German beer wagon

We saw this beer wagon all over the city, as the patrons peddled and earned their beer. Nashville could use a Yazoo beer wagon!

Fond memories of Cologne

Here are some shots from touring Cologne. The Dom is spectacular, and there are also Roman ruins like the one shown here.

Atlanta defeats Sydney in exciting Water Polo match

We met the Atlanta water polo team at our hotel and enjoyed watching this match between Atlanta and Sydney. Atlanta has a lot of great guys on the team and finished fifth overall. They were disappointed but should be proud, given the strong competition at these Games. This is an exciting sport which takes a lot of athleticism and stamina to play. Congrats to our Atlanta friends!

Now that our competition is over, we are enjoying the Games

Did I also mention that Keith picked up bronze medals in the hammer and shot!!

Keith had an amazing day at the track, picking up bronze medals in the hammer and shot, in addition to his gold in the javelin. The competition was fierce in all events, especially because so many Europeans participated in these Games. Keith and I really appreciated the Team Nashville athletes who showed up to cheer him on before heading off to their 5K event. Congrats to Keith for a truly outstanding performance!

Keith brings home gold in javelin!

Keith won the gold medal in the javelin today at Rhinegold Stadium, throwing into a headwind. The crowd cheered Keith on as he broke the Germans' winning streak in the throwing events. This is Keith's third consecutive time to capture the gold medal in the javelin at the Games, having won in Sydney and Chicago. I am very proud of Keith for bringing home the gold! CONGRATS!

Patrick Boggs sets personal best time in 10K

Team Nashville athlete Patrick Boggs finished the 10K road race with an impressive time of 42:56, which placed him in the top 10 runners in his age group. It was a very large and competitive field. This race was a personal best for Patrick, which is a goal for every athlete in the Games. Congratulations to Patrick for a great race and outstanding effort!

Jay Gondek of Team Nashville wins silver!

Congratulations to fellow Team Nashville athlete Jay Gondek for winning the silver medal in the olympic distance triathlon. Jay had a truly outstanding race, finishing 21st overall in a very large and competitive group of triathletes from around the world. Great job Jay, we are very proud of you!

The swim, the bike and the run...Go Sam, Go!

Sam brings home the bronze in the triathlon!

Let's start at the ending....Sam won the bronze medal in the men's sprint triathlon! It was a beautiful, cool day and the racing conditions were perfect. The swim took place in the regatta course and the bike and run were around the lake. The running and biking courses were flat, unlike the Tennessee hills where Sam had trained. I am very proud of Sam's performance and for all of his hours of training in the Nashville heat this summer. With two triathlons under his belt leading up to the Games, Sam peaked at the right time in Cologne. CONGRATS!!!!

Tomorrow it's off to the triathlon.....

Keith and I will get up "at the crack of dawn" for my triathlon, which will be held at the Fuehlinger-see regatta course outside Cologne. I managed to find a great (and hopefully fast) road bike today and I am all set for the race. Keith treated me to a final "carbo loading" meal of pasta (and, of course, one Koelsch beer). What a wonderful start for the Games! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The drum corps and balloons finished the evening

We have an olympic flame, too...

What was it we said earlier about German beer?

Lots of cities and countries represented.

More pics from the Opening Ceremony...

Team Nashville at Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony at Rhein Energie Stadion was truly inspiring as 10,000 participants from 70 countries marched into the arena to launch Gay Games VIII. The motto for these Games "Be part of it" says it all, emphasizing the importance of participation. The other key principles of the Games are inclusion, since competition is open to all, and personal best, since everyone strives for his or her absolute best performance regardless of the outcome. Dr. Tom Waddell, the founder of the Games, said, "The first Gay Games were an experiment in global unity and they were an experiment in education. They were also a vehicle for change." The same hold true 30 years later. Olympian and gold medalist Matthew Mitcham captured the spirit of these Games when he told the enthusiastic Cologne crowd, "In these Games we have no rivals, only comrades in unity." Here are a few pics from this special night. Let the Games begin!

Arrived in Cologne

Arrived safely in Cologne and getting settled in. Made a lot of friends on the flight over....Ft. Lauderdale swimmers (Hammerheads), golfers from DC, tracksters from Utah. You get the picture. It was a festive flight! The city of Cologne is beautiful and it seems like there is always a view of the incredible Dom. Can't wait to take the tour. The people are very friendly and that's a good thing because our German is really bad! We have already had our share of German beer. Every time you turn around they are refilling your glass! Local beer is always the best: Koelsch, which is described as "clear beer with a bright straw-yellow hue." Anybody around here serve a good California Chardonnay? Oh well, when in Germany......