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Many ways to keep up on Winter Olympics

February 11, 2010 By Stacy Forster

The 2010 Winter Olympic games kick off Friday, Feb. 12, in Vancouver, and a large contingent of Wisconsin athletes will lead the U.S. charge to the medal stand. The UW–Madison athletics department will track the progress of the school’s athletes at http://uwbadgers.com.

UW-Madison has a number of experts who can address a range of issues for reporters covering the games, including context about Vancouver and the Olympic experience, sports medicine and psychology, and climate change.

  • Kris Olds, 608-262-5685, kolds@wisc.edu. Olds, a professor of geography, worked in the planning department for the city of Vancouver. He can talk with reporters about Vancouver’s history, especially the Expo ’86 era and beyond, community-based views on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the social impact of the games.
  • Jeffrey Anders, 608-262-2591, janders@uhs.wisc.edu. Anders, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry who works with University Health Services, is an expert in sports psychology. He can address such psychological issues faced by athletes as choking under pressure, underconfidence or overconfidence, anxiety, psychiatric problems, performance-enhancing substances and resilience to adversity.
  • Greg Landry, 608-263-2846, gllandry@pediatrics.wisc.edu. Landry is a sports medicine specialist and medical director for the Athletic Training Education Program. He was a team doctor for the U.S. cross country skiing and biathlon teams at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and can talk about the experience of being part of the Olympics.
  • David T. Bernhardt, 608-265-5674, dtbernhardt@pediatrics.wisc.edu. Bernhardt, a professor of pediatrics, orthopedics and rehabilitation, is an expert on sports medicine and can address injuries to Olympic athletes. He also will be traveling to Vancouver in March as a physician working with a group of potential paralympic athletes who will attend the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
  • Greg Rebella, 608-265-8199. Rebella, a pediatric emergency physician for UW Health, has provided medical coverage for Olympic-style events, including the 2005 National Speed Skating Championships. Rebella can talk about the kinds of injuries the skaters can sustain while traveling at speeds greater than 30 miles an hour.
  • Jonathan Martin, 608-262-9845, jemarti1@wisc.edu. Martin, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, is an expert in global warming. He can discuss the push by many Winter Olympic athletes to address climate change, which the athletes say has affected their ability to train and compete in winter sports.

For those wanting an Olympic experience close to home, Der Rathskeller in the Memorial Union will offer viewing parties — and free popcorn when the U.S. wins gold medals — throughout the Vancouver games, which run from Friday, Feb. 12-Sunday, Feb. 28. Details about sporting events and specials are available at the Der Rathskeller link at http://www.union.wisc.edu/food.

And two student groups will be closely watching the Olympic action. The UW–Madison figure skating and speed skating clubs allow students who’ve trained in the sports to continue enjoying and competing in them. The figure skating club’s three teams compete regionally and nationally, and the collegiate team — a synchronized skating team — will take part in the national championships in Minnesota in March. For more information, contact Kayla Haag, 608-438-9956, khaag2@wisc.edu. The speed skating club offers both recreational and competitive skating opportunities and is open to anyone who wants to learn how to speed skate. Contact Marty Lichtman, 650-224-3699, mlichtman@wisc.edu, for more information.

Several current and former Badger athletes will also be providing updates on their Olympic experiences through Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

For more links to UW–Madison experts and access other resources for reporters, follow us on Twitter at UWMadisonMedia.

Tags: research, UW Athletics