Yesterday was quite a day. We started out at a reception given by the US Olympic Committee for Vice President Biden at the home of United States Consul General in Vancouver Phil Chicola. Phil, his wife Vicky, Deputy Consul General Kathleen Hill, and the rest of the Vancouver US Consulate have done an extraordinary job over the last year in preparing for these games. The results prove it.

Phil’s house was full of winter and summer Olympians. One of my favorites was Dick Fosbury – perhaps the greatest high jumper of all time and the inventor of the Fosbury Flop – the technique almost all high jumpers still use. He explained to me that he came up with the technique one day in a meet. He had already cleared his personal best. When they raised the bar he knew his technique would not allow him to clear the new height and so he improvised. That day he raised his personal best by 6 inches and the rest – as they say – is history.

We then did two pretty special things. We watched a women’s hockey game between the United States and China (US won 12-1) with Mike Eruzione. Then we went to the pairs figure skating with Peggy Fleming. Talk about expert commentary! Here’s Mike between periods at the hockey game holding court with the Vice President and Jill Biden as well as Salt Lake Olympic organizer, Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife Ann.

While we were at the figure skating (the Chinese were awesome) the Canadians won their first gold medal on home soil. Alex Bilodeau at the men’s moguls. I gave Michael Ignatieff the good news. He gave me a high five. That’s what the Olympic spirit is about. Friendly competition.

Julie – who was sitting next to Peggy – was on TV during the figure skating. She has gotten about 100 e mails from friends back home.
Afterwards we went out with the delegation to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Dennis Cheng of the State Department Protocol Office who was with us on the trip and who is from Vancouver picked out the restaurant. The best part was that his family was at the next table celebrating. Everyone had a great time. Gung Hay Fat Choy (that’s Gong Xi Fa Cai to all those Mandarin speakers out there)!!!

This morning we went to the airport to see the Vice President off. He and his family had a great time in Vancouver. Hopefully we will see all of them back in Canada soon.

A few words about the athletes in the delegation. Peggy Fleming is as elegant today as she was at 19 when she won the gold medal in figure skating in 1968. She and her husband – who live in California – own a vineyard. We plan to sample their wine soon. Vonetta Flowers was the glue of the group. You can’t help but like her. She came with her mother and her 7 month old baby. She left her twin 7 year olds at home with her husband. Mike Eruzione is – plain and simple – one of the funniest people I have ever met. He has the rare combination of irreverence and self effacing charm. He kept the whole group – from the Vice President on down – laughing.

This afternoon Julie and I went with Peggy Fleming to the Canadian Mint Exhibit where – among other treasures – they had the actual medals they made for the Olympics. They were huge and much more beautiful in person than in pictures. Peggy – as a true Olympic competitor – picked up a gold medal and said “if you won a bunch of these they’d really weigh you down.” One of the great parts of the exhibit was the booth where people could make short videos to send home to friends about the Olympics. Here’s mine.

Today was Quebec Day at the Olympics. So we went to the Quebec reception. Ran in to a bunch of friends including Premier Charest and his wife Michèle Dionne. After that we went to a party given by Michael Budman and his wife Diane Bald, the founders of Roots. Great food and great people. But the highlight was a photo they have on their wall of Vonetta Flowers in tears getting her gold medal in a Roots jacket. I wish Vonetta had been there with us to see it.

Tomorrow it’s off to Whistler.