Tim
Hutten's Olympic Blog
8/27/08
Finally home!
After nearly a month of being in China
we finally arrived back in California. What a relief! I had a good
time but don't plan on going back any time soon.
Winning a silver medal was great. It
was not a gold but it was still awesome. Our team had a solid
tournament and did a great job putting the USA Men's Water Polo
team back on the map. We are all very happy with the way things
turned out and were proud to represent our country on the world's
stage. Being at the Olympics and being a part of something with so
much history really means a lot. It is something very few athletes
get the opportunity to do and there are even fewer that come home
with a medal around their neck. Standing on the podium and seeing
our country's flag hoisted in the air was something I will be able
to cherish the rest of my life. The next time I only hope I will
hear my own national anthem playing. We will work on that next
time.
For now it is time to relax for a
little while and spend some time with my friends and family. I have
a few weeks to kill before I travel to Greece to start playing on a
club team in Athens, so it will be nice to have some time off. All
in all it was a great experience and one that I will not forget as
long as I live.
8/23/08
All the pieces are coming together.
After a stunning victory over Serbia last night we have advanced to
the gold medal match v. Hungary.
They say it is hard to beat the same
team over and over. The Serb's intentionally lost their game
against Italy so they could match up with us in the semi finals.
They got what they wanted, but not what they expected. Playing a
tight game the first half, our team came alive in the fourth
quarter with phenomenal defense and sunk some great shots to clench
the victory 10-5. It is a dream come true for us to be playing in
the final match. Our whole lives have been leading up to this
moment.
Got one more job to do.
Anteater pride after a semi final
victory over Serbia!!!!!
8/19/08
With a close win over Germany last
night we have advanced #1 in our bracket and get a bypass to the
semi finals. The fans were going nuts as it came down to the last
seconds of the game. When the final buzzer blew it was an awesome
feeling, knowing that we had come so far and accomplished our goal
to make the final four. Our next step is making the gold medal
game. We will play the winner of tomorrow's (Serbia v. Spain) match
that will decide who goes to the finals. This is the first time in
16 years that a USA Men's Water Polo team has reached the final
four and we plan to make the most of it. The attitude on the team
right now is very positive and everyone believes we can come home
as Olympic champions. It will take two of our best performances yet
but we are ready.
None of this would be possible were it
not for the support from our family and friends. Water polo is not
a glamorous sport and we all have to make sacrifices to make ends
meet. We are all just grateful to have such a high level of support
from the ones we are close to.
8/17/08
3-1 so far. After a disappointing loss
to Serbia on the 14th we rallied against Croatia yesterday and
claim a 7-5 victory over the current world champions. This was a
big win for us no doubt as we were able to put together a good game
offensively and defensively and maintain our lead through the
fourth quarter. Our loss to Serbia 2-4 proved our strong defense
could stand up to any team, even though our offense was struggling
to finish. We fine tuned our attack during our day off from
competition and came back with our guns blazing to knock off the #1
seed.
So here it is so far: We need to beat
Germany to advance. The last two times our team has been matched up
with Germany we have lost and not advanced. If we beat them we will
take 2nd in our bracket and advance to the quarterfinals. If we
lose, we will have to play for 7th through 12th. This is a huge
game for us needless to say but if we play like we have been
playing we shouldn't have a problem.
From here on out it is all about being
able to put together 4 more solid games. It is tough to be
competing for 2 weeks straight. Consistent performance will be the
determining factor between winning and losing.
8/13/08
2-0 so far. Italy was a close game but
it was a much needed win for us. It came down to the last defensive
play of the game but we managed to stop their extra man opportunity
with 1 second left to clinch the victory. Team spirits are high and
we are feeling confident as we continue our bracket play. Serbia is
our next game on Thursday. That will be a tough game but should be
fun. It seems whenever we compete against a higher ranked team our
level of play increases, like we are stepping up to a challenge. We
have not beat Serbia this year in the few times we have played them
but we match up well against them.
Life in the village is good. Some of
us got bicycles that we can ride around so we don't have to walk
everywhere. It is really cool to see and meet people who you hear
about on TV or in the papers. I have been fortunate to be able to
talk to a number of famous athletes who are gold medalists and
world champions. It is new for me to be in the mix with all of
these people but I guess I could get used to it.
Had a good day off from competition
today. Got to take care of business tomorrow.
8/9/08
Wow! Opening Ceremonies were amazing.
Even though I was soaked to the bone with sweat under my sport coat
and slacks in the humid heat of the night, it was the experience of
a lifetime. Before we went into the stadium we were Presidentially
addressed by Mr. George Bush himself, wishing us good luck and
giving some words of inspiration. This was followed by a hardy
handshake and a team photo. We were also able to meet George Bush
Sr., Josh Bolten,Bush's Chief of Staff, and Clark Randt, the US
ambassador of China. It was a very relaxed, informal atmosphere and
was an honor to meet some big shots in the US government.
Taking the field was another
experience I will never forget. Walking through the tunnel and
emerging onto a stadium packed to capacity with 90,000 screaming
viewers is not something you get to do every day. We tried to walk
out close to the basketball team for some possible airtime but got
a little spread out. We did get a chance to visit with them while
they were getting mobbed by hysterical Chinese NBA fans. They are
pretty nice guys when they aren't getting bombarded with
autographs.
The presentation China put on was
fantastic and the vibe filling the arena was awesome. When the
torch was lit and the fireworks went off it seemed to signify the
actuality of why we are here and what is to come. We play China
tomorrow at 4:40pm China time. I was told it should be televised on
NBC Sunday morning around 10am. We are all very excited to play and
finally get to do what we have worked so hard for.
8/8/08
Tonight we walk in the opening
ceremonies of the Olympic games. I have heard this is one of the
best experiences that comes with being an Olympian. We will be able
to meet and talk to the best athletes in the world and represent
the USA. We are all looking forward to it.
The Chinese markets are crazy! Never
have I seen such ruthless and dedicated sales people. They will
grab you, pull on you, insult you, make fun of you,tell you that
you will be handsome and get girlfriend if you buy what they have
to sell. Some will ask for an autograph and then try to lure you
into buying something. It is an experience and requires a lot of
patience and energy. Some guys on the team bought custom suits for
pretty cheap, about $90 US. You can pick up some good gifts and
decent knock-off clothes and accessories there. Afterward we ate
dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant and were served some very
interesting cuisine, some of which went uneaten. We also got to
visit the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Nice, but a long
walk at a humid 95 degrees.
"What happened to this fish?
Hmmm.....a little salty."
8/4/08
Training continues in Beijing.
After a long period of training with
our own team it was nice to finally play a few quarters against
China last night. The Chinese are looking strong and I believe it
will prove to be a competitive first game for us on the 10th. The
competition pool which we scrimmaged in is beautiful and will be a
great venue for the games. Driving by the other arenas shows just
how much effort went into every detail to show off their
architecture.
The village is starting to fill up and
it is not easy to get food at the dining hall. It is every man and
women for themselves when trying to grab a bite. You have to be
sneaky. We saw Dirk Nowitski from the Dallas Mavericks and the rest
of the German basketball team last night. They are pretty big
guys.
During an afternoon off we were lucky
enough to visit the Great Wall. We toured around a bit and hiked up
a lot of stairs. It turned out to be about as physically strenuous
as training, but it was beautiful. We took toboggans on the way
down which was the highlight of the day. There are checkpoints
along the way with Chinese workers shouting "Slow down!" on their
bull horns the whole way. I don't think anyone slowed down.
Training continues tonight against
China. We will train with other teams in the next few days leading
up to opening ceremonies on the 8th.
8/1/08
Greetings from Beijing!
We arrived 2 days ago to a gloomy grey
sky and a warm welcome from the Chinese. My first impression of
Beijing is one of interest and amazement. The Olympic Village is
beautiful and there are plenty of activities to do in your down
time. The Chinese workers here have learned a few simple phrases
that apply to their particular job very well, such as "Hello,
welcome," and "Thank you for your cooperation." But when asked a
question they simply repeat what they have said before. It is
pretty funny, but they are definitely trying to make this a
pleasant experience for everyone.
We have just over a week until our
first game and have been trying to adjust to the air quality, which
is poor at best. The food is actually pretty good. They have a wide
variety of western style food and different European foods along
with a McDonald's in the main dining hall. The village is pretty
empty right now but it will fill up fast once all the athletes
arrive. We are doing a lot of walking around. I have done more
walking in the last two days than I would do in two weeks at home.
The Chinese like to walk single file like ducks in a row. If the
one in the front starts to pick up the pace or run, the rest will
do the same. I find it very amusing.
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