Day 2: World Record Day
Berlin, Germany: Guten Tag from Berlin.
After a very bad night of sleeping (out like a light for two hours, awake
for two hours, in a coma for a while, then wide awake again) we were up and ready for another
jet-lagged day. DT went for a good run in the Tiergarten Park next to the
hotel and I caught one more hour of sleep. If Lisa hadn't called my cell
phone, I may still be sleeping.
We hit the streets around our hotel in search of breakfast, but it was by
now well past noon, so we found a place for lunch instead. The Sony Center is
across the street from our hotel, so we explored this shopping, dining,
office and residential complex.
Sony Center Berlin
During the World Championships, the Sony Center has
inter-active areas where you can try
your luck at the shot put, long-jump and a sprint
Sony Center Berlin
Actually, DT and I have been here before -
in 2005 - for lunch, so we went back to the same
restaurant and ordered the same thing we had in 2005
- wiener schnitzel!
A schnitzel a day is all I ask.
Wiener Schnitzel
Fried Chicken basket
Greek Salad, Berlin-style
In the summer, Berlin serves Weiss Bier - a bitter ale -
flavored with different fruit syrups. I tried a Weiss Bier with ginger. It
was very refreshing.
Weiss Bier mit Engwer
Lunch at the Sony Center isn't for the meek. Two coffees,
two beers, wiener schnitzel, fried chicken basket and a salad - $80.
After lunch, we walked and walked and walked around the very interesting
Potsdamer
Platz area surrounding our hotel, then headed back to the Olympic
Stadium for another night of the One True Sport.
Tonight would be one of those nights where the planets align and you can't
even believe you were so lucky to witness a World Record! Seems the entire
world was watching the meet tonight because of the fantastic line-up in the
men's 100 meter sprint.
The Berlin subway
Side Note: the first night we were here, we asked the bellman at the front
door of our hotel to please point us to the subway. He started giving
directions and then paused, looked at us and asked, "Do you mean the train
or the sandwich store?"
Usain Bolt Fans were ready at the stadium tonight
Christian Cantwell received his gold medal for the shot put victory.
Don't you just love the - TRADEMARKED - slogan? Is it a play on words?
How the hell can anyone trademark "Have a good time!"?
Oops... hope that wasn't a trademark violation.
Berlin Olympic Stadium was so beautiful tonight
Okay, so I just love the panorama feature on my camera
Heptathlete Brianna Theissen is a Duck... but she
plays for Canada in the off-season. Brianna
finished back in the pack. She looked up
into the stands tonight when a group of us yelled
"GO DUCKS".
No track meet is ever without a little controversy. Tonight the women's
heptathlon was extremely exciting. Everything came down to the final event -
the 800m run - with two German girls in contention. Naturally, the crowd was
cheering wildly for the Germans.
During the 800m race, the leading German athlete somehow tripped and fell
down during her 800m heat! There was a huge sigh from the crowd, but dang,
but if the German athlete didn't rise after her fall and sprint to a
fabulous time and finish second over-all in the two-day heptathlon. The
crowd went insane with cheering. It was a wonderful moment.
But, unfortunately, the moment of her victory came at exactly the same time
Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay were scheduled to race in a highly-anticipated 100m
race. The heptathletes were taking their much-deserved victory lap when the
officials stopped them from entering the straight-away along the finish
line, as it would impede on the race o' the year.
The crowd booed. The crowd hissed. The crowd whistled. It was quite a poser
for the meet director. The girls have been competing for two days and
deserved their traditional victory lap. The sprinters had half of the
televisions in the world watching. In the end, TV advertisers/schedules must
have won-out, as the officials held the girls and let the 100m race
continue.
Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt being introduced before the men's
100m race
The heptathletes in a holding pattern
In the blocks
Usain Bolt ran 100m faster than any man known. 9.57 seconds. Tyson Gay was
second, setting a new American record in 9.71. Asafa Powell was third. The
entire stadium erupted... but we didn't have time to catch our breath as
Bolt just kept going around the stadium and didn't stop running for nearly
another half lap! It was a magical moment. So lucky to have been there.
Unless Bolt breaks his own record, it may be quite a while before this
amazing time is passed.
The women finally take their victory lap
The stadium at night, on our way to the subway
What a mob-scene! 90,000 people trying to leave a stadium and get on the
subway.
Not fun. Doesn't smell very good either.
It was nearly midnight, and we hadn't eaten since lunch and were
starving. Luckily there are approximately 94,508 restaurants open late-night
in the Potsdamer Platz area surrounding our hotel
Yummy pasta
And the Vesuvia Pizza: mozzarella, gorgonzola, yellow pepper, chili pepper
and arugula. Perfect.
We certainly toasted Usain Bolt tonight. We are over-tired, over-happy,
over-walked and now, over-fed, so I will close for the night. Tomorrow gets
even better - the 10,000 meter!
Until my next update, I remain, your World Record correspondent.