Today was the tour day for the Olympic Park venues. When I was here a little over a year ago there was not much more than a pile of dirt and a bunch of construction vehicles around. A lot has changed – The Velodrome is done, the Aquatic center is actually almost ready to swim in and the stadium – which we drove into in the rain last time is getting closer to looking like a stadium. Still a lot of construction vehicles around and hundreds if not thousands of people working on the grounds.

Without a doubt – the Aquatic Center was the top of list of impressive sites. Virtually ready to go and in fact, one of the writers on the tour yesterday found out the hard way that the automatic showers work. Seems that they come on when you walk though them and he didn’t read the sign saying not to enter. Not a photographer in site when you need one. I would have loved to see that.

Mark Suban (NPS-US Wash DC) , Robt Christina (Nikon Europe) and I playing it up for the camera. Really can’t help wanting to be photographed in such a great setting.

The Olympic Stadium still has a ways to go but seems to be getting close. Athletes will enter for the opening ceremonies through the tunnel you see at the far back just behind the orange spots in the photos.

Michael Madrid (USA Today) and Smiley Poole (Houston Chronicle). Purpose of the tour is to give the photographers a look at where they will have to shoot from so that they can plan their coverage Both of these guys are veterans of prior Olympics and have a good idea of just what they need to do to get the coverage they need.

James Banfield from Nikon’s UK office along with Robt Christina (Nikon Europe) will have the burden of piecing together the NPS operation. A tall task with 50 NPS reps from all over the world. Work space, housing, transportation and all the rest of things that make for a great operation fall in their hands. What a great crew to be working with. Thanks for the hard work guys.