Hello Listeners!
Jill here with the scoop on our latest Book Club episode, in which Book Club Claire talked with us about Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror, and Triumph at the Olympic Games by David Clay Large.
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A Peek Behind the Olympic Fever Curtain
It's ALWAYS great to chat with Book Club Claire, but I've gotta be honest with you: This was a painful book to get through. I managed to finish it four minutes before we started taping (no joke!), ending a good two-month odyssey of reading. As a fairly fast reader, being able to manage just a page or two a day really got to me.
If you liked the book, great! Let us know! We've heard from some of you that you did, which makes the choice worth it. If you struggled like me, I apologize. I've had this book for a few years and wondered why I wasn't reading it right away. It just didn't speak to me in the same way.
If you're ever in Munich, be sure to go to Olympia Park -- it's a really lovely place to walk around and see the Olympic facilities. If you have time, bring your swimsuit and GO SWIMMING. The pool is one of the best I've ever been in--it's really fast, which may not mean anything to you if you're not a swimmer, but let's just say that the heavily-chlorinated YMCA pool I went home to after living in Munich was much, much different. And it's really cool to swim underneath that roof.
One of the events we talked about was the final of the men's basketball tournament, which is one of the most controversial decisions in Olympic history (and seeing that it's not boxing, that's saying something). Claire mentioned a documentary called ":03 from Gold", but there's also a Russian movie called "Движение вверх" ("Going Vertical, or "Three Seconds") that came out in 2017. I'd love to see both of these to hear how this story is told from different angles--though there's also my boyfriend Bob Costas' feature from the Soviet perspective. There's also a new book (thanks to Listener Erica for cluing me in on this) about the game called Three Seconds in Munich.
Our next book might be our Book Club winner for longest subtitle. It's The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen. It just came out, so we're exciting to be reading a new book! Plus, Richard Jewell just got honored with a plaque in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, and a new movie about the bombing will be opening at the end of the year, so there will be a lot of talk about this subject, and we'll be right there for it.
If you're buying a copy of the book, we encourage you to click on the link above or picture below and purchase it through Amazon--we'll get a little commission from your purchase, which helps cover the costs of doing the show.
 
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Favorite Olympic Moments
The Olympics guarantees some of the most epic moments in sports history, like this one from Listener Anthony:
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This is definitely a two-tissue video!
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Have a favorite Olympic moment that you want to share? Email us a link to the video, and we'll include it in a future newsletter!
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Tokyo 2020 Maranovela Update
The Tokyo 2020 marathon saga is so telenovela-esque, it's worthy of its own section. Grab some popcorn and join the fun!
To bring you up to speed JCoates & Sebastian Coe freaked out when the IAAF (now World Athletics) World Champs marathon was pretty disastrous in terms of people dropping out for medical reasons. Why this was a surprise, given that the event was in DOHA, and the time was shifted to midnight because that was "cooler" in the desert, I don't know. Fun fact: Doha was one of the applicants to host the 2020 Games, but didn't make it it through to the final round. Can you imagine what might've been?
This led to JCoates, who's chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020, to tell Tokyo that the weather was going to be too hot for the Olympic marathon (again, if you know anything about Tokyo's climate, this is not a surprise, and shouldn't have been at every step of the bidding and planning process), and they were moving the marathon and race walking to Sapporo, where it's supposed to be a little cooler.
Thing is, JCoates forgot a tiny detail of his new plan: Telling the Tokyo and Sapporo governments. Sapporo's mayor finds out when the media calls. Oops.
Tokyo's not too happy--particularly since they've spent a ton of money on planning the marathon, plus, it was a way for people to see an event for free (see: Japanese people having trouble getting tickets for the event that's in their backyard). They counter with moving the time up to 3am, but eventually try to bargain with a 5am start.
JCoates sticks to his guns, and Tokyo acquiesces. Hokkaido and Sapporo have no choice but to jump on board, and now everyone's got nine months to plan two marathon and three race walking races (the Paralympics will still use the Tokyo course), which is no small feat, especially when no one is stepping up and saying, Hey, we'll foot the bill on this.
Now the men's marathon may be moved to a different day, as it's traditionally held on the final day of the Games (perhaps people want to attend the Closing Ceremony, hmmm?) But JCoates just said the IOC doesn't like that idea and the athletes can be flown down. Again, on whose dime, JC?
In the latest update (which we'll also talk about on our next episode), they're considering having a looped course for the marathon, meaning that racers will do a couple of laps instead of one long route. This will make it a little cheaper for whoever is paying (who's paying for it again?).
Mark your calendar for December 3-5. That's the next IOC Executive Board meeting where the marathon proposal will be discussed. Hopefully some decisions will be made, because they've got to get a move on. Stay tuned!
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What We're Reading/Listening/Watching
- Are you watching the Olympic Channel's series "Take the Podium"? Alison and I talked about it (I can't remember if it was on-air or off-air), and since then I've watched the first episode. I feel pretty conflicted about the reallocation situation, but perhaps a few more episodes will help me sort out my feelings.
- Before Miraitowa became the mascot for Tokyo 2020, this was the mascot plan.
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Sponsors and Support
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Thanks to our Patreon patrons for supporting the show. All Patreon patrons get our snazzy new Olympic Fever pin, and there are other fun perks as well, like a special patron-only episode in honor of today's #ThankYouPatrons Day!
If you'd like to get a pin, but don't want the monthly commitment, donate with our Paypal button. Donating $20 or more will also get you a pin!
It's just about holiday shopping time -- and an Olympic Fever shirt, pin, mug or magnet makes a great stocking stuffer. Check out our store today! There's a lot of great sales going on from now until the end of the year - for as much as 35% off.
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