I have been fortunate enough to travel to my third Olympic Games this year and just two days out from the first day of competition there is a real buzz in the air as London prepares to host its third Olympic Games.
My role this year has changed from that in Beijing and Vancouver and I have a far more direct role with athletes and the media as the rowing and canoe sprint media liaison officer. It is a step up and one that I am already enjoying immensely.
Having arrived last Thursday it has been a really busy seven days that has ranged from collecting my uniform, receiving team briefings, exploring the Olympic Village and attending press conferences.
The rowing team only arrived from their training base in Italy last Sunday and having met them at the airport we moved out to the rowing village at Royal Holloway and settled in straight away.
One of my more memorable experiences so far has been the team induction run by Laurie Lawrence. Laurie’s passion for all things Australian and is love for all the athletes and official on the team is second to none and it was an emotional experience.
It is not just the Australian team who you can tell is excited however. Whenever a new nation comes into the village they bring their own sense of excitement, nerves and willingness to soak in the Olympic spirit.
Over 200 countries will compete in London and for many it will be the pinnacle of their sporting careers – not only to they have the chance to test their skills against the best in the world, but they have the chance to then share a whole range of different cultures following competition.
Tonight we will travel into London to attend the welcome reception for the Australian team, with the main focus around this event being the announcement of the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening.
There has been a lot of debate ranging around who will carry this flag but whoever is given the honour will do a fantastic job and no doubt enjoy leading the Australian team into competition.
It has been a long preparation period but I can safely say ‘Bring on the Games’. It promises to be an exciting two weeks.
David Polglase
Senior Communications Coordinator