The 2012 Olympic Games will use a mix of new venues, existing and historical facilities, and temporary facilities, some in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade.  The majority of these venues have been separated into three zones: the Olympic Zone, the River Zone, and the Central Zone.  In Sept. 2004, the plans for the Olympic Park were passed and a purchase of property was required.  The total cost for the games and regeneration of the East London area came to a total of 9.345 billion Euros.  Senior Christian Riggs said, “That’s ridiculous. I personally don’t think that amount of money is worth hosting the Olympics.”

Athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees are expected to participate.  The 2012 Summer Olympic Games features 26 sports and 39 disciplines.  For the first time in history, women’s boxing is included in the program, with 40 athletes competing in five different weight classes.  Junior David Uhrek said “Women’s boxing sounds like a good way to get more viewers; I’ll be watching that event for sure.” Softball and baseball were voted to be dropped from this year’s Games, and golf and rugby sevens will be used as replacements for the 2016 Olympic Games.  Overall, it looks like an exciting year and with only two months to go, sports lovers from across the world are thrilled to tune in.

Basketball has the largest number of popular sporting venues. There are some crazy competitions played from college basketball, from Women’s National Basketball League (WNBA) to the National Basketball League (NBA). For instance, Michigan State and North Carolina met up on Veterans Day in San Diego to play a game on an aircraft carrier in honor of the military. The two teams wore camouflage jerseys representing U.S.A. President Obama and many other military members attended the game.  The WNBA’s unusual sporting venue was hosted in the Detroit Shock at historic Radio Music Hall where they played on a stage while their fans watched.  The NBA had another unique event where two teams clashed outdoors in the desert at Indian Wells Tennis Center in California.

Tennis also had three events which were played in unique areas.  One of the most memorable moments for tennis fans happened when Andre Agassi and Roger Federer played a match on a helipad in 2005. The match was played 700 ft above Dubai’s Jumeirah beach on the roof of the Burj Al Arab Hotel.  Both players were feet away from falling to their death. Tennis fans watched all over the world “I remember watching this. It was crazy,” said senior Jessica Vala. Another memorable moment for tennis fans was the King of Turf against King of Clay match. The game was played in 2007 Mallorca, Spain on half clay, half grass court. This match was to determine who the best all- surface player was. Squash, similar to the sport of tennis, had a special event held in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. The arena was built especially for this event, a huge four walled glass court inside Vanderbilt Hall.

The Great Wall of China run is one the most exhilarating but trying of all the sporting venues. About twenty- five percent of the run is through a scenic route for 26.2 miles, and the rest is a deadly 3,800 stone staircase until the finish line. The course record belongs to a Spanish man who finished in three hours and twenty- three minutes.  “I think that it’s a complete waste of time and no one should spend their life trying to do that,” said senior Christian Riggs.

At an intense football event in 2010 between Northwestern and Illinois at Wrigley Field that turned out to be embarrassing. The games organizers did not specify the lengths of the field and the space between the outfield walls of the baseball arena. This resulted in organizers having lack of space to create two end zones and only had enough space for one. This was the first college football game to have only offense played on one side and the embarrassment made this football even memorable.

The Winter Classic is one of hockey’s biggest annual events held on New Year’s Day.  The game is played in the number one team’s city at a popular college football stadium.  A hockey rink is built on the football field and the teams play outside on the rink like they did before the huge stadiums were built.

Golf is one of the sports that requires accuracy; imagine playing this sport in arctic conditions. “That’s insane. It must be freezing,” said senior Matt Kuriyama.  Every March, a tournament in Greenland takes place, known as the World Ice Golf Championships.  Golfers gather together and play with orange golf balls, while glaciers and icebergs are placed as new hazards.

It is amazing how all of these sporting venues were created into memorable games. All across the world people watch these incredible events.

Kelsey’s dad has been a major mentor in her basketball career.  Not only has he been there for support and encouragement, but he was also her basketball coach since the third grade.  He has seen Kelsey develop into the star player she is on the court and even in the pool.

The summer of her sixth grade she met Mr. Olaso, currently the boys basketball coach.  Kelsey was messing around on the old court down by the pool just shooting some three pointers.  Mr. Olaso walked up and asked, “Who are you?” In a very curious tone, wondering how this sixth grader was such a natural on the court.  Kelsey thought that was a funny way to meet Mr. O.   Ever since then, Coach O has also been a major part of her middle school and high school career.

Her favorite moment in her basketball career was her senior night!  Kelsey said, “We didn’t win but we all knew that we played a really good game and that the experience was great.”  Kelsey said that senior night was a great experience and being the only senior on the basketball team made it a special moment for her.  Kelsey’s most memorable but not so favorite moment in basketball was when her knee completely gave out at the Kamehameha game.  Kelsey said, “I felt like it wasn’t even happening.”

Being a member of the girls basketball  team all through middle school and all through her four years of high school shows what great commitment she has to this school and team.  Maybe we might see her shooting up some three’s in college!

This year the team hopes to repeat last year’s wins in the championships; last year Le Jardin and its small kayaking team went up against huge odds take first and second in many of the different events. The team this year is on the fast track to achieving these same goals due to, as Taylor Hopkins puts it, “because we’re all nuts.”   However most of the other people would just call it a mixture of skill and determination.  The coaching staff for the kayaking team is some of the best you can get.  Kathy Irwin and her team of coaches are well respected within the kayaking community and have a long history of turning out champions; Brandon Woods himself is an ex-Olympian.

The students at our school may also soon be taking over this Olympic role as well.  The leaders of the team, Rinchin Harrison, Derek Rubenstahl, and Taylor “Caveman” Hopkins.  This year’s kayakers are not only some of the best on the island but some of the best in the country.  Taylor recently got back from kayaking nationals in Oklahoma.

The kayakers feel that they have been largely ignored because the sport only recently became popular, and they feel that the program is not getting the attention it deserves. “We need more funding because our team has tripled in size, we have a shortage of boats and we launch out of our coach’s back yard” commented Rinchin when asked what could be done to improve the program.  This continued to be a common theme no matter which of the kayakers were interviewed. There is still competition for boats that are able to perform against some of the larger schools who have equipment that, in many cases, outperforms the boats that our kayakers have to use.  Schools such as Punahou and Kamehameha are perhaps our biggest competitors because “they have a good team consisting of winners in every event,” said Taylor Hopkins when asked about the issue.

However, despite their issues they always manage to have fun.  “My favorite memory was when Mike [Dowsett] flipped, a fish swam up his pants, and he screamed like a girl,” said Derek Ruhbenstahl.  Memories, and looking forward to a trophy, are just some of the things that this year’s kayaking team will bring back home from this season.