The 2012 London Summer Games are on in full force, and two athletes hailing from the northwest are in the thick of the action.
Terrace’s Jason Haldane is competing in men’s volleyball for Team Great Britain, while New Hazelton’s freestyle wrestler Carol Huynh is representing Canada at her second Olympic Games.
Huynh won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Her competition starts today with the qualifying round.
Haldane and the men’s volleyball team’s prospects for a medal are low – this is the first year Great Britain has competed in volleyball at the Olympics, and the team started the games ranked 92nd overall.
But this hasn’t stopped Haldane from embracing the Olympic spirit and living in the moment.
“We arrived in the athlete’s village on July 22nd and it’s been non-stop ever since,” he said.
“The Olympics is surreal,” he said. As for the opening ceremonies, “It felt like I was in a dream. The atmosphere is something like I’ve never experienced before. Truly amazing.”
Huynh, who lives in Calgary, shared Haldane’s sentiments.
“It was surreal and so much fun – so great to have my Canadian teammates behind me and just feeling the vibe. Last time, in Beijing, I was fighting for position with the water polo guys and this time I was right up front. So awesome,” she said.
The Olympic games are on until Sunday, Aug. 12.