The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are now in full swing in Paris, France, and GSEagles.com caught up with its own Olympic gold medalist, head Track and Field and Cross Country coach, David Neville, to recount his 2008 Beijing Olympic experience.
Q: What was your experience like leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and what were your initial thoughts on being named an Olympian?
DN: I was training out in LA, which was where my base was at. We knew going in that my goal, six years prior to the Olympics, was to actually make the Olympic team so everything I was doing up to that point was to get me ready for that.
I got to the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon in 2008 and I knew going in I had an opportunity, I was running really well and was feeling good with my training and the competitions. I knew this was my opportunity and my chance. At the Olympic Trials that year, I made it into the finals and I was actually the last guy to get in the finals. Which was kind of scary but I did.
I ended up being in lane nine on the track, which is the outside lane, so I couldn't see anybody else there. It might have been eight, but I was in the outside lane. I couldn't see anyone else in the race and I absolutely ran the fastest I have ever ran through 300 meters and was leading or tied for the lead coming off of the turn, and came on home finishing in third place, solidly in third place with a new personal best. That was when I made the team.
My wife was like, "Great, you made it, what's next?" I was like "I can't even celebrate this," but she said "no, your goal was to make the Olympic team, so what are you going to do when you get there?" So, the new goal was to medal at the Olympics. That was kind of the preparation going in, to get myself ready to go and compete and head over to China.
Q: You made it to Beijing, what was it like when you got there and what's the inside scoop on the Olympic Village?
DN: When we got there at first, we landed in Beijing and they took us to the village, having to do a check-in process. There all the athletes checked-in and made sure you had everything you needed. The Village is kind of like, it was almost kind of like an apartment complex that they just built in the middle of wherever. We went in there to see our roommates and unpacked our stuff.
You had the opportunity to decide whether you were going to stay there or if you were going to go to the training camp which was in Dialin, China, an hour flight away. My coach, who was in Dalian at training camp, had a number of athletes that decided that we were going to training camp to get ourselves ready to compete.
So, I did not do the Opening Ceremony, my focus was on medaling. The opening ceremony, from what I have heard from other athletes, is tiring. You are standing for hours on hours to go on and parade around. I have all the uniform stuff, but I chose to focus on trying to get a medal which was my goal above the fanfare. We were in the training facility for about a week and a half, while we were there we had athlete bible studies with Athletes in Action, we got an opportunity to watch different sports going on and the opening ceremony on TVs. We enjoyed ourselves but were also training hard and getting ready to compete.
On the village:
DN: In the village, not only is it an apartment complex, with different buildings where you can walk in, they are sponsored by Coca-Cola so there are vending machines that are basically free all over the place. Then they have the dining hall, which is a huge cafeteria. I remember there is a McDonald's in there, there are also different food stations which are all based on where you are from.
They had Italy, Africa, South America and food from where you may be from, so you could go to that station. I don't know if they were saying America['s food was McDonald's], I have no idea. There were tables everywhere, you could sit with athletes from other countries or your own country. You would sometimes see people there, like I saw Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and Serena and Venus Williams.
Q: What was your experience like winning a gold medal in the 4x400?
DN: I ran the 400 meters first, which was three days prior to the start of the 4x400 meter relay. I ran that, which is probably the highlight of the Olympics because it was individual and something I had to do myself. I was the last person to get into the final for that as well. I was in lane nine for that race also. In essence, I leaned hard across the finish line and fell which is how I got my bronze medal.
Then the gold medal and being a part of the 4x400 relay team a few days later, which normally ends the Olympics. It was great because we had swept the 400 and swept the 400 hurdles. Myself and the two others who we swept the 400 with were on the relay team and the guy who won the gold for the 400 hurdles sweep was on the team also. We were the best 400 runners in the world and we teamed up for that relay race.
For the majority of the race we were ahead by 15 meters or so, and I don't think we really realized that we had the opportunity to break the record until it happened. We were just out there trying to destroy everything. We ended up breaking the Olympic record, which still to this day stands. It was great to stand on the podium, even though I wasn't a gold medalist in the open 400, it was still the National Anthem that was played which was awesome, then getting it again with the gold medal.
Q: How has your Olympic experience translated into your coaching here at Georgia Southern?
DN: For me when it comes to my Olympic experience, I enjoy giving people opportunities to find joy in what they do. When it comes to this sport of track and field, I am very competitive and that side can come across when I am coaching. When I think about the experience I had for myself at the Olympics, I want to create the most exciting, joyful, and competitive experience I possibly can here at Georgia Southern giving the athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level, to compete against the best.
We went to Florida Relays this past year and Sha'carri Richardon and Noah Lyles were there competing. These are athletes at the forefront of what is going to take place here at the Olympics and they are getting to warm up next to these people and compete on the same track as them. Those are things that make me happy. I think of some of our athletes, like NaJ Watson, who got to take pictures with different athletes. They are here seeing this athlete, Marcelll Jacobs, who was the 100m Olympic champion last time who was competing at North Florida when we were there.
These are the little things that make me excited and these athletes get to be next to them and knowing I was an Olympian myself, I can try to create an environment where these opportunities are available.
Q: Who are you looking forward to watching at this year's Olympics?
DN: USA! There are great athletes across the board here from the United States and Jamaica. There are some great international athletes. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Noah Lyles, Sha'carri Richardon, Kenny Bednarek. Looking at some of the top athletes I have been watching all year, knowing what they have done – seeing what happens with Gabby Thomas in the 200 with Shericka from Jamaica.
There are a lot of story lines, but even looking at other sports, there is Simone Biles who is about to compete in her third Olympics. Watching athletes like Simone Manuel who is a swimmer who got gold at the last Olympics, she is back again. I like to watch it all and see where it goes from there. I will watch some beach volleyball here and there, but also I am a huge tennis fan. My favorite player is Rafael Nadal who is teaming up with Carlos Alcarez, which is huge, along with Coco Guaff. Yes, it's the Olympics and I like sports in general, but I get invested and it's what I am excited to see.
