Aug. 11, 2008

BEIJING - Jigar Mehta, a University of California alumnus, is in Beijing capturing a behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Below are his first three video entries, which include interviews with Cal alum Jason Lin '01, friends and family of rower Erin Cafaro, and the parents of swimming star Natalie Coughlin.

Interview with Jason Lin '01 on the Opening Ceremonies
I landed at the Beijing airport at 2 p.m. on the day of the Opening Ceremonies, a full six hours before they started. However, since I was ticketless, I watched the opening of the 29th Olympiad with a bunch of foreigners and locals in one of several outdoor parks in Beijing set up with television screens.

The city felt alive, and even though we could hear and see the fireworks in the distance, we had only been watching it on a TV. How awesome would it have been to be inside the Bird's Nest.

That night back in my hotel as I was fighting insomnia, an e-mail landed in my inbox from a fellow Cal alum, who said that I should see if his friend who was going to the Opening Ceremonies had an extra ticket. It was a few hours too late, but I still gave Jason Lin ('01) a call and met him the next day to hear about his experience at the Opening Ceremonies. Lin, a California native, moved to Shanghai, China, in 2004 and now works for the One Foundation.

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 - Jigar Mehta

Interview with friends and family of former Cal rower Erin Cafaro, who is a member of the U.S. eight
Communicating with athletes here in Beijing has been touch and go. It's been a combination of e-mail, Facebook and text messages. Many athletes are so focused on their events that they don't even have time to even speak to their families.

However, Erin Cafaro ('06) sent me an email saying I should meet her family, including brother J.D. (Cal Football '02-04) and her best friend Erin Hafkenschiel (Cal Lacrosse '01-05) who is currently in China on a Fulbright Scholarship. The Cafaros where nice enough to secure me an extra ticket to watch Erin and the rest of the U.S. women's eight team compete in the qualifying round of the Olympics.

The rowing center is a beautiful new facility constructed in the Northeast suburbs of Beijing. I traveled out there this past Sunday to spend time with Erin's supporters.

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- Jigar Mehta

Interview with Natalie Coughlin's parents
Beijing is an enormous town that sprawls in every direction, so you think you would never run into a familiar face. My friend, an entertainment reporter, invited me to join him at the Speedo Parents' Meet and Greet, an opportunity for the press to meet many of the swimmers' parents, well those sponsored by Speedo.

The room was a buzz over Mama Phelps, whose son, Michael, had won another gold medal that morning. I spotted Jim and Zennie Coughlin on the eve of their daughter's marquee event, the 100-meter backstroke. While her world record was broken a few hours earlier, they were confidant that Natalie was poised to break it again.

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- Jigar Mehta