Nick Symmonds:
Off to Beijing!
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 18)
Posted August 11th, 2008 at 10:29 AM by Nick Symmonds
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Nick Symmonds
Welcome to the official blog of middle-distance track star and 2008 U.S. Olympian Nick Symmonds. Be sure to check every other Monday at http://nicksymmonds.thefinalsprint.com for Nick’s latest entry! For more information about Nick, also please visit: nicksymmonds.com
Note: The following entry was written on August 6th, just prior to Nick’s flight to Beijing. His next entry will be written on Sunday, August 24th and published the following morning on Monday, August 25th.
I’m currently in a dorm at San Jose State getting ready for bed early because I’m waking up at 6 AM to catch a flight to Beijing, China to compete in my first Olympic Games. Its hard to believe myself. The last month has been amazing; Ive put in many miles and had a lot of good workouts including one of the best speed-endurance sessions of my life yesterday. I woke up at 6:30 this morning to sneak in one last run on American soil.
The dorm I’m staying in is apartment style and sharing the rooms with
me are Andrew Wheating, Christian Smith, Dathan Ritzenhein, Galen Rupp, and Matt Tegenkamp among others. Its literally a whose-who of track and field and I suppose you would expect nothing less from the USA Olympic Track and Field team. Watching all of us go through team processing today you would have guessed our average age to be about 8 as we ran around filling shopping carts with the amazing team gear issued to each Olympian. It was literally Christmas in August.
Putting on our Polo Sport opening ceremony suits we all had these huge, cheese eating grins on our faces. I looked in the mirror and that’s when it really sank in for me; I just saw myself standing there in a thousand dollar suit thinking, “Damn, I’m really going to the Olympics!” For a second I almost felt like an impostor. It was like, how did I actually get to this point in my career?
Two seconds later, almost as if he could here my thoughts halfway across the world, Coach Gags gave me a call and before I could even tell him about all the cool stuff we got, he was asking if I got my morning run in, what I was going to run when I got off the plane, and insisting that I get some strides in. Gags brought me back to reality and reminded me that I got to this point in my career through hard work and determination. This is the culmination of almost 10 years at working towards a goal.
I am about to go and represent my country on the grandest scale and be part of something that is so much bigger than any person, any government, any country. The Olympic Games have always been the epitome of World Unity to me. It is the one place where people come together, differences aside, and compete for love of sport and love of country. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who loves the sport of Track and Field or their country more than me.
So, tune into NBC August 8th as I walk around the Olympic Stadium with my fellow Olympians and you will see me in my new suit, feeling totally comfortable, but anxious for the day that I swap it for the USA singlet and shorts.
- Nick
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Tags: 800m, Beijing, beijing olympics, boise, coach gagliano, coach gags, frank gagliano, nicholas symmonds, nicholas symmonds blog, Nick Symmonds, nick symmonds blog, nike oregon track club, olympic team, oregon, oregon track club, otc, Team USA, u.s. olympic track & field trials, usa olympic team u.s. olympic team, willamette
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The Final Sprint
[…] Nick Symmonds wrote an interesting post today on Nick Symmonds: Off to Beijing! (Elite Athlete Blog Entry 18). Here’s a quick excerpt: […]
August 14th, 2008 at 5:13 amHi, Nick! We’re all watching and cheering — and we’re so proud!
August 18th, 2008 at 7:34 pmHi Nick! I’m just a Melaleuca employee and trying to figure out when your race can be seen on TV. Regardless of the outcome you have a lot of fans here. I saw the tape of one of your races where you hung back and surprised everyone by winning the race. What a kick you’ve got! Watching you run made me see the “art” for lack of a better word. Like BearCats said, we’re really proud of you.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:49 pmHey Nick-
August 20th, 2008 at 7:40 amI first got the news that you would be competing in the Olympics from Stephanie Vandahey when I was in Boise visiting her and my old roomate Diana. I want to give you the deepest and sincerest congratulations. I just read your comment above which was so exciting to read. I too absolutly love the Olympics and find them to be greatly inpiring. Watching them, for me, renews my faith in mankind..I see it as a celebration of man´s great struggle to put mind over matter, the struggle to exercise dominion over oneself… inspiring even to those that do not do sports AHHHHHHHH!!!Litterally in the middle of writing this you appeared on the television and I just saw you freekin´ WIN!!!! the race!!!! OH MY GOD!! I don´t remember the last time I have ever been so excited!!!!
Nick! I’m not sure if you’ll remember me, but we did a Boise meet-and-greet for incoming freshmen years ago. It was in some parent’s half-basement or family room or something. Anyway, huge congratulations on your enormous success, and I’ll be cheering you on come Thursday! Amazing.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:06 pmNick–Thank you for representing Willamette University with style and grace. The fact that you ran with the best in the world in Beijing is extraordinary. Thanks for giving me a reason to watch, to cheer, and to hope. All the best. Janis Nichols
August 21st, 2008 at 11:29 amNick we are all rooting for you! I know you will have some amazing races and leave it all on the track. Mark, my family, and I could not be more proud of you. Good Luck!! Run fast and turn left.
August 21st, 2008 at 12:24 pmIt was devastating to watch your semifinal run in the end, but thrilling up to the last 100m. It is beginning to look like the distance fields are turning into sprints without much time for maneuver. Your statement afterward that gaining an early lead looks like the better tactic seems sound. I hope that you will bounce back both personally and as a runner, and that you are able to set 2012 in your sights as a goal. You took it very well and are a fine representative of the U. S. Some other runners have not been so gracious.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:59 amCongratulations, Nick, on your great run. It was a pleasure to see you run with all that explosive power, all heart. And, you’re totally right. The experience of being at the Oympics (especially such a knock-out Olympics as Beijing’s) is what it’s all about. I’m so tired of the divas, their vanity, and their lack of true appreciation of what the games are all about. You’re a great athlete,in the 99.9th percentile of all the world’s athletes, a truly astonishing achievement, and modest,too! How proud we all were at seeing a classy and superbly talented guy like yourself represent the USA. I hope you had a total blast, dude.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:58 am