Lots of local flavor Down Under

Tony Altobelli

So how are you holding up as the Olympics draw to a close? Tired of

hearing the results before seeing the contest of television? Are your

fingers bleeding from trying to access information on the computer

superhighway because NBC refused to show live coverage?

“I tell you what,” Corona del Mar High cross country Coach Bill Sumner

said. “I started to watch the Mexican television stations because they

were more up to date. I understand some Spanish, but anything I didn’t

understand, I’d figure it out by seeing the action. It was better than

waiting eight hours for the results.”

If you were trying to keep up with our four local athletes, Chris

Oeding, Lindsay Davenport, Aaron Peirsol, Misty May or Cara Heads-Lane,

as I was, you found out quickly that this was no easy task.

With the time changes and with different web sites posting different

times for each event, it made the search as headache-inducing as

Woodstock ’99.

But with the headaches and the frustration, there came a serious

interest and near-obsession in the outcomes of our locals.

I got phone calls galore wondering how “we” did over there. That

genuine interest got me hooked.

I even went so far to stay up until 1:30 in the morning to find out at

home if Peirsol knocked off Lenny Krayzelburg in the 200-meter backstroke

finals. Talk about needing a life.

I’ll always remember the feeling of, name-dropping pride when I saw

that Aaron won the silver medal.

Talking to Peirsol’s father, Tim, on the phone from Sydney the day

after was just as special.

The coolest thing about writing here is that I’m writing about my

hometown (Sailors, Class of ‘89). Seeing Peirsol and May and Heads-Lane,

all Newport Harbor graduates as well as Oeding (fellow Class of ‘89er

from CdM) all do so well, it’s hard to keep an objective viewpoint.

So when talking to Tim, as well as Misty May’s father, Butch, it’s

like talking to long-time friends, boasting proudly of the

accomplishments of their children.

Even when some of our locals didn’t win or were eliminated from

competition, the pride and understanding of how much work it took to get

there far outweighed the sadness of seeing them not medal.

Hopefully, this community also feels the same pride and excitement I

do about what’s going on down there.

When the athletes get home, let the the pride come out with a

handshake or a pat on the back. If they say some goofy Aussie expression,

don’t be alarmed. That goes away after awhile.