Keith Quinn will be providing a regular blog for tvnz.co.nz from Beijing during the Beijing Summer Olympics and the Paralympics.
Keith Quinn's
Olympic blog archive.
See also John McBeth's Olympic blog archive.
August 30 - Time for some music in Beijing
A very proud evening last night in Beijing for members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO). And for a Kiwi sports reporter lucky enough to be there. Thanks to a very kind gesture by the New Zealand Ambassador in China, Tony Browne and his wife Susan, I was fortunate enough to be in the audience for the second of two concerts in China by the NZSO. And what a show it was!
A highlight for me as I wait here for the 2008 Paralympics to
start next week.
Right from the pulsating pacific drumbeat beginning of Gareth Farrs
Te Papa through to the blazing finale of Tchaikovsky's Symphony
No.5 this was a great night for New Zealand.
The first concert had been the night before at the Forbidden City
Concert Hall where the Chinese-Australian cellist Li Wei joined the
orchestra. They played Edward Elgars masterpiece cello concerto.
New Zealand music was represented by John Psathas Olympiad
XXVIII.
The Pathas composition was the music which thrilled the Opening
Ceremony at the Athens Games of 2004 and I have it at home from
that broadcast. And at the risk of sounding like a rugby
commentator trying to suddenly sound like he is a music reviewer,
the Elgar cello concerto has been a favourite of mine since I first
saw the BBC documentary on the life of Jacqueline Du Pre and her
interpretation of it.
My wife will attest to the many hours we have it on our car radio
and in the house! We both love it.
But last night when I went to the amazing Egg (The National Centre
for the Performing Arts) the NZSO turned their concert on superbly.
The 4000 crowd in the main auditorium of the futuristic design
concert hall loved every moment.
Everything was done perfectly. When Ambassador Browne began his
introductory words to the crowd in their local mandarin tongue
there was immediate applause. When Mr Browne continued in the
language right through his speech it went down an absolute
treat.
Then the conductor Pietari Inkinen with karanga by Haley Maxwell
and soloists Simon O'Neill and Deborah Wai Kapohe appeared and the
orchestra launched into the rousing Te Papa. Conductor Gareth Farr
was one of the five percussionists who thundered the rhythms
through the brilliant piece.
I had not heard it before. Afterwards I was told this was only its
fifth playing in the last eight years.
The tenor Simon O'Neill then stayed for three arias. He is a New
Zealander who deserves to be known more widely. A product of
Ashburton he told me afterwards his Mum and Dad still proudly live
there. He reckons he'll take a break from his worldwide touring and
playing in the world's great Opera Houses to come home and do a
free tour of New Zealand. The only catch is there HAS to be a
concert included in good old Ashburton!
The brilliant O'Neill was called back for four ovations and to
thank the packed house he then launched to great version of Nessun
Dorma. This of course is as widely known in China as it is
everywhere else in the world and such was Simon's powerful
rendition of it the crowd burst into applause as the piece rose to
its finale. Just like in the famous Pavarotti version.
The enthusiastic audience, by now fully primed, then showed their
further appreciation by applauding the end of every movements break
in the Tchaikovsky's Symphony.
At the concert's conclusion, Pietari Inkinen sensed the enthusiasm
of the audience by playing Strausss, Radetsky March and the Thunder
and Lightening Polka as encores and invited the crowd to clap
along. They enthusiastically followed his conducting of them.
Pietari then stood with the band and took five, yes five, curtain
calls and standing ovations. The applause and cheering and flowers
took many moments.
Afterwards at the orchestra's tour dinner, at which I was also
thrilled to attend, he told the players this had been the best they
had played together and he outlined the ambitions he and the
Orchestra's Board have for further travel and playing. I guess we
must all watch this space.
You get the impression I was astonished by the whole night? Well,
yes I was.
So thanks again to Mr Browne and his very generous invitation.
Thank you sir, the whole evening made me very proud to be a Kiwi.
So what is better than that?
And of course thanks to our wonderful New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra.
August 21 - Quinn's day
off
A day off! A day off! How glorious it is at the Olympic Games to be
offered one.
Well, it was not really a day off yesterday but as near as dammit I
suppose. As it turned out.
After hitting the hay at 12.30 the night before (the Nick Willis
race was on very late and our bus was slow in edging through the
crowds on our way back to the hotel) my day off yesterday started
with a wakeup call at 5.45 a.m.
Up early; a shower, shave and shampoo (with hallelujah - a new
shirt!) and then a 45 minute bus trip down into downtown Beijing to
make a fleeting appearance on TV1's popular 'Good Morning' Show.
John McBeth and I have been appearing on it every Monday, Wednesday
and Friday during the Games to update our good mate Brendan
Pongia.
Just before I went on air I had a chance to ring home and found my
5-year-old grandson James was off school and staying with 'Granny.'
('Granny Annie' being my dear wife of course) So I began my piece
with Brendan by breaking all the rules and waving to wee James.
Sorry TVNZ, but thanks for allowing me to do it!
Then it was out of the studio, a cheery wave to our early working
Beijing staff, Geoff Bryan and co, and out the door I went onto the
same bus for the 45-minute trip back to the Hubei Hotel!
(There were only two of us on the bus; the British athletics great
Steve Ovett and I. We chatted all the way, wondering at one point
what all the people were queuing for at the 'Peking University of
Stomatology.' And I made a note to find out what stomatology
is.)
So that got me 'home' on my day off at 11 a.m. Then I attempted
this blog on my laptop. I decided to cleverly inject some wonderful
words of description into my story here from lying on my bed and
watching the Long Distance Swim race, which had just started on my
hotel TV.
Poof! I woke up. Fours had passed. I had slept on top of the bed
for all that time. Gee I musta needed it. That can happen late in
the Olympics schedule.
Anyway, that took me to mid-afternoon on my day off. I then rang a
few mates around the hotel to see what they were up to ('meet for a
few beers later?' was a thought I'd had) but with no responses to
any of the rooms I felt like Norman No-Mates far from home.
So I then made a command day off decision. I packed up my gear
again and went down through the hotel foyer and onto the bus
again.
Did I have a trip planned back into town to spend the rest of my
day off shopping, sightseeing or such like?
Nah. I clamoured onto the bus, being my cheery self to all the
smiling, attentive staff, and headed back on the 45 minute trip
again towards the Bird's Nest stadium. There was track and field to
watch. This is the Olympic Games after all.
The events are like drugs to me. I can't help my addiction. How
could I not want to watch Usain Bolt run in the 200 metres? Or
Adrian Blincoe on the 5000 metres? Or any of the other stuff on the
programme?
Watching those events beats downing a few beers any day. And a
perfect way to spend one's day off I reckon at the most beautiful
event in the world - the Olympic Games.
FOOTNOTE: OK, so I misjudged it. Off the bus and on my way to the
stadium I stopped at the international broadcast centre (IBC) to
pick up a jacket for the cool late weather conditions there
sometimes are, late at night, in this city.
'Boy Keith, are we glad to see you?' rushed our late producer on
duty, 'we've decided to package up the highlights of the women's
hammer throw to fit into tonight's show, just before Usain Bolt's
200 metre final. Can you do the call?'
'Err, yea sure,' was my reply.
So that is why folks, you never saw me at the stadium tonight, you
never saw me cheering my lungs off as Bolt turned for home, you did
not catch me gasping in wonderment at his world record.
No. I was back in the studio putting a late voice on the women's
hammer throw.
On my alleged day off! End of bloody story. (And then it was
home on the 11pm bus again!)
And I still do not know what stomatology is!
August 17: Greatest day ever?
Yes, it has been a long time between drinks. The Valerie Vili
win in the women's shot put on Saturday night here in Beijing was
great for her, but fun for me too.
It was only my second commentary call of a New Zealander winning a
Gold Medal in 36 years of travelling and broadcasting from the
Olympic Games. And they tell me mention of my 'feat' came up on the
TV ONE News. Why thanks you sirs!
There was however some droll humour going around from my colleagues
in the sports division of our Olympic operation. Said one bloke
when I came back to the studio, 'yea, but working on the same
average, Keith, it'll be 2044 before you do another one!' Smart
bugger.
But it was great to be part of the night. I do not claim to know
Valerie very well. Hardly at all really, but commentating on it
choked this old bloke up a bit.
Especially with the way she banged out her first distance, a
personal best 20.56metres, and then paraded her not insignificant
presence around in front of the other competitors just to show them
the closeness of her imposing presence.
It was as if she was saying 'I am here and if any of you throw
further than me I can knock you off any time.' I loved it.
And the way she celebrated afterwards! Those crushing hugs of her
coach Kirsten Hellier and fellow athlete Rebecca Wardell would have
nearly ended their careers there and then. It was part of a great
sporting day for New Zealand.
Of course we all gushed with further pride when the All Blacks test
score in South Africa was posted.
But was it our greatest sporting day? Really?
With most of those who are rushing to say 'Yes it is!' don't forget
that New Zealanders in the past were just as excited about sport as
we are today.
I say let us not rush to judgement. Lets not overlook the other
important milestones our little country has passed as sporting
milestone along the way.
Great days past
How about these for instance;
- 18th January 1925; the All Blacks beat France 30-6 in Toulouse
and celebrated an unbeaten sequence of tests on the tour which
dubbed the team 'The Invincibles.'
- 8 August 1936. In one of the most celebrated races of Olympic
history Jack Lovelock broke the World Record and won the 1500
metres in front of Adolf Hitler in Germany. A true Olympian
achievement.
- 23rd July 1952. Yvette Williams becomes New Zealand's break
through women's Olympic Champion, winning the long jump Gold Medal
in Helsinki.
- 13th March 1956. After 26 years and 45 tests played our
cricketers finally won our first ever test match. It was against
the West Indies at Eden Park.
- 1st September 1956. The country was in a rugby ferment like never
before. Our All Blacks just HAD to beat the Springboks to win their
first ever test series. When the final score was posted 11-5 to New
Zealand the whole country went crazy.
- 1st September 1960. Peter Snell and Murray Halberg in a 'golden
hour' won two gold medals for New Zealand on the track at the Rome
Olympic Games.
- 31st August 1972. Our Rowing right, captured on videotape scored
a massive upset win at the Munich Olympic Games, and grown Kiwi
blokes from the team sobbed with pride when our national anthem was
heard for the first time at the Olympics.
- 25th January 1974. A slim Wellington athlete (true!) Dick Tayler
won the 10,000 metres at the Christchurch Commonwalth Games. He ran
past many empty seats on day 1 of competition but such was the
excitement engendered there was not a seat to be had for the rest
of the Games.
- 20th June 1987. At the first ever Rugby World Cup the All Blacks
beat France 29-9 to win, the significance of the victory growing
ever more poignant in the failures in future World Cups in the
years since.
- 4th September 2005. New Zealand rowing wins four Gold medals in
the same afternoon in Japan at that year's world rowing
championships. All done in an hour and a bit.
All of the above and I haven't even mentioned, John Walker, the
America's Cup, the All Blacks winning a test series in South Africa
for the first time, the All Whites winning a place for the FIFA
World Cup finals in 1982, our great golfing days, and even the
surge of pride when Jonah Lomu went crazy in a Rugby World Cup
semi-final against the Poms in Cape Town.
All have merit in our nation's sporting story. But is 16th August
2008 - the best day ever?
I wonder...
Meantime, pass this old bloke another celebratory drink (a soft one
for the way my head is thumping) for Saturday night's great
effort.
Then I better stagger off and get my Zimmer Frame ready for the
year 2044.
August 14: Leave China alone!
Come on world! Get real!
Another example of getting stuck into the Olympic Hosts is being
pushed out onto the world stage from here in Beijing. And I reckon
it is being done just because it is the Chinese who are involved in
the story.
It seems the organisers of the Opening Ceremony here over-dubbed a
voice recording of a wee kid singing a pretty song. But instead of
using that same wee kid to actually sing on the big night the
organisers substituted her recording and used a more 'cute' wee
girl to front up instead. It was the second child who was ushered
onto centre stage for the world to see and to sing over the top of
the pre-recorded song.
Well, I say big flamin' deal! Who cares?
Concerning this story you should have seen all hell break loose in
Olympic city. News reporters were suddenly rushing around,
distracted from covering their regular sports events to 'uncover'
this apparent 'shame' that China had foist upon the world.
The hint was; how dare the Chinese try to trick the world.
Well, in case anyone missed it let me state here that over-dubbing
and using of substitute voices occurs every night on TV in probably
every station in the world.
Every flamin' night I might add.
In Athens at the 2004 Olympics for instance I can recall images
from the rich Greek past being played onto the main stadium with
full orchestra over-dubbing and voices raised in song. It was all
part of making the TV coverage more colourful and more spectacular.
Did anyone moan - of course they didn't?
Any sort of over-dubbing is old hat too. I can go all the way back
to those great films 'Mr Fair Lady' and 'West Side Story' in the
1960s. In those it wasn't Audrey Hepburn or Natalie Wood who sang
their main songs. Instead a singer called Marnie Nixon who was
called in. She warbled away and they dubbed her voice in over the
top of Mesdames Wood and Andrews. Who cared?
I only remember it as the question is often used in pub trivia quiz
nights!
But this year, because I suspect it involves some sort of universal
suspicion which I have noted, of alleged Chinese methods to trick
the world, suddenly it becomes BIG news!
I say, come on everyone; who cares that one kid sang here and the
other didn't?
Let's get over it; there are tricks and stunts pulled every night
on TV; American TV coverage here in Beijing is mostly delayed but
they don't say so. Come to think of it in 'Friends,' and every
other Hollywood comedy series are those real people in the studio
chortling away? Or is it a laughter track they have secured from
the audio control room?
And in the TV commercials you see every night are all the speaking
voices the same as those in place when the vision was actually
shot?
Of course they are not. To me this story is no biggie.
To repeat, I have gained the feeling here that when it is the
Chinese who follow the rest of the world it is deemed to be
something dreadful that is done.
And I reckon the nice Chinese people here putting on a great Games
so far do not deserve it!
August 12: Beijing - This isn't a hoilday
Having been here in Beijing for over ten days now I know how to get
a dark look from any one of the 120 people who are in the team
working to bring you the coverage of the 29th Olympic Games. All
one has to say is, "How's your holiday going?"
At that you can expect either a short-sharp reply, which this paper
would not dare to print or a description of my parentage detailing
that they were never actually married!
The fact is whatever you say about the coverage; be it too much,
too little, the commentators talk too much or not enough, the fact
is it is being sent to you by as committed a bunch of people as I
have ever worked with.
In our team of 120 we have New Zealanders or course, but also
Americans, Aussies, Poms, people from various Asian countries and
of course Chinese, both local and New Zealand-based. The planning
has been put together by a core group in Auckland, working together
for over a year.
Our studio here opens with staff in place at 5.30 a.m. It is never
locked up. After the TVNZ people wearily head homewards some 16
hours later, each person having worked about a ten-hour day, the
South African editors jump on the machines and pump out their own
highlights show until about 3am. A visit from the cleaners then
takes place and at 5.30 a new batch of committed kiwis comes off
the bus from the Hubei Hotel and another day of Olympic excitement
starts up for you.
These Olympics are the first to be pumped back to New Zealand in
the new High Definition video quality pictures. Honestly, if I
hadn't seen it myself I never would have believed so much new
clarity of vision would be possible. Each day here I have found
myself passing one of our studio screens, pausing and gasping at
what is being achieved.
And the planning by local Chinese TV directors to bring you new
versions of familiar events is mind-boggling. Have you noted the
swinging overhead panning shot taken over the top of the rowing
races? Or the tumbling water slow-mo replays at the swimming? And
did you wonder, as I did, at the stunning opening ceremony how men
and women were suspended from pulleys and wires above the main
Olympic Stadium while there were crashing fireworks being let off?
How was that planned and achieved?
So far my own favourite in a first half of working with a great
team here was seeing the men and women's cycling events. They each
began in Tiananman Square and then raced out and around the Great
Wall of China. Now come on! Who of us in our wildest breadth
of imagination would have ever thought the outside world would have
ever been invited in behind the previously impenetrable bamboo
curtain to see such a sight? I feel privileged to be part of the
team here seeing that sort of stuff unfold.
August 9: Beijing - The marathon
commentary
The Opening Ceremony has come and gone here in Beijing and so the Games are all go from here on. Doing the Opening Ceremony commentary was as a tough a haul as John McBeth and I could ever remember.
This blog today I hope will not be seen as the utterances of two blokes trying to fight back because some criticism of our work has since appeared on several websites back home. Rather it is an explanation of how an Olympic Opening ceremony commentary is put together.
McBeth and I had known for some time that we would be doing the
commentary on the auspicious day. We were proud to have been picked
and looked forward to the day.
For my part back home in New Zealand I had a search engine send to
my computer each day, for a couple of months, all the news in
English about those countries whose teams, well - spoke
English!
The best and most pertinent facts from those sites I then cut and pasted appropriately into their team slots and built up files. When we arrived in Beijing it was matter of trawling all information together with all the teams arriving, all speaking their own languages.
But with regard to the Chinese cultural parts we knew would be a major part of the ceremony we could not do much more than skirt around a wide knowledge and do nothing too exact. That was because many parts of the ceremony are kept secret from the world and in fact some parts were not released for us to consider for interpretation in commentary until the actual ceremony had started. That was the same for all countries' TV services.
So to the person who complained, and it was reported on the New Zealand Herald website about the commentators not knowing much about Chinese history the answer, in a wide sense, is that we didn't know till the last moment what was to exactly come. To that end we had employed the highly talented Sophie Zheng, an ex-Beijinger now involved in TV work in Wellington, to cover off the cultural aspects.
So when Sophie the culture of her homeland John and I tended quite rightly to lean back a bit and let her have her say. It was her time and I think she did it well.
When the sporting aspects of the 204 teams marching in came we came in again John and I launched into action again. At the end, during the ceremonial aspects of the Olympic dignity, all three of us gave it heaps as best we could to help take the show and the TV programme to its appropriate climax.
At the end of the four and a half hour broadcast we three all sat exhausted. We must have made quite a sight. It had been hellishly hot and steamy. This was no time for John and I to look like Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. We were soaked through and knackered (though Sophie looked fine to my eye).
Our final scripts, each up to 160 pages long and in order when
we started, were scattered on the floor at our feet as there was
nowhere else to put them when their use had finished. The mess was
horrendous! (Though we tidied up like good kiwi boys!)
So that was it. You can say what you like about what John, and I
and Sophie might have actually said and the construction of our
wordage. And whether it was any good or not. That is every viewer's
right of course. But behind every TV situation there is perhaps a
backgrounder to be mentioned.
All I can say is I was proud to do the job and I gave it my best shot. I know John and Sophie did too. Now like everything in the voracious world of TV that commentary is cast aside and we now look to our next assignments here as the Games start up in earnest.
Talk to you soon right here on tvnz.co.nz
August 7: Beijing - Pete Montgomery lost for words!
I will say it again as I have said it before. There is no finer animated watcher or person who takes enjoyment from viewing the events of the Olympic Games than everyone's good friend, that great broadcaster, Peter ('PJ') Montgomery.
It has been my privilege to know Pete since we were both kids in our early 20s back in the early 1970s at 1ZB in Auckland. (That's, gulp, about 35 years ago). I know Pete to be a person of impeccable character and integrity. And if you haven't grasped it via his on-air commentaries Pete has an enthusiasm for life which never dims. Yet if he is onto something which he REALLY likes then look out!
He goes into an even deeper state of abstraction, complete with flashing eyes behind his glinting spectacles. His face lights up with a unique brightness. His expressions and descriptions become vibrant and almost trembling as he relays what has just caught his even more concentrated interest.
I have seen this expression of animation from him a number times at the Olympic Games. Pete is like me, we have been blessed to enjoy many sights and sounds in this world from travelling along the career path we have both chosen. Many times we have both stood in wonderment and thought 'how lucky we have been in life.'
But China got him the other day.
You see, in the week running up to the Opening Ceremony each of the staff here in Beijing was given a day off to recover from the rigours of travelling over from Auckland. A group of our people went into work (yes its true!) another gang went shopping (hi girls!) and yet another gang went off to see the Great Wall of China. PJ was in the last group.
It was a steaming hot day and the intrepid kiwi tourists had to travel an hour or so out of town until the great edifice came into view. Well, they saw just some of its 4000 miles!
I didn't go with them as I have visited the Wall before. (But I will go again before this trip is over. It is said 30,000 tourists visit every day.)
When our group came back to the hotel after their day away and arrived all tussled and flushed from the heat outside all had been impressed. They tried to find the words to describe one of the world's great wonders of human construction. And then I saw PJ!
His eyes were glazed beyond the others. He was in a kind of wild trance. He stammered for his words. Initially I was worried for the man's welfare. Had the heat of the day got to this man? He grasped my arm and pulled me down to sit and listen. And when he spoke his great powers of expression were tested to the limit.
"Today Keith,' he began, staring ahead into a kind of middle-distance, 'I saw one of the greatest things I have ever had the opportunity to experience and try to understand! How DID those people, all those years ago create such a wall...&golly it's so long Keith&it goes on and on and on&golly, it was all so even and precise in its construction, how did they do it?&gee it was wonderful, fantastic, amazing! It disappeared for miles and miles and miles.' There was even more.
You get the picture? PJ Montgomery, this Prince of Expression had been blown away by the Great Wall and its wonder. It was nearly a case of having to go and get him a glass of water as he warbled away! And suggest he have a lie down!
Then he put the day's experience in the most powerful of personal perspective. 'Today, seeing the Great Wall, I reckon the experience goes into the Top Five things I have ever seen in my life. It's right up there with seeing the birth of my two kids, Katie and Johnny, and they are beautiful. Then seeing the Space Shuttle take off one time when I was in the States and then another time with my darling Claudia, we climbed high into the Andes to see Machu Picchu, the 'Lost City of the Incas' in Peru. They were all top experiences, but now this today - The Great Wall of China. Wow!'
That was followed by more description, more of reaching deep into Peter's grasp of language. All his words were accompanied by a slow shaking of the head in awe and bewilderment.
This great man of words had been stunned by - a Wall!
Look, I haven't even started to tell you of my experiences of listening over the years to PJ talk about his love of yachting, rugby, handball (yes, handball! He loves that game!) in fact of all sports.
You would have heard his excitement and sheer love for all
sports from his radio shows and TV commentaries over the years. But
here this week, seeing the child-like amazement on his face and his
grasping for vivid expression as he told of his trip to the Great
Wall of China - well, that in itself was a sight to see!
August 7: Beijing - First impressions
Hello New Zealand!
The words of the old George Gershwin song came back to me yesterday
as I took my first view of the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. Driving
into our Olympic Broadcast Centre suddenly there it was but not
sitting sharply as I had seen it so often in the photographs so
many times but instead half-hidden in the grimy Beijing murk of
yesterday.
Yes, my own opinion was at last confirmed and sadly after the first couple of days with the city bright, sunny and hot, at my first sighting the Olympic stadium of 2008 stood as mute testimony, a shadowy figure, to the evils of the potent mix of polluted air and dirty mist.
So a sad changed rendering of 'A Foggy Day in Beijing Town' was mumbled under the breath, a mangled version of Gershwin's dear old song about London.
I told you here yesterday about the nice people who are looking after us on our floor at the hotel. And the piece of rice they put on the door handles of our rooms to signal whether we are in or out.
Well, another curious thing little Chinese thing happened yesterday, which was slightly funny to observe, but which showed the impeccable character we are learning these lovely, patient locals seem to live by. You see, I had a few problems with the safe in my room, the one in which I like to store my passport and money etc. Every hotel these days seems to have one.
In my room the safe is situated down at the base of a wardrobe in my room. The door wasn't closing to the commands I was tapping onto the keyboard on its door frontage. I couldn't read the Chinese symbols of the instructions.
So I called two of the young kids who are looking out for us 24/7 (on every floor actually) in our hotel. As though it was national crisis they hurried to my room to assist.
The two kids (one male and one female) squatted down and tapped away until finally they looked up at me and said, 'Sir, we have fixed it. You can tap in your private number now.' Being an old trusting kiwi joker I said to Merle, the young female, 'look Merle, why don't I just tell you my code and you can tap it in for me.'
They looked aghast. 'Oh no,' they said, 'we cannot do that. You must put your code in yourself.'
That of course is fair enough so I squatted down with them in the narrow space as well. I leaned forward with my index finger extended to tap in my regular code. At that it was like the gun had just gone for the Olympic 100 metres final. The two lept to their feet and stood at attention facing away from where I was left huddling. I was startled was their quick movement.
But dammit, at my first attempt I didn't put the '*' symbol first, as per instructions, did I? So my fat fingers didn't do the job. Therefore, down we three huddled again. More instruction with halting English, much nodding and animated pointing followed. Then old dummo here got set to once again try and enter in his code. Again as my finger extended the two kids leapt to their feet and stood rigidly at attention facing each other this time eyeball-to-eyeball, not daring to risk peeking down and seeing my secret numbers being entered. They were DETERMINED my private code should indeed be private!
I only mention that as an incident from yesterday. A snapshot of
behaviour I suppose. Good on them for being so honest and
disciplined.
August 4, 2008: Beijing
As the great broadcaster Winston McCarthy used to say - "HELLO NEW
ZEALAND!"
We are at last in Olympic city and settled in to the very nice Hubei Hotel. The entry to China and the first day was the easiest Games entry I've been to. There were absolutely no problems at all; no forms to fill out at the airport, no waiting, no nothing!'
And all achieved very quickly.
The young volunteer kids at the airport (seemingly in their 20s and with good English) were so pleased to see us, it was great. They kept saying to all 43 of the TVNZ staff who were on our plane; 'Who is your tour leader?' So I was reluctantly pushed forward.
Everyone was wandering around of course, stretching their legs
inside the spectacular terminal so I met with little Xie and she
said:
"I know all about New Zealand, you have a North Island and a South
Island and you have Maoris...do you have any Maoris in your team,
I'd like to see one... I am very interested in Maoris!"
So that was nice huh?
Then I had to use all the clever tricks I had learnt while leading a supporters group on the Rugby World Cup tour last year. Like counting our 43 people and noting when people kept walking off just when we wanted to go though Customs and get out and take our tired bodies onto the buses to the hotel.
Two blokes having their first smoke for 8 hours were in no rush, and as for bloody Brendan Telfer - he had brought his bloody golf clubs (can you believe it?) with him and they were not on the baggage carousel.
So we waited and waited until eventually, they came along. Then he was so pleased he walked away from his carry on hand baggage and people had to chase after him. You get the drift? BUT- he had his golf clubs!
Tour leader KQ to Telfer: "F'gawds sake Telf, haven't ever heard of hiring clubs?"
"Nope' he firmly replied.'I don't hire clubs when I play, mine are custom-made!"
He will have four days golf in Thailand afterwards apparently.
The day was very hot and the night pleasantly warm. We ate at a restaurant down the street from our Hubei Hotel last night. Too much food and a big bottle of beer each...30RMB's ($6 NZ) (yes $6!!)
So all is well!
Did you hear about the single grain of rice the staff put on the door handle of every room in the hotel? The three staff who are on every floor of the hotel like to know who is in and who is not.
So for instance, you go out (or in), the grain of rice falls to the ground with the action of the door opening or closing. So the staff then replaces it again. That way they know if you are in the room. It is a bit spooky if you believe everything in China is a plot... but on the other hand I say "maybe it's their way of saying 'oops he is in the room so we won't disturb him...'" So you take your pick on that one.
First impressions though are very good here. The people are very switched on to our needs, their systems look good and they smile at our fumbling attempt at their beautiful language.
Talk to you soon here at tvnz.co.nz
August 1, 2008
All previous Olympics are gone and now we must all look ahead with
optimism. For me personally all of the seven Games I have attended
were THEN and Beijing 2008 is NOW!
The commentary schedules have arrived and once again this time I am to do the calls for field events. And Valerie Vili is therefore lookin' good for ME! (Also I suppose for herself mostly and her family too and for her country. But also, praise God, for me at the mic too. I just have to catch those great TVNZ callers ahead of me!)
My personal tally of gold medal commentaries stands at one; thanks to John Walker at Montreal 1976. Even John McBeth is ahead of me (he called the Danyon Loader wins in 1996) And don't ask me how many Ian Woodley and Pete Montgomery have called. Even they have lost count!
Writing down all of my Olympic Memories over the last few months and posting them here on tvnz.co.nz has been great fun for me to do. Thanks for the many messages back I have had from readers who have seemingly enjoyed them too. I haven't tried to record the Games for any official history. They have just my own memories. It has been a long journey from first hearing the Olympic Games on crackling radio back in 1956 and then being personally at seven Games from Munich onwards.
We know that the Beijing event, the Games of the 29th Olympiad will begin at eight seconds past eight pm on the evening of the eighth of August , which is of course the eighth month of the year. It is all very symbolic for the Chinese nation.
I hope you'll be there to watch the opening on TVNZ - I will be
in place again with John McBeth and Sophie Zhang. We will do our best
for you.
But if you do watch spare a thought for the old bloke up in the
TVNZ commentary box. Eight is China's 'lucky number' and it is for
me too. I feel extremely lucky to be around to call my eighth
Olympic event.
I can tell you that even with all its faults, the world does come together warmly as it should, in peace and harmony at the Olympic Games. I feel very fortunate to have seen so much of its recent history.
Read my Olympic blogs here as the Games roll on yet again!
July 14, 2008
More and more these last few weeks I am being asked two questions. The first one is; "Are you looking forward to going to Beijing, Keith?" The second one is; "How many golds will we win?"
One question is easy to answer, the other is more difficult.
The tough question concerns the number of gold medals which this country's team might win. I reckon if it is about three or four that would be wonderful beyond belief.
Yet I hear on the radio some people who have our little team winning about three or four in the rowing, three in the cycling, there's Valerie Vili of course, and plenty in the yachting and the equestrian. Does that not make about a dozen gold medals wins by some people's prediction?
Well, note this down folks and stick it in your diary. If New Zealand wins 12 gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 I will, as they used to say when trying to predict the winner of the Melbourne Cup, bare my bum in Burke Street!
For the record it has taken all our Olympics put together over the last 24 years to gather our most recent 12 gold medals. So my backside ought to remain well covered I reckon.
But the first question is much easier to answer. Yes, I am thrilled to be going to the Games this time. To go is a privilege. To that end each day I get more like a kid looking forward to a big school outing.
In fact I am about as excited as I was in 1972 when I donned my purple TVNZ blazer and cream trousers and proudly trotted off to Auckland airport to head to Munich in Germany. I was part of a six man broadcasting team dressed like a member of a suburban bowling team. I was all set for my first trip out of New Zealand! I had eyes as big as a soup bowl for four weeks!
Just to let you know how this years trip differs for a broadcaster between now and then. I recall in 1972 I stuffed a full medium-sized suitcase of books to take. It weighed a bloody ton!
It contained the records of all past Games events, plus magazine articles and newspaper clippings stuffed into in files and folders.
By contrast this year all of the research I am doing at home at the moment will be transferred down to one memory stick for my laptop computer about the size of my thumb. And with a backup file in another bag.
These last few weeks I have been especially trawling the internet each day for stories on the teams which are taking part, especially for any yarns about different people and personalities. That is all aimed at the three-hour opening ceremony march past. One has to have something to say about every nation when they come by in their serried ranks past the world TV audience.
By the way, here are some facts gleaned from recent readings. Drop these around the water-cooler at work and people will nod with your knowledge of the Olympic Games; In 2008 there are 205 countries down for entry. By contrast in Munich in 1972 there were only 121 nations present. In Munich 36 years ago only 15% of the competitors were women, now there will be closer to 45% female taking part. There were 195 gold medals up for competition then, now there will be over 340. The Games are ever on the expansion.
See? Now you know that so when you hear Quinn and McBeth say that from the Opening Ceremony you'll be sitting at home watching the TVNZ coverage and youll be able to say "Hey! I knew that!"
And it was all gained from the tvnz.co.nz Olympic blogsite. And I'm pleased to be able to say I'll be talking to you here again real soon.
Well as I said in my last entry I was heading down to Tampere in
south Finland for the Finnish weightlifting Sinclair nationals,
Sinclair being a formula for body weight vs. weight lifted. This
allows for an open competition with no weight classes and all
compete against all.
It turned out to be a close but successful competition, beating a
team of German lifters by the slimmest of margins (lucky I used the
men's room before I weighed in!). Finland's newest Olympian Antti
Everi who was announced this week in the 105+ class was also
there.
The venue was a dance hall in Ronni, and has had the tradition of
holding the same competition for some 40 years, only problem being
the mosquito trying to land on my nose during a lift!
The NZ team over here had great results with myself winning
overall, Tracey Lambrechs (75kg+) second overall in senior women,
Cody Cole (77kg) second overall in junior men and Chantal Lambrechs
(75kg) second overall in Junior women. It was good to see quite a
few personal best registered.
At the same time Finland had lifters competing at the Baltic cup,
but we were still lucky as Antti decided to compete at nationals,
and the girls had a very talented competitor (Jenni Puputti) to
compete against.
Training wise I am coming along well, we have one heavy week left.
My goal was to clean & jerk 180kg at 80kg body weight whist
over here. I threw myself under that at training but missed the
jerk, I have a competition this weekend and I am confident it will
go there.
Living wise, boredom sets in as you train, eat, sleep, train, not
necessary in that order. But we have managed to keep our minds
occupied playing cards - loser after five rounds having to wear a
purple cape that we acquired in numerous humorous situations, often
confusing foreign teams who think it's part of New Zealand sporting
culture. "The purple cape".... continued
Click here to read the rest of
this blog at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
website
