Kristi Yamaguchi and husband Bret Hedican light the ceremonial Olympic torch in downtown Colorado Springs.
TOWN PARTY
U.S. Figure Skating helps kick off London
Olympic Games by TROY SCHWINDT AND BARB REICHERT
U .S. Figure Skating, in collaboration with
various city organizations, rolled out the ice and entertained a few thousand
friends on July 27 as part of Colorado Springs’ first Olympic Downtown Celebration, to kick off the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Although temperatures danced around in the
90s, the crowds on Tejon Street had ice skating on their minds. More than 150 people laced up skates and glided around on the artificial surface provided by EZ Glide 350/Ice Rink Engineering of Green- ville, S.C. Several of the Broadmoor Skating Club’s top athletes, including Max Aaron and Colin Graf- ton, provided expert help and encouraging words on the ice. Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi, one
of skating’s most popular ambassadors, added star power to the gathering of more than 15,000 people as she greeted fans and signed autographs. “It was an outstanding event, and U.S. Figure
Skating was pleased to play a leading role,” U.S. Figure Skating Executive Director David Raith said. “It was a major event for the city, and people were thrilled to meet Kristi and several of our top figure skaters who train in Colorado Springs.” U.S. pairs champions Caydee Denney and
John Coughlin helped kick off the day by partic- ipating in the city’s first Olympic torch run. Te pair completed their run, which traveled past the Olympic Training Center, then hustled downtown to sign autographs with U.S. ladies bronze medalist Agnes Zawadzki and 2011 U.S. junior champion Aaron.
Te fun-filled evening couldn’t have come at a better time, as residents of Colorado Springs continued to recover from the devastation of the Waldo Canyon Fire, which destroyed 346 homes in late June. “It’s a great, great night,” Mayor Steve Bach
told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “We needed something like this, something uplifting and posi- tive. I’m just proud of this whole community.” In addition to celebrating the Olympic Open- ing Ceremony, the entirely free event also helped
10 OCTOBER 2012
raise money for the fire relief fund. A concert by country music star Rodney Atkins add- ed to the family atmosphere as firefighters walked through the crowd holding their boots high for donations. A generous crowd gave $15,801. Planning for the event began last fall and marked the first time that Colorado Springs has christened the start of the Olympic Games since the United States Olympic Committee arrived in town 34 years ago.
U.S. Figure Skating kicked things off at 3:30 p.m. by registering people to skate for free at the portable rink, which also featured bleacher seating for parents and relatives. Tree sessions were staggered over two hours, all full to capacity. Honnen Ice Arena at Colorado College supplied the skates, and area instructors taught skills and kept everyone safe. Each participant re- ceived a free U.S. Figure Skating T-shirt. After finishing on the ice, skaters stood on the same medals podium used at U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Parents gleefully snapped pictures of their skaters wearing medals and holding fresh flowers. “It’s enjoyable to see such a wide range of ages 19, months to 43 years old, enjoying the basics of skating while playing Red Light, Green Light, Fol- low the Coach and even skating under the limbo stick,” said Gia Witmer, who oversaw the on-ice activities for U.S. Figure Skating. One of the highlights of the event was the autograph session with Yamaguchi. Hundreds of people waited patiently in line to meet the 1992 Olympic, U.S. and World champion. Yamagu- chi signed everything from U.S. Figure Skating T-shirts to photographs to a 20-year-old cereal box with her picture on it.
Caydee Denney and John Coughlin advance the Olympic torch to downtown Colorado Springs.
She arrived downtown with her husband,
Bret Hedican, their daughters, Keara and Emma, and her mother, Carole Yamaguchi. Hedican is a two-time Olympian in hockey and a Stanley Cup winner. Yamaguchi and Hedican capped the eve- ning by lighting a ceremonial cauldron placed on a stage near the U.S. Olympic Committee head- quarters.
When U.S. Figure Skating wrapped up its
skating sessions, USA Hockey’s youth skaters jumped on the ice and demonstrated their moves. Ten it was USA Curling’s turn, as the crowd was invited onto the ice for some hands-on fun. All three Winter National Governing Bodies were able to showcase their sports in a celebration of the Summer Games. In addition to the unique summer skating
rink, the event featured a 27-foot-wide video screen to watch the NBC broadcast of the Opening Cere- mony in London. Next to the skating rink, the Fly- ing Aces performed high-flying tricks on a trampo- line, while BMX athletes wowed the crowd on stunt bikes. Nearby, the U.S. Tennis Association set up a court for kids, U.S. Taekwondo performed exhibi- tions, and multiple “bounce houses” filled the street.
PHOTO BY JERILEE BENNETT, COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE
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