletes are ready to go, and all have the same Olympic dreams. With the world watching, our athletes competed at a high level, win or lose, and we continue to be a world wrestling power.

You can look back at our best Olympic medal production, and this team ranks up with that. We won all the medals (freestyle only) at the 1904 Olympics. At the 1984 Los Angeles Games, with the Soviet block missing, we claimed 13 medals on our home mats. The 1996 Olympics, also held at home in Atlanta, featured eight U.S. medals (five in freestyle and three in Greco-Roman), In 2000 in Sydney, Team USA won seven medals. The 2020 Tokyo Games was one of our historic peaks, with nine medals (that performance will be hard to replicate). Our seven medals in Paris is well ahead of many other past Olympic team performances, and something we need to celebrate. My job will be to help people understand this and take pride in this specific Olympic team for its achievements.

We also need to tip our caps to Japan for its dominant effort in Paris, winning 11 medals, including eight gold medals. Japan was excellent in all three disciplines and won most of the close battles including a number against the U.S. team. Kudos to the Japanese wrestling leaders, coaches and athletes for an inspiring performance.

After filing our last stories and audio and video files, we left our home for seven days (the Champ-de-Mars Arena) and focused on going home. There was a nice post-event social with our men’s and women’s freestyle teams at a café near the arena, a chance for our coaches, team leaders and athletes to say a few words to those there to support them. Then it was time to pack up at the hotel and head home.

Richard Immel and I had the same itinerary, and as is his practice, he kept an eye on the exact travel time to get home. From when we took an uber to the airport to when we were in our homes, it took almost 24 hours in travel. I can’t sleep on planes anymore, so I was awake almost all of it. As happens often with international travel, we were delayed out of Paris for more than two hours. It basically eliminated our layover time in Atlanta, and in spite of some very hectic hustling, we missed the last flight home to Colorado Springs. Delta put us on a backup flight to Denver, and we were able to get on it barely in time. Miraculously, our bags ended up on that flight. My wife Pat Fox had to drive up to Denver to collect Richard and I and get us home, dog-tired of course. I did not get to rest until well after 1:00 a.m. (basically Tuesday morning). I spent most of Tuesday taking care of personal needs, so it is back to the office and normal busy work routine today (Wednesday). Our Board of Directors and State Leaders meetings are this week, so we are jumping right back into the important business of growing wrestling.

It was inspiring for the wrestling venue to be right near the Eiffel Tower, something we saw each and every day that we worked. The tower is a major symbol of both Paris and for France. It was great to see during the day, but especially at night when it was all lit up for the world to enjoy. We were right in the heart of Paris every day of the Games.

This was my 10^th Olympics, and I was able to determine that I was the first Communications person, either from USOPC Communications staff or an NGB staff, to work 10 Summer Games. That is a long, long time and I take pride in that achievement. There are a lot of memories and experiences wrapped into that. So you know, working an Olympics in Communications is extremely hard work under pressure, and allows time for little sleep, one of the most intense challenges possible. I am grateful for getting this opportunity to do my best for the sport that I love, and thinking about it can be very humbling. The Olympics is bigger than any one person, and I feel good about the small role I have played in such a massive endeavor for such a long time.

I always tell people to never take an Olympics for granted, especially the next one, and this is the case for Paris. On a personal note, this one was in jeopardy for me. I had some health challenges this winter which threatened my ability to travel at all, let alone across the globe to Paris for the stress of another Olympics. I want to thank my wife and family for their love and support in my getting back to health, as well as my medical team for helping me turn things around. It was a blessing to be part of the Paris 2024 Olympics, something I will cherish.

A big thank you goes to the people on USA Wrestling’s professional staff who worked with me side-by-side, including those on the ground in Paris, and those back home in Colorado Springs. Many people did massive heavy lifting to make this all happen, and I salute each of you for investing your heart and soul into the effort.

One final note. The Olympic spirit is one of the major forces of good in our crazy world, and something which needs to continue to thrive into the future. If there is one thing that can bind the world in friendship and love, it is the Olympic Games. Let’s keep that flame burning forever.  

Sunday, August 11 - It is Sunday morning, and the Olympic Games are closing down quickly. In fact, today is the last day of competition as well as the closing ceremonies. With wrestling held during the second half of the Games, we are still on the mats when most of the sports have ended, and many athletes, coaches and journalists have already gone home. The Today Show set is closed down until LA 2028. People are packing, checking their flights, preparing to leave.

Wrestling has its final session at 11:00 a.m., followed by medals at 12:00 noon. We should be out of the arena by mid-afternoon. But not until we crown three more Olympic champions.

With that in mind, we need to celebrate the U.S. wrestlers who are the closers, those who helped Team USA finish with a flouris.

We start with Kennedy Blades, who is making wrestling more exciting and will for many years. At only 20 years old, she already has an international following. She has a unique look when out on the mat. Tall and lean, but also quick and powerful, with excellent technique. With Kennedy, you are always on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next big move.

The five-point back arch she hit in the first round of the Olympic Games was a classic, right up over the top. It had the entire crowd at the Champs-de-Mars Arena buzzing. Kennedy has been doing this kind of thing going back to her age-group competitions back in Illinois, wrestling mostly against boys, but certainly dominating the girls.

Everybody knew that she was going to have a great future. But for Kennedy, the future is now. She showed that with her gutty semifinals victory over a talented Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan. Kennedy knows how to score points when she needs them and seems not to get flustered when the going gets tough. She has a chance to become an Olympic champion later today.

I remember at a press conference for Final X when Kennedy was still a teenager, and she boldly predicted that the new generation has arrived and is ready to take over. Based upon how our two 20-year-olds performed on the women’s team (with Amit Elor winning gold also), Blades was dead-on accurate. Their time has come.

Kyle Dake showed some amazing talent and guts in his bronze-medal match at 74 kg. Friday, his goal of winning an Olympic gold medal fell short, when he was beaten in a shootout with Japan’s exciting Daichi Takatani in the semifinals. Saturday, there were some questionable calls in his medal match against past World champion Hetik Cabolov of Serbia. He found himself in the final minute, trailing by three points. Dake threw it into another gear, and scored a takedown to trail by one with 31 seconds to go. After that, in a flash, he got behind Cabolov and launched him for a huge five-point throw, finishing the match with a bomb. Back in high school, Dake made a World Team in Greco-Roman and his throwing skills remain at a high level.

Kyle Dake is one of those persistent people who kept up the fight and came out as the winner. There were some tough years when he could not beat one of the world’s greatest ever, Jordan Burroughs. Yet when Dake got his chance, by first changing weight class and then coming back down in weight, he reeled off four World titles. He was able to beat Burroughs in two straight Olympic Trials and now owns two Olympic bronze medals. Remember “The Kid” when he was winning four NCAA titles at Cornell at four different weight classes? Dake built upon that legacy in freestyle.

Kyle Snyder continues to impress. In his first match, he got behind by four points early. But his pressure and power just forces his opponent to wrestle him, and you ultimately can not stop him from imposing his will. Yet his second match showed that he is much more than somebody who can pound out a win. The sweet hip toss he used to pin his opponent was sudden and crisp, ending the match in an instant.

Snyder lost a tight semifinals match to 2023 World champion Akhmed Tazhudinov of Bahrain, and will not get a chance to get a second Olympic title. But he has a chance to win a third Olympic medal on Sunday, which puts him with Bruce Baumgartner and Helen Maroulis in a very exclusive club. What is even more amazing is his nine-year streak of winning World and Olympic medals for Team USA, already a record. A bronze-medal win on Sunday and Snyder moves that record up to 10 years in a row. That is absolutely remarkable, and Kyle Snyder is not done. He is expected to make the run through Los Angeles 2028.

While much of the world is shutting down the Olympics, Kennedy and the two Kyles kept it going with electric performances. Some might say we have saved the best for last.

Saturday morning, August 10 – Apologies to those who expected a blog post late on Friday night/Saturday morning Paris time. When we got back to our hotel well after 1:00 a.m., there was no gas left in the tank. Figured a few hours of sleep would help clear the mind. Also, I did not know what to write about after such a long and crazy day.

Coming in, we knew Friday was going to be a beast. We had six athletes competing, all medal contenders, including three in the evening medal matches. It was going to be petal to the metal all day long, and that is exactly how it panned out. As always, the Olympic Games are unpredictable, and you can almost expect there to be ton of surprises. Friday proved to be like that, and more.

To start, the USA won three medals in wrestling on Friday. No matter how you look at it, this is an awesome achievement to celebrate. As you may know, the USA is a world power in men’s and women’s freestyle, so the goals and expectations for our athletes and team are way high. I am not sure if people back in the USA within the wrestling community understand just how difficult winning a medal at an Olympic Games can be. There are no easy matches. There is no place to hide. Everybody in the field has the same goal, to win gold, and many of them are fully capable of doing it. That is why they roll out the mats every four years and see what rises to the top.

I believe the U.S. wrestling community should celebrate all of our Olympians, the ones who win gold, the ones who win a medal, the ones who do not medal. These are tremendous athletes who are all great people, and they represent our organization, our nation and our sport with dignity and class. Coming in, we know not everybody is going to reach their goals. Being in the arena every day, I can confirm that that Team USA is laying it out on the line, each and every time. I have always said that at the Olympics, the highs are as high as they can be and the lows are as low as they can be. Calling it an emotional rollercoaster is an understatement. Only 18 humans on earth can go home from Paris as 2024 Olympic champions in wrestling. Everybody else will have their own level of disappointment.

My story idea came up easily this morning. I love historic moments and the amazing Helen Maroulis gave one to us last night. In her own Helen Maroulis way, she became the first U.S. woman to win three Olympic wrestling medals. Helen has always been first on our women’s team. First Olympic champion. First two-time Olympic medalist. First three-time Olympian. First three-time medalist. Helen Maroulis continues to deliver, time and time again.

Just to remind you, Helen was just a whisker away from being a four-time Olympian, as the youngest version of herself was in the hunt to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team for London.

What can you say about her Paris performance? There is only one athlete in her weight class who can beat her, and Helen ran into her again in the semifinals. Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan is a great champion and has now beaten Helen three straight years. This time, Helen hit the sweetest inside trip takedown right off the bat to let everybody know that she came to win. Over the course of six minutes, Sakurai won more positions than Helen, and of course, Sakurai went on to claim gold. That put Helen back into a bronze-medal match. This is not an easy task for somebody hunting for gold.

I did not see Helen’s bronze-medal victory in the arena. I was in the media mixed zone, helping out with our other medalists who were going through their media duties. Spencer Lee and Aaron Brooks wrestled before Helen and were doing their post-match medal protocol. It happened so fast that I think I actually missed seeing the move. Helen scored a pin over Hannah Taylor of Canada in just 24 seconds to get that historic third medal. Lucikly, they show replays on the television feed in the arena. Boom. Three-time Olympic medalist, followed by her world-class smile and personality. Just amazing.

The USA Women’s Wrestling What’s App Group was buzzing after Helen’s big win. I was asked what other U.S. Olympic wrestler has three medals? The answer is simple. Bruce Baumgartner has four medals. Helen Maroulis is next with three. That is some rare air, let me tell you.

Some of our great stars have tried to get three but fell a bit short. I think of the great Kenny Monday, with a Seoul Olympic gold and a Barcelona Olympic silver. Monday made the 1996 Atlanta Games and ran into a generational star just emerging – Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia – and he stopped a gold-medal run. Monday also lost a repechage match and did not get that third medal. There was one of the best of all time, finishing just short of three medals. Helen getting to three is just spectacular. It is a testament to more than talent and training. What she has had to overcome, including that dark period with concussion issues, is inspiring. This person has amazing perseverance. Congratulations to Helen, her family, her coaches and her support group. She defines the word champion.

We might see another three-timer this year, fellow Maryland native Kyle Snyder who starts today at 97 kg in men’s freestyler. He was the youngest U.S. Olympic champion at the time of his victory in Rio 2016. He added a silver in Tokyo 2020. Now he goes for it again in Paris 2024. Here’s hoping we have another three-timer to celebrate on Sunday. Like Helen, Kyle always shows up, ready to go. It should be fun.

By the way, I changed things up today. No hat, and I’m wearing a USA Wrestling polo instead of a Team USA t-shirt. Gotta finish strong.

Thursday, August 8 - I felt a bit miserable this morning when the alarm clock went off. When you go with only a few hours of sleep, day after day, it wears on you. After today’s first session, we hit the halfway mark of the Olympic wrestling competition. The goal at this point is to keep up your stamina, get as much rest as possible, not get sick and finish strong.

The problem is that when we win, the days get longer and longer. There is more work to do in our Communications role on victory nights, and you do it with great joy and energy. But it tests you. There were times on Wednesday when I felt like I was going to nod off in the press row. Lots of water and tea with caffeine is helpful, but there is only one solution, really. Sleep.

We get that chance tonight. There were be no U.S. athletes in tonight’s medal match round at 7:30 p.m., which featured the final two Greco-Roman weights, plus 53 kg class in women’s freestyle. Therefore, no medals, and no late nights on the job. We were able to leave the arena when it was still light, and see what that part of Paris actually looks like.

My initial thoughts to help with fatigue situation this morning was to go a “blog free” day. Skip it, not stay up so late-late. However, instead, I worked on the blog a bit more during the day so we can stay consistent. As our men’s freestyle team gets rolling in Paris, with no medals until Friday night, this is a time for some random Olympic thoughts.

Yes, I have to admit that I get a bit superstitious at the Olympic Games. When things are going well, you don’t like to break the rhythm, the routine, the system. And we got off to a great start in Paris with our women winning the first two gold medals. We leave for the arena at a certain time, take a specific train to another train, try to sit in the same location in the press tribune, prepare for the day in the same way. For example, I wore one of the Team USA issued blue ball caps on the day that Amit won her gold medal. I have continued wearing that hat – and of course Sarah won last night.

When we got to the venue today, at just about the same time as normal, somebody had already taken the seats that we have used the last three days. There is no assigned seating in the tribune, so it is OK if somebody takes “your seat.” I was just hoping that by moving one row up does not mess up our mojo. Crazy things happen during every Olympics. The goal is to normalize things a little bit. When our three U.S. freestyle wrestlers (Helen, Spencer and Aaron) pounded their way into the semifinals this morning, I think our seating location change was not bad luck.

Another thing to note. They do production at a high level at the Olympics, but it all comes from the same script. Day after day, they use the same songs, the same video screen games (dance cam, the can-can, the video wig shots, etc.), the same preview videos, the same-same. If you are here for many days, you know what I am talking about. That can get mind numbing, especially when you aren’t really sure what day of the week it is. I’m talking about Groundhog Day at an Olympic scale. Same thing, just different wrestlers on the mat.

There was a pretty healthy break between sessions here. On busy days, we work right through it, I got a chance today to get out of the venue a bit. I took another walk down to the volleyball venue, bought some American food at a concession stand (cheeseburger and fries) and found a park bench to enjoy the summer sunshine and relax a bit. At least three folks came by and offered me a “bon appetit” greeting. It grounds you, just getting to a quiet place for a few minutes.

A bit about the semifinals. Spencer Lee looks like he is unstoppable. After a close battle with the athlete from China who he had a tough scrap with in Istanbul, he blew away the next two guys. His finals opponent, Rei Higuchi, is awesome, so that will be fun to watch. We lost the other two, with Aaron Brooks getting exposed on a counter in the final seconds by a talented Bulgarian, and Helen Maroulis losing a third straight time to one of Japan’s most talented stars. Both Aaron and Helen are in bronze-medal bouts and can still secure some hardware.

Picked up some fast food chicken (honestly it is called Winner Chicken and it’s slogan is Winner-Winner, Chicken Dinner), and am watching the Serbia vs. USA basketball game on France Channel 3 (the first time I have turned on a TV since being here). The U.S. comeback win was quite exciting.

We should have a chance for a bunch of medals over the next few days, so I look forward to some long nights getting the news back to the world. But tonight, we sleep.

Wednesday, August 7 – Smiles and hugs galore when Sarah wins Olympic gold

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Sarah Hildebrandt, but on the day when she achieved a childhood dream of winning an Olympic gold medal, Sarah was all smiles and happiness and hugging lots of people.

Things are upbeat when Sarah can be Sarah. This is the person who had stickers with her when she won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and handed them out to the fans immediately when she came off the mat after she made her second Olympic Team.

There is a special kind of joy that Sarah can generate, and it was in top form after she came off the raised stage at Champ-de-Mars Arena as the 50 kg Olympic gold medalist.

I was not just a witness. I actually am somebody who was included in her joy.

After you finish an Olympic medal match, you have to go through some long hallways to get to the media interview areas. I was stationed near the broadcast mixed zone waiting for her to work her way through. She turned a corner, saw me standing there, and literally ran down the hall to share her sunshine with me. That truly meant a lot to me.

Shortly after, her younger brother Drew Hildebrandt, the NCAA All-American who moved out to Colorado Springs to help train and support his older sister in her Olympic quest, showed up in the Mixed Zone. When she saw Drew, she gave him the greatest hug. Somehow, I was able to fire off a photo. When I showed Drew the picture, he wanted to know if I had intentionally put it in portrait mode (I have to admit that I had not done it on purpose, but the photo did come out awesome).

Sarah did not have the same normal kind of day that I am sure she imagined for her Olympic finals day. After earning a spot in the finals yesterday (avenging a loss to the tough Mongolian opponent), Sarah had to make weight the next day. Her brother Drew told a reporter that they went down and did a running workout over near the Eiffel Tower as part of her weight management process. Sarah needs a lot of discipline to compete at 50 kg, including a strategic diet and training plan. A true pro, she went and made weight for gold-medal night.

Not so, her finals opponent Vinesh of India, who did not make weight this morning. Missing weight at the Olympics is a rare thing, but especially by somebody in the finals.

When the word got around, there was a belief that Sarah would win the gold by forfeit. Not so fast. United World Wrestling cited its rule book when it made an announcement that the loser of the semifinals to Vinesh, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, would replace Vinesh in the finals. Sarah went from thinking she had won, then having to refocus after learning she had to wrestle somebody different. Somehow she got herself in the right frame of mind to go out there and perform. There is a gold medal hanging around her neck to prove it.

Having travelled to a few international trips alongside her parents, I can see where some of that life joy comes from. When Richard and I left the arena’s security wall after midnight, right outside the door was Sarah’s entire family with signs and banners. They were waiting for Sarah to finish with doping so they could share this special moment with each other. Well, some of the Hildebrandt family recognized us and greeted us enthusiastically.

Time to sign off, as my eyelids are heavy again. One other story. Sarah came into Paris with five career World or Olympic medals, but no golds. I asked Drew what tournament you should win if you could pick just one. Drew pointed out to the Olympic Games raised mats and said, “This one!” Yes, Sarah, you did it!

Tuesday, August 6 – It absolutely never gets tired hearing the U.S. national anthem at an Olympic Games. It is even sweeter when the gold medal is being awarded to a wrestler, a person who I know and work with as part of my job and my wrestling journey.

Tonight, Amit Elor became the youngest U.S. wrestler, any style or any gender, to win an Olympic gold medal. She did it at the age of 20. She did what she needed to do in the finals, a 3-0 win over a tough athlete from Kyrgyzstan who just could not break through Amit’s strength and position. She now has eight UWW World golds, plus an Olympic gold, and is not old enough to buy the champaign to celebrate. Amit has always been way ahead of her time, and she is continuing to raise the bar even more.

Our job gets busier when our athletes win, but it sure is more fun. You get to be there when the athlete does interviews with the press, when they put on their podium gear to get their medal, when they share their special moments with their family and friends.

I got myself down on the field of play for Amit’s medal ceremony and shot a few cell phone pictures, just because. We have professional photographers capturing the moments, so these were just for me. I have been down on the floor for all three Olympic medals won by our women, with Helen in 2016 in Rio and Tamyra in 2020 in Tokyo (well, in 2021, actually).

I don’t have enough time to mention all the cool things that we get to be around, but Amit’s win was huge, and she handled it with style and class. She not only dealt with the USA media, but because her parents were from Israel, she also had media from another country wanting to talk with her.

And Amit’s victory, no matter how huge it was to us, was not the biggest story of the night in the wrestling venue.

The place went crazy prior to Amit’s match, because the great Cuban Greco-Roman super heavyweight Mijian Lopez made Olympic history in the finals. Lopez became the first athlete in Olympic history, regardless of sport, to win a gold medal in a specific discipline in five different Olympic Games. I have been honored to see him win them all (2024, 2020, 2016, 2012 and 2008). At age 41, he is still too big and strong and talented for athletes half his age. We still wonder how much he might have made if the NFL got a hold of him earlier in his life. Best part is Lopez is a good person, so this attention is well deserved. He made it a bigger deal when he put his shoes on the mat and retired after his victory celebration.

I finish with some more of my planes, trains and automobile stories.

With such a late start for Monday’s finals, we were very late coming out of the arena. The question was whether the Metro would still be available for us. There are cities that shut down their subways late at night. Not so in Paris. Actually, not only was the Metro going strong after midnight, the trains were full of people. They like the night life in Paris. It kind of reminds me of the small town I was born in, New York, New York. The bistros were full of people near the arena. When we got near our hotel, we went to a chicken place down the street. Although the owner was closing, he let us in and made us up a nice chicken dinner for late night enjoyment.

I only got a few hours sleep after filing our last story, so I decided not to take the walk when I got up. One of the reasons is that I will almost certainly get the necessary steps in for the day, just by working the Games. There is a ton of walking to get the the Metro station, to get to the arena and to get around the complex. I decided to count the steps just to reach the media tribune, which ended up being 47 steps. We go up and down that all day, especially because the closest bathroom is at the bottom of the stairs.

It was a bit different tonight. We didn’t get out of the arena until around 1:00 a.m., and many of the Metro options were closed down. Richard has his handy-dandy app which gives options, and we had 11 minutes to get to the one train station near the arena that was still open. We hustled and just got there on time. We had to go a few stations then get off the train to take a bus the rest of the way. It is honest to say that when we got off the train, they were locking down the station and somebody had to open a locked gate to let us out onto the street. The bus came on time and went pretty much the same route as the normal train would have, just above the ground. I know we have the option to order Ubers if we have to work later. Katie Kriebel rode a Lime bike down to the arena today. And I guess there is the old fashioned option of walking if we have to.

Tomorrow (well actually today) Sarah Hildebrandt goes for gold. Hopefully we have another late night because we have another champion.

Monday, August 5 – Game Day. Need I say more. I set the alarm right this morning and took a short walk before getting organized for the day.

While getting prepared, I had a chance to reflect on getting another chance to work an Olympic Games. All I can say is that I aim to be both humble and grateful for this opportunity. We have all worked hard to get to this point, but now it is up to our athletes to make their own version of history. It is an honor and a privilege to be at the Olympics again, and to be part of the worldwide Olympic movement.

When people ask me about what it is like to be at the Olympics, I remind them that it is the biggest activity on earth as it happens. The whole world comes together, agree to an Olympic truce, and share the joy of sport and friendship. I tell newbies that they need to understand that the Olympics are bigger than any single individual, and that you can not control it. You need to focus on your piece of the Games and excel in that role. When everybody is striving for their own personal excellence, just like the athletes, it becomes memorable.

We met again over breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and filled up, both with caffeine and with food. A variety of U.S. delegation people were there, and everybody had their game day focus. We decided to head over to the venue at 11:30 a.m., getting us at Champ de Mars Arena at noon, three hours early. On day one, you have to scout everything out and find out what the different challenges might be over the next week.

First up is staking your claim in the press tribune. We like to sit at the end of a press row, on the side closest to the Mixed Zone. Except for a few major outlets, you need to find your seat again every day. When we got here, we were not first. John Sachs of the USA was second in the tribune, beaten out by a journalist from Kyrgyzstan who was wearing one of those distinguished hats of their nation. If you have not seen a hat from Kyrgyzstan, google it. It is a great gift to receive if you can get one.

As I mentioned the other day about the greater USA Wrestling community, there is also a larger international wrestling community. Among the journalists, there are people I see a few times a year, or in some cases, only every four years. The list will get a little long, but even before the first whistle on day one, I ran into Ikuo Higuchi from the Japanese Wrestling Federation, Gerard Remus from Switzerland, UWW employee Vinay Siwatch from India, broadcaster Hadi Amel of Iran, UWW photo boss Kadir Caliskan from Germany, Japanese photographer Sachiko Hotaka and many others. Gerard, who shoots photos at all the big UWW events, is not credentialled and will be in the stands with a ticket. Just because you cover wrestling all the time, it doesn’t mean you get a credential for the Olympic Games.

As we talk about family, prayers go out to Alan Vera, the runner-up at the Olympic Trials at 97 kg in Greco-Roman, who had a cardiac incident while playing soccer recently. He and two-time Olympian Elena Pirozhkova have a small child, so there is a whole family to keep in your thoughts. Friends have set up a Go Fund Me page to support them in this time of need. Had Alan beaten Joe Rau at the Trials at Penn State, he would be scheduled to wrestle tomorrow. His health is on my mind today as wrestling opens in Paris.

But like I said earlier, even with a late 3:00 p.m. start, today was game day. And after months of training and preparation for the athletes and teams, as well as a long period of promoting the athletes and the sport, we were able to enjoy the intensity of the Olympic Games today.

On quick comment on the presentation. They made it dark in the arena all day long, which can get a little challenging when you are trying to work. Although I appreciate all the lights and other special effects designed to make it a big-time show, it kind of wears you out when you are there for hours and hours.

But, back to the important stuff. How about that Amit Elor? We are talking about a generational talent who has already made a huge name for herself before her first Olympic Games. And look at what she is doing with the opportunity!!! Amit Elor is owning the biggest stage on earth, the Olympic stage.

We all knew she was something special. But that becomes cemented with a performance that the whole world sees. One more match and Elor is an Olympic champion. She will no longer be just known within the wrestling community. How many 20-year-olds can make the Olympic finals, and have not been beaten on the Senior level for three straight seasons? I can wait to see her Tuesday night.

Congratulations to her family, coaches and friends. Amit has a compelling life story, and is worth getting to know better. She represents herself, her family, her sport and her nation with excellence and dignity.

With a 9:00 p.m. start for the finals (way too late) I am still typing at 1:44 a.m. (I guess it is Tuesday already here). Expect the blog posts to be shorter from now on. Like I said, it is game time.

Sunday, August 4: Meeting over breakfast, the day one draw, and a nice dinner before it all starts.

I slept in today, although I did not intend to. Either didn’t set the alarm right, or didn’t hear it, but was up at 6:10 a.m., which is late for me. I skipped the walk, in order to get cleaned up for a 7:30 a.m. breakfast meeting with Richard Immel to plot out our content game plan for the competition, which begins tomorrow.

Holding the meeting at breakfast is a great idea, because that is where you see people from the USA delegation and have a chance to catch up about what is actually going on. This morning, among those having breakfast alongside us were USA Wrestling staff members Cody Bickley and Katie Kriebel, along with personal coaches Nate Engel and Momir Petkovic.

I also visited during breakfast with Zo, a native of France who is a coach with the Cowboy RTC at Oklahoma State. His actual name is Zoheir El Ouarraque, but to everyone in the sport, he is just Zo. USA Wrestling is very smart to have Zo as part of our group in Paris. The man grew up in a Paris suburb and knows this city inside-and-out. Zo is always enthusiastic and friendly. He is here to help everyone in anything they need in Paris. He and I spoke about important things to me, like the best gift ideas from Paris and cool places to eat that a local would suggest. I already have plans to act on his suggestions.

Richard and I made to-do lists that are too large, and after breakfast, we went back to work in our rooms. Both of us, at different times, ran off to a grocery store to stock up for the week. With the long days ahead, we may not get that chance again. My biggest need was another case of six huge bottled waters. I don’t want to run dry with no time to replenish.

We both returned to do more work in the basement breakfast location. What’s great about this hotel is they leave the breakfast room open all day, a place with good internet where we can work at all hours. They also leave access to the coffee and tea machine. After breakfast, they also leave out some uneaten fruit and what is left of the day’s baguettes. Again, I really like this hotel and its people. I started pre-writing some of the features we will be posting during the week ahead.

We did not take the bus down to the arena today, because there was a road race of some kind in our area, and the 92 bus was cancelled. We ventured down to the Alesia train station, and Richard thinks he solved my transit pass problem. When I reached in my pocket for my transportation pass, I pulled out my room key. He saw it immediately, said “you can’t get on a train with a room key,” then concluded that I used the room key yesterday when the train pass didn’t work. I don’t think I did the room key thing yesterday, but I am sure I am going to hear about this for days to come.

When we got through security (very light today), we went to work in the press room, which is located outside the arena. We were the only journalists there (as it is an off day in our venue, as judo finished yesterday). We had a nice visit with the interview manager for our venue, a German woman who lives in Switzerland named Barbara, who was not only a great source of information about how things will work here, but also a great conversationalist. She gave me some recommendations of where to visit in Germany, since I have never been there (except in airports). People can be very friendly at the Olympics, which is a breath of fresh air when things get busy and stressful during competition.

By the way, when I was working in the press room, at 4:38 p.m. my phone alarm went off. I had not missed the wakeup call. I just set it for p.m. instead of a.m.

Richard, who has an A credential that gives him some additional venue access than my E credential, went to the Technical Meeting and the Draw for the first three weight classes (68 kg WFS, 130 kg GR, 60 kg GR). There will be a draw every day of the week for the three weights that will begin the next day. One of our jobs will be to work on a daily draw story. I am also planning a preview story (more than the draw information) which should help our fans and the journalists know what to watch out for on the following day.

The draw came out and the two U.S. wrestlers competing on Monday got the same position in the bracket. Both Amit Elor and Adam Coon will open against the No. 1 seed in their weights, who are also the returning World champions. Elor pinned her first-round opponent, Buse Cavusoglu Tosun of Turkey, two years ago. Coon has never wrestled Amin Mirzazadeh of Iran, Should Coon win, he will probably face four-time Olympic champion Mijian Lopez of Cuba in the quarterfinals. Both wrestle in the first match of the day on their respective mats, Elor on Mat B and Coon on Mat C. Our wrestlers will need to be ready to go right off the bat.

U.S. photographer Tony Rotundo joined us in the Media Work Room, as he was scouting out the arena today. When Richard finished the draw story and I stopped on my feature, we all made our way into the arena. United World Wrestling and the Paris Organizing Committee were setting up the mats, hanging the banners and turning it into a wrestling venue. We were able to wander out onto the Field of Play and check everything out there. We ran into Jason Bryant, who was at his announcing location at the head table, stopped for a short visit and took a photo.

This could be the last night we can sit down for a dinner, so Richard, Tony and I found a restaurant outside of the venue, Café Boheme. We had a very friendly waitress, Zoe, who had a great spirit. She decided to help me with my French pronunciation when I did not say the word “Rhone” correctly. I had the chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries, and we had a nice time visiting, kind of the calm before the storm. Tony is staying at an Air BNB close to the arena. Richard grabbed something sweet from a pastry shop near the Metro station and we went back to the hotel before it was late. We both had some work to complete before bed, but plan for one more good night of sleep. Tomorrow, at 3 p.m. local time, the wrestling competition begins. From what I can tell, everybody is psyched to get this show on the road.

Saturday, August 3: Practice session on an island, Main Press Center visit and getting ready

After spending time with all our Greco-Roman Olympians and half of our women’s freestyle Olympians today, the adrenaline is starting to flow for me. The Olympics are here and now, with draw day tomorrow and the first day of competition on Sunday. Attending practice today gave me a lift, and really has me focused on the days ahead.

Got up early (4:45 a.m.) and went for the morning walk in the dark. The goal was to get a nice walk in before breakfast, then meet up with Richard Immel at 8:00 a.m. to venture out to practice. For the first time this Olympics, I went on the Metro, Paris’ famed subway system. Of course, my transportation pass, which is good for the entire Games, did not work in Alesia Station. I talked to a Metro employee who allowed me through this time. My mind was racing, wondering how I was going to get around if this pass will not work.

We took the two different trains to get where we needed to, and it took quite awhile to reach our destination. There was a healthy walk from the train to our workout facility, which was located on an island in the middle of the Seine River. We had to walk past a bunch of high rises, alongside a river walk and across the bridge to get to the private athletic facility where the team will have workouts.

The facility seems perfect. There were two mats in a large room, which had windows on both sides, with a balcony overlooking an outdoors Olympic-sized pool. There was a sauna in the building, a must for wrestlers. We came a bit early on purpose, because four FloWrestling journalists were coming to the practice session. When we walked in, National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner, Dr. Jeremy Frank and chiropractor Sam Nelson were mopping the mats. As personal coach Nate Engel said a little later, “no job is too small” for those who are supporting our Olympic athletes.

The athletes, personal coaches and training partners came in at different times. Two of the U.S. women’s freestyle stars, Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kg) and Dom Parrish (53 kg) came with their coach and training partner for individual workouts. After they got started, the four Greco-Roman Olympians also came in: Kamal Bey (77 kg), Payton Jacobson (87 kg), Joe Rau (97 kg) and Adam Coon (130 kg). It was great for me to visit with them, offer my encouragement, and just be around our team again.

The Olympics can be overwhelming, with its hustle-bustle and pushing and shoving, but being in a private facility that was isolated on an island and away from the madness was fantastic. We were surrounded by our people. The USA Wrestling family is a community, and it comes together like this in locations all over the world. I truly enjoyed the organized chaos of the wrestling practice with our athletes, our coaches, our medical staff, our broadcast partners, our people.

There was a local French female journalist who just kind of showed up. She said she knows the managers of the training facility, and they invited her to come over and take pictures and do interviews for the local monthly magazine, as well as social media platforms. It was fine with me – the more, the merrier when it comes to promoting wrestling.

Some random thoughts from today’s workout:

• Kamal and Payton were kicking a soccer ball back and forth, trying to keep it aloft. This is something that Payton is really good at.
• Payton’s training partner, Benji Peak, brought his special energy to the room. You could sense his joy for wrestling the second he arrived.
• Dom and her training partner Katie Gomez went pretty hard today, working on some brisk drilling, and some active scrambles.
• Guess what? The IOC can’t tell the difference between twins. There was a photo of Troy Steiner on Terry Steiner’s credential.
• Greco-Roman Team Leader Josh Weintraub and his colleague Bill Kloos were practicing jiu jitsu with Greco-Roman General Manager Justin Ruiz while the Olympic style training was going on.
• USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender and his wife Michelle were at practice.

I gotta have one screwed up travel story every Olympics, so I got that done today. I left practice before Richard to head to the Main Press Center for the first time this Olympics. Richard said I could switch out my transportation card at the MPC. I crossed the bridge and navigated the streets to get to the same train station we arrived at. The transportation card worked this time, so I proceeded to the train platform.

Somehow I got on the wrong side of the track. I knew I had to go four stations, so when the Metro went to the next stop, I didn’t pay attention, looking at my emails. The train went forward, then all of a sudden, the train stops and starts going in reverse. I looked around and saw that there was nobody on the train except me. I had gone the wrong way and didn’t get off on the last station, and remained on the train while it was doing its U-turn to head in the other direction. When I figured it out, I spoke to some locals who have great English, and they had a laugh or two at my expense. It cost me a little bit of time and was a bit embarrassing for a guy who spent a lot of time on subways in college in Boston, and when I was a youth going into New York City for adventures.

I got off at the Main Press Center, which is where the media from around the world can work. I went to the Team USA media office and found very few people there. In addition to Bill Hancock, who I spoke with yesterday, some friends at the MPC were Breaking News writer Craig Bohnert, Olympics historian Bill Mallon and Bill Kellick, a veteran Olympics Communications pro now with USA Judo, along with some volunteers. It seemed eerily quiet there.

Back in the day (starting to sound like an old person), the Main Press Center was the hub of media and press officer activity. In the days before email and texts (yes, there was a time without either of them), this is where you went to do your work and spend time with your peer press officers. I would walk around to the different media offices, pitching our sport and our athletes. There wasn’t anybody, really. Since I was there, I grabbed something to eat, plugged in the computer and did a little bit of work, while I also charged my dead phone.

When I came out of Alesia Station going back to the hotel, I noticed that the doors of the elegant old Catholic Church on the corner were open. They had been locked tight earlier in the week. I discovered that there was a mass in about an hour, so I went back to the hotel, dumped off the computer, and returned to church. The entire mass was in French, which I don’t understand, but I did my best to keep up with the parts of the liturgy which I know. There was a huge pipe organ at the back of the church which played robust music, and there was a good spirit there. That time of reflection will also pay big dividends the rest of the week ahead, when we are crazy busy at the wrestling venue. It is game time in just a few short hours.

Friday, August 2: Morning walks, a visit to the wrestling venue, and Eiffel Tower viewing  

Last night, Jason Bryant came by and we had dinner at a restaurant next to my hotel. The food was pretty good, but the atmosphere a bit strange. There were English curse words all over the menu and on the windows, and hanging from the ceiling were a bunch of bras and panties. You can’t make this stuff up. Jason was delayed a bit; there are so many Ibis hotels around here, he went to the wrong one and had to walk awhile to get to mine. We both decided to get some additional rest after dinner, because it gets very busy for us once wrestling starts.

So far, so good about being on the right time zone. I stayed up as long as I could keep my eyes open last night (10:15 p.m. or so) and set an early alarm, which I ignored a few times before getting rolling. I tend to get up way early, and even with a few extra winks, I was a few minutes ahead of schedule for breakfast, which opens at 6:00 a.m. each day.

The breakfast spread at the Ibis Syles Paris Alesia Montparnasse is impressive, but it reminded me that I am not very good at gadgets. Maybe my brain is too modern. I was unable to use their machine to make a hard-boiled egg correctly (quite messy when not cooked right) and I didn’t quite figure out the electric orange squeezer to make fresh OJ. I was able to scoop the tea leaves into a medal stainer and then use the hot water machine, to enjoy my first few teas of the day.

I took a walk after breakfast, although I plan to do it before breakfast moving forward. I became a huge advocate for walking early each morning during the Tokyo Games, when everything was locked down. I got up very early each day and walked the overpasses in Chiba, the Tokyo suburb where wrestling was held. I find the need to walk daily at the Games, both physically and spiritually. There is a ton of walking and stair climbing at the Olympics, and my legs and body need to be properly prepared. A nice morning walk clears the mind and soul before the craziness of the day ahead. It is also great for site seeing. Today, I did a shorter one than I will do tomorrow, walking the length of Rue de Plantes. It reminded me of the early walks in Belgrade, Serbia at the last two World Championships. Like in Belgrade, the French store owners were preparing their businesses for the day, sweeping and washing out the sidewalks, bringing in the morning deliveries, unlocking the doors and turning on the lights. Quite interesting, always.

After getting a few hours of work done for the morning (answering emails, working on journalist predictions story, listening to the Weighing In podcast), I packed up and set off for the wrestling venue, the arena at Champ de Mars. I decided to take the 92 bus, recommended by John Sachs. The bus stop was very close to the hotel and was a direct shot to the arena. The subway goes faster, but has some connections involved. I like sitting on the bus and looking at all the neighborhoods along the way. Taking the bus may take less time than the train, I am told. When I got out of the bus at the école militaire stop (which means military school), I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time this trip, standing tall right near the wrestling venue. Kind of breath taking, for sure.

It was a short walk to the media entrance for the venue. I am a press operations geek and decided to check out the media set up. The idea is getting the right strategy for Richard Immel and I for doing our job well as press officers. The security check-point was finished quickly and easily, and I wandered around inside the protected area.

I located the media work room, which is in a temporary tent outside, then went inside to see the media work areas in the arena. I was able to meet one of the venue press chiefs, a pleasant and helpful fellow from Egypt. I went inside and checked out the media tribune (seating area), watching the judo competition where the wrestling mats will be placed down in a few days. The press chief gave me a personal tour of the media mixed zone, which is also outside. This is where athletes get interviewed, and this is easily the longest mixed zone I have ever seen at a Games. I took a lot of photos and got the lay of the land. I ended up running into another press chief later in the visit. Things were very muddy outside the arena, because of the rains last night. Needless to say, my brand new Nikes are no longer perfectly bright.

I also worked on my suspenders strategy. Really, it’s a thing. I dropped a bunch of weight this winter and my pants don’t fit well anymore. I have not dropped to the next size down, so I am not thin enough for a new wardrobe yet. Thus, I use suspenders with medal clamps to keep the pants up. Of course, I have to take suspenders off to go through the security metal detectors in airports and sports venues. The strategy is finding a private place near the security tent where I can put the suspenders back on. I have located my options, so things are good moving forward.

I had hoped to visit with our staff member Megan Ball, who has been here a few weeks helping the Wrestling Sports Manager Ender Yaksi pull together the wrestling competition in Paris. I was hoping to have her join me for lunch, but she was too busy, but she did give me some recommendations on which way to go to find good options. I went into a restaurant that was not overcrowded and got a seat immediately. Pretty much, the menu was almost completely fish entrees, which I don’t eat. I had the one meat meal available and it was good.

Outside the arena, I ran into one of the U.S. referees working the Games, Susanna Sylstad. She and two other women referees were visiting the area after just arriving here in Paris. Susanna is a neat person and very good at her craft, and I look forward to seeing her in action as a ref during the Games.

I didn’t attend the second session of judo, because there were no Americans competing today. Instead, I decided to check out the Beach Volleyball venue, which is next to the wrestling venue and built right next to the Eiffel Tower. My credential allows me to go to media areas in every arena. I called my friend Bill Hancock to see if Beach Volleyball was a ticketed event. Some venues are so popular with the press that there is more demand than space for media. At a ticketed event, media need to have a special “ticket” to get in, which they get from their Olympic Committees. Bill has handled media ticketing for the U.S. delegation and is very good at it. He said it was not ticketed, so I could go right in. You might recognize his name because he is in the news a lot. He just retired from his job running the College Football Playoff, and earlier in his career he ran the NCAA Final Four. Bill’s one of the nicest people I know, a wonderful people person.

I was lucky to see the U.S. men’s team compete against Spain. The place was packed and it had a spirited crowd. The view from the press seating gave a stunning, up-close look at the Eiffel Tower. The U.S. dropped a tight 21-18 in the first game of the match to Spain, so I left, thinking maybe I was bad luck (I also had other work to do). Jason Bryant might consider some of the volleyball announcer gimmicks to get the crowd fired up. There is the left-right chant, which makes the fans wave their arms back and forth. Then there is was 1-2-3 stomp, which made the crowd all stomp their feet loud on the medal bleachers.

Don’t think we have a lot of time to visit other sports. I have been to every Olympics since 1988 in Seoul and have only seen a few sports. Since we share a venue with judo, I was able to be there the last two Olympics to see U.S. star Kayla Harrison win both of her gold medals. In 2000 in Sydney, I saw all of the U.S. judo athletes, because I was also a press officer for judo during the first half of the Games. At the 1988 Olympics in Sydney, I got into the track-and-field arena and saw Ben Johnson win the 100-meter dash. (A few days later, it was stripped from him because of a doping violation). I also saw a basketball game during the 1988 Games. Like the athletes on our wrestling team, this is a business trip, so I am doing long days supporting the team, with little or no time for being a tourist.

Things got a little bit more crowded this afternoon. When I left the arena area, there was a big line for media tying to get in. The return 92 bus was really jammed also. I met a young woman on the bus with a huge bag and we had a short chat. She is from Paris but works remotely. In her big bag was a hang glider, and she was returning from the Atlantic Coast where she had done some gliding.

When I got back to the hotel, members of the wrestling delegation were in the lobby, having returned from Normandie. National staff members Cody Bickley, Richard Immel and Katie Kriebel were there, along with a number of the personal coaches and some USOPC Performance staff members. It is nice having familiar folks here at the same hotel. It makes it very clear that wrestling is about to get started. It will be game time on Monday. I am getting excited about seeing our Olympians compete.

Thursday, August 1: Trying to stay up on the first day, and seeing a Paris neighborhood

Not being able to sleep on planes can be problematic, especially on international flights like my travel leg from Minneapolis to Paris last evening. After using the free wi-fi to work on a bunch of non-Olympic USA Wrestling projects for a few hours, I listened to three Spotify Mix-Tapes covering three decades, the 60’s, the 70’s and the 80’s. Add in watching 2/3 of the recent Bob Marley movie, as well as peaking over a shoulder at somebody’s viewing of Yellowstone with subtitles.

The biggest question I had for myself was whether to do a Paris blog, like I had done for other Olympics and some international events in the past. I have had some good feedback and the traffic numbers were decent in the past, but like you know, people just don’t read as much these days. I decided, that since I am going to take notes of things daily anyway, it would not be too much of a time burn typing things up and sharing them. Please let me know if you enjoy this, and I will commit to keeping them coming (my email is gabbott@usawrestling.org). By the way, the best Olympic blog, quad after quad, is by National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner, and I hope you have been following it daily on TheMat.com.

My Communications colleague Richard Immel has done an amazing job covering our team during the first part of the Games, flying in with the squad, going through processing with them, attending practices in Paris and spending time in the Athlete’s Village. He also joined the team in Normandy for their pre-competition training. His photos, videos and social posts have taken all of us along with the wrestlers on their Paris journey. He will also post another masterpiece today, the Olympic Wrestling Media Guide he produced and designed, something everybody should check out prior to watching our team, which begins action on August 5.

Like I did in Tokyo, I am coming in after the in-country training cycle and working the wrestling competition portion of the Games. As such, I was travelling alone from Colorado Springs to Minneapolis to Paris. But really, during an Olympics, you never travel alone. When I arrived at my gate in Minneapolis, I saw what for sure are part of the USA track and field delegation. Also waiting to board was Jason Bryant, a former USA Wrestling colleague and now one of the greatest public-address announcers on earth. JB was also headed to Paris, sitting just two seats behind me on the plane. After I landed, I lost him in the busy process of going through passport control but will for sure see him at the wrestling venue. I also gave out my first two pins of the Games to a pair of nice Delta flight attendants who helped me with some extra bottled water for medical needs.

After collecting my credential and my two big bags, I secured a taxi to take me to the media hotel where the USOPC has housed Richard and I, the Ibis Syles Paris Alesia Montparnasse. Traffic at an Olympics is always a bit problematic, and there were parts of the cab ride that reminded me of Los Angeles at rush hour. However, the cabbie was able to get into the Olympics lane for most of the trip and dropped me off safely and at about 10:10 a.m. The Ibis is a nice little property in a busy part of a regular Paris neighborhood. The staff is great, as even though I arrived too late for breakfast, they let me go down to eat (they left the food out longer than the posted time). I ran into U.S. photographers John and Anne Sachs who are staying here. They were also in this neighborhood for a vacation earlier in the year and really love the community. Also ran into some French journalists who live in an Atlantic Ocean community and was excited about visiting with somebody from the USA.

Normally when I travel to Europe, I try to push through for the entire full day, to get on a normal sleep schedule. For some reason (maybe age?) I was really dog-tired after breakfast. After unpacking and showering, I went for a short walk, to buy some bottled water and see the neighborhood. Like much of Europe, there all kinds of busy café scenes, and there was a nice little park and a beautiful historic church. I love taking pictures when I travel. You would not know that there was an Olympic Games going on based upon how this neighborhood was behaving, just living their urban lives in one of the world’s great cities. I found some subway holes and bus stops, which will be helpful. We get a transportation pass, which will be our savior the rest of the Games.

The punchline of the story is that when I returned from the walk (it was hot today), I called my wife Pat Fox at home (it was 5:00 a.m., our normal time for tea) thanks to What’sApp. She convinced me to take a short nap, which I did, and I am ready to go. Working on this blog and other assignments until I go out for dinner. We will know tomorrow or not if I actually get on the right sleep schedule. Richard returns with the first half of the U.S. wrestling delegation tomorrow, so we will be able to get back to having USA wrestlers back in Paris again. A visit to the venue and to the Main Press Center are in order soon.