Just wondering if anyone in the OutSports community has been to an Olympiad, either as a participant or a spectator?

In 1984, I went to the Los Angeles Games. My cousin Julie Isphording was running in the first Women's Olympic Marathon. She DNF, due to a bone spur in her foot. But came back to LA three years later to win the Los Angeles Marathon.

I had tickets for Track & Field one evening, where 8 final events took place, which included Carl Lewis in the Long Jump, and the Mens 10,000M event. It was exhilarating.

Also, I went to the Women's 3Meter Springboard Preliminary Diving Event. My fondest remembrance was watching a young woman from Egypt compete. She was NOT Olympic caliber, and most likely a default entrant due to the Soviet Bloc Boycott that year. But, she was, an Olympian!

As a former diver myself, I recognized that her diving was elementary; she had not been training, nor competing for a very long time.

Nevertheless, she was a young Middle Eastern female athlete, competing in an event, in a Speedo. How remarkable. Though she did not make it beyond this preliminary round, she put forth her very best effort, and was the proverbial 'crowd favorite', despite performing low degree of difficulty dives. It was exceedingly fun to cheer for her, though medal contention was never a reality.

My fortune was, I was sitting right next to Patty McCormick, who was a diving Olympic Gold Medalist on three meter springboard in 1952 and 1956. I believe her daughter claimed a Bronze Medal on springboard in the 1984 competition.

TRL

I wish. One of my dreams is to watch the Olympics in person. Especially the Opening Ceremonies. I love the Parade of Nations.

The closest to the Olympics I've ever been to was witnessing the torch relay leading up to the Atlanta Games.

I was hoping to go to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, but that didn't come to pass.

Maybe I'll make it to Chicago, if it's awarded the 2016 games.

Thanks, TRL, for reliving your memories of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Atlanta in 1996 as a spectator.

Went to the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976, when I was 13. Saw Dwight Stone in the Decathalon.

Calgary Winter Olympics, 1988...hard to believe that was 20 years ago. I had tickets to luge and ski-jumping events (anyone remember Eddie the Eagle?) at Canada Olympic Park. I recall the ski-jumping event I attended had to be re-scheduled due to warm Chinook winds, a common weather feature here in February. I never made it to the '76 Summer Games despite living only 200 km from Montreal at that time. I've become increasingly turned-off about the IOC and the Olympics in general (and especially this year with the Beijing Shames) so I can't say I'm overly enthusiastic about the 2010 Winter Games in nearby Vancouver.