As I am sure you have seen on TV, there are a huge number of photographers here. And although most days they dart around from venue to venue, nearly all of them want to shoot the marquee Olympic event: the men’s 100-meter sprint.
Positions are bought and paid for more than a year out. Negotiations for other positions and for remote camera access begin as soon as anyone arrives before the Games and continue practically right up to the starting gun.
Michigan Newphew, can you find your pal Doug?
If you want one of the first-come, first-serve positions you better get there hours ahead of time. Bring your computer and a sandwich. It will be a long wait.
When I got there I was surprised to find positions at track level right at the finish line. It quickly became apparent during a semifinal heat why they were available. The TV camera that follows them down the track finds itself in the middle of your money shot.
So I headed to a more elevated spot just beyond the finish line. Or should I say Finnish line? Sitting next to me was a photographer from Helsinki. It just happens that the brother of my good friend and colleague Mika Gröndahl has a brother who is a photojournalist in Helsinki. I mean, how many can there be in Helsinki? And he indeed knew Mika’s brother and had worked with him at a Helsinki newspaper.
Small world, right Pop?
Eat at Joe’s 
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