Meeting Russian Hockey Legends

I took full advantage of my rest day today and soaked up the Olympic atmosphere around the park.

Speed Skating

One of the key advantages to having your hotel in the Olympic park is that you can get access to the Olympic park and all of its amenities 24/7.  This comes in pretty handy if you want to do anything that during the day the crowds are too big to do, such as get pictures with the rings, go to the shop without an hour wait or buy tickets without having to queue. 

With this in mind I got up early this morning to buy some tickets for speed skating.  Contrary to popular belief when you are participating in an Olympics you don’t automatically get access to all of the different sports.  My accreditation gives me full access to the ice hockey venues and so I am able to attend any women’s games that I am not working to watch.  In addition I can also attend any men’s games to watch.  This is pretty awesome in itself and is probably the hottest accreditation to have at a winter Olympics.  However the access is limited to the ice hockey venues and so if I want to see other sports then I have to buy tickets the same as anyone else.  The advantage I have is access to the ticket booth earlier than most people.

Scott taking a selfie at the speed skating arena

I managed to get two tickets to the speed skating for today so Scott and I could go to watch something a bit different in-between the women’s games.  After having sessions with a speed skating coach over the summer I now have a new appreciation for speed skaters and so was excited to see them compete.  The arena is much larger than an ice hockey arena.  In reality you can fit a whole hockey rink inside the track of a speed skating rink.  The first thing that hits you when you walk into the speed skating arena is the size and distance of the track.

It was a great experience to see the skaters and marvel at the speed they can generate over a lap of the track.  I know my legs would be burning after one turn and somehow they manage to dig deep and drive their way around the whole track.  I couldn’t help but sit in awe of the power they have in their legs.

BBC Trolley

Bumping into Jonthan Edwards in the Olympic park

As we walked across the Olympic park between the speed skating arena and the Shayba Arena I spotted the familiar BBC logo and got slightly over-excited as I realised the man I was starring at was Jonathan Edwards.  As I have been doing with anyone I see from the UK, I immediately ran over and handed him an Ice Hockey UK pin badge.  He seemed slightly bewildered but had a picture taken with me anyway. 

I was just about to walk away when his camera crew got quite excited and so I gave them all a pin badge and they were kind enough to give me a special BBC Sochi 2014 pin badge (worryingly I have become somewhat of a pin badge collector over the last week).  They also showed me the BBC trolley which they are wheeling around the park with everything they need in it.  Essentially it is a rather unglamorous shopping trolley which they have Sochi-ed up and they are using as a mobile filming unit.  It is good to know that the BBC are having fun out here and great to see them just walking around the Olympic park with all the spectators.

Russian Hockey Legends

Sitting with Vladislav Tretiak

Tonight saw the Russian women’s team take on the Japanese women’s team.  A home crowd filled the arena again and there were very few seats in the house.  As I took my seat in the federation stand I noticed that two seats down from me was Vladislav Tretiak, the former goaltender for the Soviet Union’s national ice hockey team.  He was the final torch bearer who lit the flame at the opening ceremony and is a Russian hockey legend inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.  He is considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of hockey and is currently President of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia.  I didn’t want to miss this opportunity and so I asked him for a picture (in exchange of course for an Ice Hockey UK pin badge, which I am sure he will treasure as much as his many gold medals). 

After realising I was sitting next to Valeri Kamensky

After having my picture taken with Tretiak I also gave the man sitting next to him a pin badge as I didn’t want him to feel left out.  He thanked me and then pulled out of his pocket a hockey card which he signed and gave to me.  I had no idea but I was actually sitting next to Valeri Kamensky, a retired Russian hockey player who had played in the NHL for Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils.  He had won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche and a gold medal in the 1988 Calgary Olympics.  I felt slightly bad for not realising who he was earlier and so had my photo taken with him too.

Alexei Yashin and his famous friend?

Then a few minutes later a rather slick dressed Russian came into the stand and shook hands with both Tretiak and Kamensky and sat down next to them.  I recognised him to be Alexei Yashin, a retired Russian player who played for the Ottawa Senators and the New York Islanders in the NHL.  He is now Manager of the Russian Women’s National team and I remember seeing him at the 2013 Women’s World Championships in Ottawa crying when the Russian team won the bronze medal game.  Clearly I felt the need to have my picture taken with him.  He had a friend with him who he told me was also famous and so I should allow him to be in the picture too.  I’m not sure who he is but I am expect someone will be able to tell me at some point.  However, if Yashin says let him be in the picture who am I to argue with him!

I felt very lucky to have sat next to three Russian hockey legends.  Only at the end of the first period of the game did I realise how famous Tretiak is.  Russian fans pretty much mobbed the stands for a chance to get their picture with him and all but ignored Kamensky who was sitting next to me smiling at the scene.

Exhausted from the days celebrity spotting and picture taking I retreated back to my hotel for a quick team meeting when we found out the game schedule for the next two days.  I am looking forward to my next game and focusing back on the job I am here to do!