Ken Berger kept the fans entertained while announcing the Olympic Games in London. Larry Slater photo. Continued from page 32
him on track there a little bit after being a referee for amateur wrestling and interna- tional wrestling. He listens, he learns, he’s got a great voice.
“I’m doing most of the color commen-
tary and he’s picking up on it,” said Berger. “Two announcers over eight days was the right decision.” After all, the last thing anyone wants to hear on wrestling’s biggest stage is a hoarse voice.
Along with announcing the action on the mat with Taylor, Berger, a long-time wrestling official, also worked with British television personality Jamie Rickers in hosting a 30-minute preshow before each session of wrestling began at ExCeL. Berger would tell fans what to look for, who to watch and who the top contenders for medals would be on that day of wrestling.
“When I came here, the British asked me to give them a show, tell them about the history of wrestling and tell them a lit- tle bit about the sport and they’ve brought me into the group when the show goes over. I’m telling people what’s going on,
“It’s pretty exciting, because let’s face it, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle for any athlete, and as an announcer, it’s the same.”
– Ken Berger Olympic Games wrestling announcer
what’s happening on the mat,” said Berger.
“They’ve had a great mix of music, the announcing, but most importantly, the wrestling has been number one out here. Tremendous wrestling,” he said. It wasn’t Berger’s first major interna- tional competition on the mic – he announced the 2007 FILA Junior World Championships in Beijing in 2007 and the London Test event prior to the Games. But there’s something about the Olympic Games which is special to everyone involved – announcers included. “It’s pretty exciting, because let’s face it, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle
for any athlete, and as an announcer, it’s the same,” said Berger. One of the things which made announcing the Games so exciting for Berger was the involvement and energy from the fans in London.
“The British fans are embracing the sport,” said Berger. “The little show before the action takes place has really been great. They go through the basics and they bring the fan and the involve- ment into the sport. The British are just great. London 2012 has done a great job putting this event on for wrestling and the wrestling community is very appreciative of the show they’ve put on.”
33 USA Wrestler
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