Memories Roll Back for Visiting Olympian

It’s hard to forget the sight of cyclist Alexi Grewal, his arms in the air, beating Canada’s Steve Bauer to the finish line for the gold medal in the 1984 Olympic road race here.

And it’s hard to believe that in the last 13 years, Grewal, who is from Colorado, has never been back.

Grewal will return to the site of that memorable race Sunday, when he will act as honorary chairman for the inaugural Tour D’Olympiad.

“I wouldn’t miss the event for the world,” Grewal said. “The Olympics is a wonderful event in my life. Just to go out and walk across the finish line, where it used to be, that would be very memorable for me.”

The Tour D’Olympiad, which will begin and end at Mission Viejo High, will feature four noncompetitive cycling tours that will follow portions of the 1984 Olympic road-race course. A 52-mile tour will begin at 7:30 a.m., 15- and 36-mile tours will begin at 8:15 a.m. and a five-mile tour will begin at 9 a.m.

The event also will feature a cycling and fitness expo, including live entertainment and a barbecue. Proceeds will benefit the Saddleback Valley Unified School District’s High School Grad Night Foundation.

Four Olympians, including gymnast Peter Vidmar, swimmer Brian Goodell, cyclist Connie Paraskevin-Young and Grewal, will be at the expo to sign autographs.

In addition, Paraskevin-Young, a four-time World Sprint Champion and 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, is scheduled to lead the 15-mile tour and Grewal is scheduled to lead the 52-mile tour.

“I’m going to ride until I get a little too tired,” Grewal said. “It will be a joy for me to go out and ride, but riding is not something I do regularly [any more].”

Grewal, 36, ended his career about a year after his back was broken in a car accident in 1992. He lives with his wife, Jo, and his 2-year-old daughter, Jordyn, in Berthoud, Colo. He works part time in sales, serves as a regional coach for USA Cycling, and also serves as a coach and consultant for the Mercedes Benz/Amp Research racing program.

Although it has been 13 years since he won the gold and he only has a few pictures of the race, the memories of that day still evoke strong emotion in Grewal.

“The thing that always will stick out in my mind is the crowd,” he said. “It was bordering the supernatural.”

During the race the crowd support for Grewal was overwhelming.

“It was so loud at certain portions of the event, on the steepest, most critical hills, it almost would pick you up off the ground,” he said. “It was a very special time, and in a way, I feel like I shared it with a million people who were there.”

Paraskevin-Young also had a memorable Olympic career, beginning as a speedskater in the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid. After that, she made four appearances as a cyclist, concluding her career in Atlanta last summer.

Since then, Paraskevin-Young has thrown her seemingly boundless energy into promoting cycling. She and her husband, Roger Young, run the PowerBar CyberBike Challenge, which is a specially-equipped trailer that appears at expositions around the country to promote cycling.

Paraskevin-Young, who lives in Corona del Mar, also will embark on a West Coast tour this summer, giving slide show presentations about her Olympic experiences. She also hopes to bring a high-level cycling event to Orange County next year.

“I think at this point, the event I am visualizing in my mind, it will take an Olympic kind of commitment to make it happen,” she said.

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Two-Wheel Tour

The Tour d’Olympiad is a non-competitive cycling event featuring a variety of tours that will follow portions of the 1984 Olympic bike course Courses range from 5-50 miles. Here are details on the race and a look at the 52-mile course:

When: Sunday. The 52-mile tour begins at 7:30 a.m., 15- and 36-mile tours at 8:15 a.m. and 5-mile tour at 9 a.m.

Where: Al ours start and finish at Mission Viejo High School

Who: 1,500 cyclists of all ages and abilities are expected

Features: In addition to cycling, there will be a sports health and fitness expo, kids fair, live surf music by the Chantays and a barbecue beginning at 11 a.m.

Registration: $23 for adults, $12 for children 12 and younger. Fee includes T-shirt. Register noon-4 p.m. today at Wild Oats natural food store, 27142 La Paz, Mission Viejo, and at the high school, beginning 6:30 am. Sunday.

Benefits: Saddleback Valley Unified School District’s “High School Grad Night Foundation” to support Mission Viejo, Trabuco Hills, El Toro and Laguna Hills High School

Information: (714) 859-3291

Source: Kinane Events