 Archway Anecdotes #11 - The Savvis Sickness Takes Its TollU.S. Figure Skating Correspondent It's like a murder mystery at Savvis Center. A mysterious flu has 'em all droppin' like flies.
Notes from Monday, Jan 16 Saturday night
About 2 a.m.
Once again, last to leave the arena. Laura Fawcett, Lindsay DeWall, Mickey Brown and I head to the parking garage to claim our car and go back to our hotel. It’s been a very long day that turned into a long night because of the delay from the International Committee’s decision on Michelle Kwan being named to the Olympic Team.
We get to the garage and cannot find a way in. Mickey pulls a Spider-man and climbs the wall to get inside. The three of us wait outside for him to bring the car around. And wait. And wait. Finally, Mickey walks around the corner. There is no way out of the garage. All the exits are gated.
So the four of us truck ourselves and our luggage to the nearest hotel, the Sheraton. There we catch a taxi back to the Renaissance.
Sunday, 8:45 a.m.
I am supposed to meet the media team in the lobby to go over to the arena for practice. Only Troy, SKATING magazine editor, is there. We assume they are probably ahead of us and take the shuttle bus over to Savvis.
9:15 a.m.
Lindsay, Laura and Mickey are sick. Lindsay and Laura are really bad. There is something going around that is picking off people and relegating them to bed. Whether it is some kind of flu or a food poisoning, no one knows for sure, but it comes on pretty fast and many people have it. Some of the skaters have had to withdraw from the exhibitions today. Max Zavozin is pretty sick, so he can’t skate. Garrett isn’t able to come, either. I’m not sure why, but he is Max’s roommate.
The tricky part is, there is a ton of stuff to get done today and it’s like a murder mystery with characters disappearing left and right. I feel like there is some kind of time bomb waiting to go off. Will I be next?
9:30 a.m.
Shannon Wynn (from U.S. Figure Skating marketing), who struggling to stay upright as well, gets me a day pass that allows me more access than the regular media pass. My job has suddenly changed from shooting backstage practice photos to helping the few healthy and semi-healthy people who are still standing with whatever they need.
9:45 a.m.
I’m a skater wrangler, finding everyone who needs to be on ice for the Olympic and World Team photos. It’s a lot trickier than it sounds. Skaters move pretty quickly and are tiny.
10:00 a.m.
Friends of Figure Skating is having a breakfast in the Savvis Club on the third level. I gather Kimmie Meissner, Emily Hughes and Katy Taylor for a meet and greet and autograph session. Their coaches come, too, and the seven of us head up. The skaters know they have only 15 minutes to be back in the locker room to change for the team photos.
10:14 a.m.
We are back in the elevator and on our way to the dressing room. The girls rocked the autograph session. I think they signed autographs for every single person and smiled for tons of photos. This probably sounds stupid, but I was so proud of the way they handled themselves. They looked so good in their Team USA gear. All three were all smiles, going the extra step to make eye contact and touch on each breakfast guest. They were given a huge round of applause when we had to leave. U.S. Figure Skating has some pretty special ambassadors in Kimmie, Emily and Katy.
10:30 a.m.
Paul Harvath is shooing the official team photos. First he needs to take one of all the gold medalists with the trophy. As I am talking to Emily Hughes in the hallway, Evan casually walks by. I tell him he needs to be on the ice right away for the trophy photo. He reminds me he’s not the champion. Wow, do I feel horrible! I apologize profusely.
10:38 a.m.
World Team photo is going on. After they get ones with just the athletes, special guests are invited to join the team photo.
10:49 a.m.
Olympic Team photo is next, minus Michelle Kwan, of course. Troy and I unpacked five giant Olympic rings for the skaters to use as props.
11:00 a.m.
Photo shoot is over. I am once again wrangling skaters, this time for autographs. Shannon has given me four white skates and three programs to get autographs from all the skaters. I grab as many as I can and they are all very good about signing. I’m not sure if everyone signed everything, but we did the best we could.
11:05 a.m.
Pairs and dance are now practicing. Tanith and Ben are choreographing their exhibition program. Tanith is pretty sick, though. She’s been spending breaks lying down on some folding chairs, wrapped in a coat. Denis Petukhov has a problem with his CD, so he needs to be able to download the music and re-burn it.
The next couple hours are a blur of photos, rehearsals, and packing up the media center. The Spokane organizing people are shooting videos of the skaters welcoming fans to next year’s U.S. Championships. I try to grab as many skaters as I can to go in the interview room and make commercials. Some also have interviews with different reporters. ABC Sports is facing the challenge of about 20 of their team knocked out with this plague and a two-hour live broadcast beginning at three o’clock local time. If people aren’t sick, most of them are tired. Some are exhausted. Emotions are running high and tears come easily.
1:00 p.m.
Doors open for the exhibitions. Laura and Mickey have come in, but Laura especially looks like she really needs to be back in bed.
2:00 p.m.
I join the photographers on the area that was formerly the judges’ stand. For the next two hours I have a role shift and am strictly shooting exhibitions.
4:45 p.m.
Tanith and Ben have just finished their exhibition to patriotic music. Seeing Tanith in that lift with the flag flying behind her was pretty moving. I think even if I had slept more than three hours, I would have felt that way. But I’ve got major tears in my eyes. I look to my colleagues on the judges’ stand and many of them have tears, too. So either we are all exhausted or all saps. Or some combination of both.
5:15 p.m.
Exhibitions are over and it’s time to leave. Lindsay came in for the last of the exhibitions, but she couldn’t even stand up straight. Laura, Mickey, and Troy are all gone back to bed.
7:00 p.m.
I’m back in my hotel room, typing this up and working on putting the photos together for you all. As much as I would have loved to have a nice dinner and relax, I confess to being afraid of eating anything from a public place, just in case. I found two Clementine oranges that Daphne left and make some tea. It will have to do.
I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has made this an incredible 10 days. Of course Laura, Lindsay, Troy, Mickey from U.S. Figure Skating were amazing. Lynn Plage is media goddess. All the incredible volunteers in the media department, especially quote guru Doug Bray, without whom I would not have made it through the week. Paul Harvath saved my sanity when I had photo issues earlier in the week. I didn’t get to see much of Michelle Harvath, unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts (and of course, later when she got sick too), but when I did, she always made me smile. Sandra Stevenson and Lynn Rutherford were great to split assignments with and are always great friends and colleagues. And of course my roommate, Daphne, who made it through her first U.S. Championships with flying colors. To Ginger, Maia, Alex, and everyone else who are such amazing people to be around, thank you for brightening my days.
But mostly I want to thank the skaters. Aside from your talent, you continue to inspire me to bring my best game to the table. It has been an honor writing about you and capturing your championship moments in photographs.
I just want to blog my best and have fun (and not worry about the editors … Laura), and I most certainly did. To our Olympic team, good luck, skate great, and stay vertical. I know you will do the U.S. proud. And to every athlete, whether first or last or in between, you are all champions. to top |