Inspired by Lillehammer 1994

(ATR)Returning to Lillehammer and setting foot on the Storgata pedestrian street quickly evoked fantastic memories from the 1994 Winter Olympic Games, which were among my most inspiring personal and professional experiences.

Twenty-two years after what many consider as one of the greatest Winter Olympics ever, I’m thrilled to be back in this idyllic Norwegian town to cover the second Winter Youth Olympic Games, which open Friday, Feb. 12.

I came to Lillehammer in 1994 as a young broadcast associate with CBS Sports, contributing editorially to the network’s massive coverage of the Games, a dream job for sure. I was assigned to work with the production crew covering bobsleigh and luge at the Olympic Sliding Center in Hunderfossen.

In what I remember as a wonderland of astounding natural winter beauty, with snow drifts beside the road maybe ten feet high, our accommodations were in the Hafjelltoppen media village, perched above the Hafjell giant slalom and slalom courses.

Working lengthy hours in the CBS Sports venue production truck in frigid Hunderfossen, I assisted with features and graphics, searching for footage as necessary. On occasion, producer Vin Devito allowed me to roam with our camera crew to chase athletes like Brian Shimer, Georg Hackl, Gustav Weder, the Jamaican bobsled team and hoping to catch of glimpse of Prince Albert II, who was piloting sleds for Monaco at the third of his five Olympic Games.

After one long day of editing in the truck, I decided that it was time to hike up and explore the 16-curve, 1,710-meter track. While I couldn’t tell you which curve it was, sure enough there was Prince Albert doing his homework, studying and visualizing each and every curve with the intensity of a jet fighter pilot.

It posed a difficult dilemma for a young broadcast journalist. – do I disturb the Prince or just relish the moment? You guessed it – I disturbed the Prince and politely asked for a photo and he kindly obliged. It is a special moment captured that I still cherish 22 years later.

The Lillehammer Scene & Reindeer at a Hardware Store

Thanks in part to the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding figure skating turmoil, the viewership on CBS Sports – which paid 300-million USD in TV rights for the ’94 Games – is still the highest for the Winter Olympics in the United States.

For our crew at the sliding track, Nancy and Tonya meant shorter and shorter bobsled segments as the Tiffany Network showed what seemed like countless hours of figure skating practices and up-to-the-minute reports. This was O.K. by us – it meant more free time to explore Lillehammer and take in the night-time revelry on the Storgata, which was a festive, colorful and friendly scene.

Norwegian Vikings posed for pictures with visitors, athletes mingled, and enthusiastic Games-goers lobbied for pins and even our CBS Sports green and blue jackets. Chants of "Ooh, Ah, Bredesen, Ooh Ah Bredesen," echoed into the wee hours of the morning after the Oslo ski jumper Espen Bredesen ended a decades-long Norwegian gold medal draught, leaping to victory in the men’s normal hill competition.

I recall having a late night meal of reindeer stew and rice, washed down by Ringnes beer and perhaps a taste of Aquavit – the Norwegian "water of life" as I quickly learned. Mind you, this wasn’t your average Norwegian pub or restaurant, but a hardware store converted by the owner into a no frills bar for the 16 days of the Games. Brilliant move on his part – how many hammers and screwdrivers can you actually sell during two weeks of the Olympic Games?

Skiers and Speed Skaters Share Memories of ‘94

It seems that no matter who you talk to – athletes, journalists, spectators, IOC members – everyone seems to have heart-warming, joyous and vivid memories of those splendid cold days and nights in February 1994. Although the upcoming YOG is certainly about the young athletes and change-makers taking part, they will also provide a perfect chance to reminisce about the '94 Games for those old, and lucky, enough to visit here 22 winters ago.

Lillehammer YOG ambassador and three-time Olympic skier Kjetil Jansrud recalls attending large hill ski jumping and the men’s downhill. The popular Norwegian ski racer was just nine years old at the time.

"I went to the downhill event and remember how cold it was, like minus 25," Jansrud told Around the Rings. "I remember walking over the river from the buses and there were a lot of people there. I remember how exciting the atmosphere was. It was inspiring and gave me a boost for my young career."

The American speed skater Dan Jansen, who overcame personal tragedy and adversity to finally win an elusive gold medal at his final Olympic race in Hamar, shared his memories.

"The atmosphere in Lillehammer and Hamar was really unlike any other Winter Games I’ve been to before or since," Jansen said. "It had something special about it and it had a lot to do with the people. You could tell the pride and excitement they felt to host the Games."

Lillehammer ’94 triple gold medalist and Norwegian speed skating legend Johann Olav Koss also reminisced about the warm atmosphere and hospitality of the Norwegian people.

"Anywhere we walked, including the police, everybody shook your hand and asked what they could do for you – ‘welcome here, great to see you, good luck,’’ Koss said of February 1994, adding that "we got to share some of the Norwegian heritage and tradition."

Jansrud’s teammate and three-time Olympic medalist Aksel Lund Svindal recalls attending ski races at the Lillehammer Games. The Norwegian ski racer was 11-years-old at the time.

"It was a cool atmosphere – not a crazy V.I.P. affair," Svindal said. "Just tons of people out in the woods watching cross-country, standing in the finish area of the downhill and enjoying the Games."

Cheering for Team USA

The highlights of the ‘94 Games for an American winter sports junkie were certainly Jansen’s breakthrough performance and his fellow U.S. speed skater Bonnie Blair, who dominated the 500 and 1,000m races to become the first American woman to attain five Olympic gold medals in any sport.

I remember Team USA getting off to an auspicious start at the Games with skier Tommy Moe, of Norwegian ancestry, ripping down the Kvitfjell downhill course and upsetting Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt by .04 seconds to win gold. Moe, the fun-loving Alaskan, quickly became a fan favorite and followed up downhill victory with super-G silver.

Although they were not red, white and blue moments, it is hard to forget the last stand of the flamboyant Italian Alberto Tomba, who skied to his fifth and final Olympic medal – silver in the slalom. Peter Forsberg scoring on Canadian goalie Corey Hirsh in an overtime shoot-out to win ice hockey gold for Sweden was another magical moment from ’94.

The Norwegian Super Bowl

Being an American kid who grew up recreational skiing and dabbled in ice hockey, but mostly watched baseball and football games, attending the men’s 4 x 10 kilometer cross-country relay was a sporting and cultural spectacle beyond belief.

Thousands of Norwegian fans, some reports say 150,000 in total, camped out in the woods – cooking, drinking and enjoying their time at Birkebeineren Ski Stadium. The marquee race took place on a beautiful, sunny and extremely cold Lillehammer morning. Norwegian flags flew everywhere, creating an enormous sea of red, against a backdrop of white, glistening snow. It quickly dawned upon me just how important this race was to the Norwegians – a celebration of the nation’s storied Nordic culture.

I seem to recall that CBS Sports promoted the men’s cross-country relay as the Norwegian "Super Bowl." Not bad considering that the most American sports fans had never seen a cross-country race on TV.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t remain for the conclusion of the epic race as I had to head up the road to Hunderfossen for my television production responsibilities. I hopped in a cab just outside the venue – they were all available as the entire nation was enthralled with the race which was evolving into a heated battle between the Italians and Norwegians.

As the friendly cab driver navigated the snowy, local streets, we listened to the radio call of the dramatic race. Now for the average American sports fan – a radio call of cross-country skiing is unheard of. I thought to myself – "how great is this?"

My Norwegian vocabulary only consisted of "Tussen tak" and "Aquavit vennligst" so I did my best to figure out what was going on, keeping a close eye on the emotions and facial expressions of the worried driver.

The announcer’s voice escalated in excitement as he appeared to be reaching a crescendo – surely this was headed towards an incredible, national celebration for a Norwegian victory. But the crescendo ended abruptly – with the single word "Italia" being muttered and then dead silence.

The Norwegian star Bjørn Dæhlie battled Italian Silvio Fauner to the end, but was edged at the finish by less than a ski length, 0.4 seconds. The Italians had stolen gold from not just the Norwegian cross-country skiers, but an entire nation.

My cab driver nearly slowed to a stop, practically putting his head down on the steering wheel. I couldn’t muster the words, although conveying my condolences in English may not have meant much anyway. I felt their pain.

Onward to Lillehammer 2016

Although there is not a cross-country relay on the schedule here at the Winter YOG, perhaps the teen-aged Norwegian skiers can still enact revenge on their Italian counterparts whether it be in sprint classic, freestyle or the new cross-country cross event. While none of our YOG competitors were alive during the ’94 Games, surely the young Norwegian racers have heard the story from their fathers or more likely watched it on YouTube.

Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heilberg was the head of the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee in 1994. He has returned this week to the Norwegian village, and like everyone else who was fortunate to be here 22 years ago, the Youth Olympic Games will instill indelible memories from the winter of 1994.

"I can feel the same enthusiasm from the people of Lillehammer," Heilberg said. "These are smaller than the Olympic Games, but it still reminds me of Lillehammer 1994."

Let the Games begin!

Written by Brian Pinelliin Lillehammer

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