Durham Bulls Broadcaster/Account Executive Patrick Kinas had a much smoother trip to Rio than the WRAL-TV Team who battled canceled flights and lost baggage. But he will be working equally as hard as the TV team as he calls the Olympic swimming for radio. Kinas has been sharing his Olympic journey on social media, and kindly allowed us to share his pix and comments on Capcom.Check out his pre-Olympic adventures in the slideshow below. And stay tuned to Capcom for more from Kinas and the six WRAL-TV staffers who are in Rio for the 2016 Summer Games:
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: So yeah, ok...lets go to the Olympics
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: So heres a look at my Rio vantage point. Will be the finishing end of races. Cambodia, Canada, Croatia getting some work in.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Heres a little glimpse into Rio behind the scenes from a look inside the Olympic Aquatics Stadium to the International Broadcast Center to a moving bus shot of Rafael Nadal on the practice court with the tennis stadium in the background to the two American beach volleyball teams press conference. Throw in a quick conversation with Al Michaels by the sandwich cooler and Tom Brokaw saying Excuse Me while he was slinking behind my chair at lunch, and it was a pretty full day. Heres Raffa in a stance hes patented over his brilliant career.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Gives you an idea how much media coverage swimming receives. That entire green section is for newsprint & broadcast media. Our setup is separated only by a narrow aisle from NBCs. Sports Illustrated and USA Today are directly below us.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Lane 1-8 starting on the right.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: One of the overhanging miniature scoreboards, with the monster scoreboard over the opposite end from the starting blocks.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Press conference for womens beach volleyball. 3x gold medalist Kerri Lee Walsh on the far left.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Pretty much the entire medias home when theyre not at venues covering events. The IBC. NBC has about 2/3 of the bottom floor, but its amusing to walk past all of the other national outlets walking to our location. They all have TVs playing whatever their big national programs they air on TVs outside their studios
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Back at the media village after another exhaustingly exciting day - a few pics of the moments. US Diving Press Conference: (L-R) Gold medalist David Boudia, Bronze medalist Kristian Ipsen & Duke med student & Silver medalist Abby Johnston, who remembered me from her visit to the Durham Bulls Baseball Club booth after 2012 London Olympics. Shell return again after winning another medal!
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Abby Johnston, who said her last dive will be in an Olympic pool (meaning Rio). Her fiance is on the Duke football team.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: In case you were wondering, these booths on the side of the big conference halls are individual translation centers for several different foreign languages & media in attendance. They will not only transcribe, but audibly translate for the foreign media in attendance in real time. This was fully operational when Michael Phelps got on stage.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Hey look - a really blurry shot of Katie Ledecky! Thanks iPad focus!
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Two of my favorite personalities - Missy Franklin & Ryan Lochte (yes, thats blue-green-gray hair, his description, not mine - and on his 32nd birthday, no less.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Team USA Tennis - pardon Jack Sock for dozing off in the pic. That was about the only smile Serena flashed during the entire 45m press conference. She couldnt have been less interested.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Installment four of pre-Olympic pictures - hard to believe that the pre is now over. Opening Ceremony tomorrow night, which is a high-demand event, which means even credentialed media dont necessarily get in, which would include me! Guess four days of Olympic expereince doesnt go as far as it used to... Heres my swimming tag-team broadcast partner, Dara Torres. In the IBC for about 15 minutes and already raided the commissary. If this is what it took to win 12 Olympic swimming medals, why dont I have any???
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Hanging out with another memeber of our Westwood One broadcast team, Amanda Borden, who was only on part of that memorable gold-medal USA team with Kerri Strug in 1996.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: A pensive Team GB Andy Murray at the British tennis press conference. Funniest moment was hearing Andy describe his first practice holding the flag in preparation for Opening Ceremony. As the flag bearer, he said his first attempt saw him lose a bit of control of the flag and nearly hit Princess Anne. Hes going to practice a tad more.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Native and very excited Brazilian who welcomes the media to the security line each morning. Guessing they pay him well to keep us in good moods with the lines so long.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: One of the hallways in the enormous NBC section of the IBC. Logos from previous NBC Olympics.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: A small window into our NBC commissary- open 24 hours a day. Wise to walk around with head up since you never know who youll see: Al Michaels, Mary Carrillo, Seth Myers, Tom Brokaw and others.
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Bad year to give up Coke...
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Morning security lines...
From DBBCs Patrick Kinas: Team GB tennis pressed with Andy Murray,his brother and doubles partner Jamie, Heather Watson and more.
The swimming competitions began Saturday, the day after the Opening Ceremony in Rio. Listen for Kinas locally on 99.9 The Fan.
And check out this story from the Burlington Times-News about Kinas and his Olympic assignment:
Former Elon radio announcer ready to make a splash
The Durham Bulls are getting
