Lying on the wall!

Back home

Were are back,  we had a great time,   above are a few photos 

Jumping Today!!!!

Today is the Day!!! I am feeling good, I ate a huge breakfast, and a big dinner last night (I ate at least three different farm animals!! ) Ha Ha. Experience is definitely a good thing, In the Sydney Olympics I was in great shape but the day of the competition I was so nervous that I didn't eat enough food. My Warm ups were great but then I ran out of gas, I had no energy. Not this time!

I do not jump until 8:50 Pm (thats 11:50 am for you in Arizona) Today I slept in until 10:00Am and I will try and take a nap later today. I am excited to jump and I expect to enjoy every second of it. In the past I have had fun but I think maybe I was so worried about results that it hindered me. My best jumps ever have been when I was relaxed and having fun. I will do the same tonight. I will enjoy the 93,000 spectators watching me.

ok think high thoughts!

-Dominic

Jumping Tomorrow!

The girls have arrived and they are having a good time,  Alexandra is just about over her jet lag, Poor Kristel was up at 3:00 am with a wild little girl.   It seemed for the first two days one child was always asleep when the other was awake,  

Tomorrow I will be jumping in the Stadium (picture above)   I am feeling very good after being sick for two days, I caught a bit of a cold after being caught in the rain and then being cold and wet for a few hours.   Luckily I am feeling better just in time.   

Tonight I did a warm up at the track and saw a lot of the vaulters I know, including Giuseppi Gibiliciso, my former training partner when we lived in Formia.   I also spent some time talking with Vitali, my coach from Formia.  

Today was hot but tonight the weather was perfect, I am hoping for the same conditions tomorrow.  

The height of the bar will be the following: 

16'10"

17'4"

17'10 1/2"

18'2 1/2"

18'6 1/2"

18'10"(Auto Qualifying mark for final)

I expect it to take 18'6 on a first attempt to qualify for the final.  

I know I am capable, lets see what happens!!

Today I had a great vault session in the morning,  at first I was struggling a bit and then I thought to myself, "What would Tom Hays tell me right now?"   Tom is a good friend of mine That coached me in College.  For that particular problem he would tell me to think about my right foot at takeoff,  and it worked great!  From that point on I had great jumps.   Thanks Tom!!    

After My training my Friend Juri Rovan (a pole vaulter from SLovenia, and a graduate of Northern Iowa) and I took a taxi done to Tiananmen Square.   We had a great time taking photos.   People were treating us like celebrities,  They were taking photos like crazy and asking for autographs.  Above is a picture of a soldier in front of the famous Mao painting. 

St.Lucian National Swimming Record

Our Young St.Lucian Swimmer, just 18 years old set a national record and personal best by 3 seconds in the 100 meter breast Stroke!!   She placed 3rd in her heat,  it was not good enough to advance to the next round but still a fantastic performance for such a young athlete in their first Olympics.   I will be thrilled to accomplish the same in my event!  Above is a photo of all of us at the "Cube" after her race.  Dani (the swimmer) is the one wearing the yellow shirt in the back. Her proud mother is the one sitting in front of her. 

St.Lucia Minster of Sports Visit

Today we were visited in the games Village by Leonard  Montoute,  the Minister of Education and Sport in St.lucia.   He and I go way back,  back in 1996 before the Atlanta Olympics I competed in Puerto Rico with the St.Lucian Team.   Leonard was there with the team as a coach/Therapist.   I had a problem with my back from the long flight and Mr. Montoute worked on it for me.   Although he may still be willing, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to ask him to do it again today!  

One of the athletes I was competing with on the trip was a guy named Edmund Estephane, he was a 100 meter sprinter.  Since then he has become the Minister of Labor in the government.  makes me wonder what position I should take someday? 

Link to Photos

here is a link to some of my openning ceremony photos.

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=34101218416748695/l=412206509/g=3198522/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Most of the Photos where taken while I was on the infield after we marched in.

Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony was great,  I understand NBC barely showed St.Lucia and did not show me, nothing new I guess.  Third Olympics where they have cut us out.   My good friend in Finland said he saw me very clear.    I am in the process of uploading photos to a snapfish account.  I will give you the link as soon as I get them up. 

OLYMPIC SMOG!

The air is smoggy but it does not seem to be as bad as it looks,  I think a lot of it is humidity.  This is a photo looking down the main street in the games village.   

Beijing Bound!

Here I am for a third time, another Olympic Games!!   

I have been in Beijing for 5 days now, so far the games are living up to my expectations. The Village is extremely nice, the food is good, and the people are friendly.