By Eddie Pells and Howard Fendrich
“I had a lot of athletes tell me that Tokyo was one of their worst Games,” said American skateboarder Jagger Eaton, who made his Olympic debut in 2021 and will return this year. “And I was like, ‘I love it here.’ I didn’t know any better.” At the Winter Games in China two years ago, hundreds of fans were bused five hours away to the action-sports venue to watch snowboarders while banging together noisy “thundersticks” and wearing masks in the 0-degree chill. Almost no fans living outside China could attend.
Hours after the finish in the 100, members of the Italian media joined Jacobs and his teammate, gold-medal high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi, on the track to take part in a celebration that would’ve normally included hundreds of friends and relatives. “When it’s time to hit the sprint for the race, knowing that roar of the crowd will be there — it’s always extra motivation when you hear them,” Sechser said.
When Egg McMuffins get old, Paris is a city with a coffee shop on virtually every corner and a tourist site at virtually every Metro stop. Instead of flying back home a day or two after their events are over, athletes can visit the Eiffel Tower or Palace of Versailles.“I almost get choked up thinking about it because my parents are the two people that have seen me from Day 1 when I first put an oar into my hand,” Sechser said.