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07/24/2012

Summer Olympics past as I look to Olympics future

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

Tonight I board an airplane to make my way to cover my third Summer Games.

While I look forward to the challenge, I worry about the assignment. Just like and athlete before a big event I feel the butterflies.

Here are some of my favourite pictures from my two previous Olympic experiences, Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008.

Some of the pictures are not the greatest but they are special to me.

Oly-blog-01
The Harbour Bridge climb at Sydney Harbour takes three hours and allows you a different view of the Harbour. Climber are taken to the summit of the bridge, almost 150 metres over the water.

Oly-blog-02Just under by a head, Canadian Margret Langford squeezes under a gate during qualifying for the Women's K1 Kayaking at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, September 17, 2000. Langford touched the gate and recieved a two second penalty, however her stretch saved her a 50 second penalty she would have recived had she missed the gate. 

Oly-blog-03
Run and be counted, Canadian 10000 metre runner Sean Kaley looks over his shoulder as he passes the lap counters for the 25 lap race.

Oly-blog-04
Canadian high jumper Kwaku Boateng of Montreal competes in the men's high jump final.

Oly-blog-05
Canadian coach Jay Triano gives Steve Nash some advice on the sideline during the upset victory over Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

Oly-blog-07
Germany celebrates a last minute goal to win a game that Canada was leading with three minutes left in the game during qualifying at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

Oly-blog-09
Pieter van den Hoogenband can't believe it, he held of Ian Thorpe and tied the world record he set the night before to win the gold at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

Oly-blog-10
The French synchro team take a break during practice for the technical swim at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. The technical swim is very simular to what figures were in figure skating.

Oly-blog-11
Canada's Emilie Heymans and Anne Montminy perform one of the five dives that scored them high enough to win silver at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

Oly-blog-12
Canada's Clara Hughes, the only athlete ever to win multiple medals in Summer and Olympic Games, gasps for air as she finishes the Women's Individual Time Trial at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. Hughes will compete in London 2012. I included this picture of her because she was a favourite of the Star's late Olympic reporter Randy Starkman.

Oly-blog-13

Canadian 15 year-old diver Alexandre Despatie watches scores of the other divers go up after his sixth and final dive at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, September 30, 2000. Despatie ended up finishing in fourth after holding third place for a round of dives. I was a rookie at these Games too, I feel like I grew up with Alexandre.

Oly-blog-14
When the sun did shine after three days of rain people at Olympic Park sought the cooling refuge at the Osmosis fountian at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games Park.

Beijing

Oly-blog-15
The Beijing Games were all about Michael Phelps, right, celebrating his team's come from behind victory in the 4x100 m Freestyle relay by less than a tenth of second and smashing the old world record by four seconds at Finals at the National Aquatics Center at the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing.

Oly-blog-16
Julia Wilkinson hops in the pool for her 100 Backstroke event in the evening session of preliminaries at the National Aquatics Center at the XXIX Olympiad. Wilkenson is part of the London 2012 team.

Oly-blog-17
Canadian Igor Tikhomirov lunges against Ukraine's Maksym Khvorost in the Epee at the Fencing Hall.

Oly-blog-18
Canada's David Ford makes his way smoothly through the vortex that haunted him in his second run yesterday and again in the final. Ford qualified sixth in the semi final and maintained that position in the final of the men's K1 slalom.

Oly-blog-19
Erin McLeod watches a ball just miss the near post as Canada loses to Sweden 2-1 at Worker's Stadium at the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing.

Oly-blog-20
Poland's Natalia Partyka, with the forearm and hand missing on her right arm serves to her Hong Kong China opponent at the Peking University Gymnasium. Partyka was one of two para athletes to compete in the Olmpics versus able bodied atheletes.

Oly-blog-21
With her coaches celebrating in the foreground, Canadian Carol Huynh wins the gold medal match against Chiharu Icho of Japan in the 48 kg weight class in wrestling competition.

Oly-blog-22
Team Canada really isn't this out of sync, the team rehearses as the alternate mirrors the preformance a safe distance off as Synchronized swimmers take over the pool just an hour after the last day of Swim competition at the National Aquatics Center nicknamed the "Water Cube".

Oly-blog-23
 Teammate Colin Jenkins checks to see where Simon Whitfield is as they prepare to enter the bike-run exchange. Whitfield thanked Jenkins for his work on the bike to help win silver at the Triathlon at Ming Tombs.

Oly-blog-24
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep winns a bronze medal in the 100 m hurdles.

Oly-blog-25
The eight riders in the Heat One quarterfinal take the jump one, each heat races three time with points given based on position, the four riders with the lowest point totals move onto the semifinals at the BMX venue.

Oly-blog-26
Breathing water instead of fire, dragon suited with dragon attitude, Canadians Isabelle Rambling and Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon placed sixth in the synchronized swimming duets.

Oly-blog-27
Nicole Forrester competes in the high jump in the rain at National Stadium.

Oly-blog-28
After brushing the bar, Nicole Forrester looks up at it so quick that her sun glasses go flying as she competes in the high jump in the rain at National Stadium.

Oly-blog-29
Team Spain strike their opening pose during finals for the Team Synchronized Swimming Event at the National Aquatic Center.

Oly-blog-30
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep strikes the same pose she strike when she struck bronze in 100 m Hurdles five days before during the closing ceremonies.

 

 

 

 

 

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Amazing pics Steve. Good luck in London!

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