OLYMPIANS ARE TOURISTS, TOO

Alyssa Roenigk

After competing, Haworth (L) and Reed took in a little bit of culture in Beijing.

U.S. weightlifter and three-time Olympian Cheryl Haworth finished competing Saturday afternoon. The Sydney bronze medalist took sixth place in the 75kg-and-over division but says injuries kept her off the medal stand. And while the 25-year-old ponders coming back for the London Games, she and her family made the most of their time in Beijing. By Wednesday, they'd already visited the Great Wall, had dinner in a hutong, bartered in the silk and pearl markets and braved the crowds of Tiananmen Square.

When we met up with the Haworths and USA track cyclist Jennie Reed, Cheryl's roommate in the Athlete Village, Wednesday afternoon, they were just about to tour the Forbidden City. Since we also have an Olympic credential, which means free access to local attractions, they agreed to let us tag along with them.

On their way to the Forbidden City, the group had a typical Beijing experience: They were in a car accident. Mom and dad Robert were in one cab, Aunt Nancy, Jennie, Cheryl and her sister Beth in a second. Mom and Dad's cab rear-ended the car in front of them at a stoplight, and before Cheryl could think, "Wow, my parents were in an accident," her cab rear-ended that of her parents.

"By the end, five cars were involved," Haworth says. No one was seriously injured, although everyone's backs began hurting a few hours later. Dad headed back to the hotel to rest (after realizing he'd also lost his wallet), but the rest of the group forged ahead.

Alyssa Roenigk

Cheryl Hayworth putting her art degree in historical preservation to use.

Haworth has an art degree in historical preservation, so the ancient buildings of the Forbidden City were something she didn't want to miss. Throughout the walking tour, locals stopped to take photos with Cheryl and Jennie or sneak shots of the girls. One woman snapped a shot of Cheryl taking a photo of Jennie, and then ran off before either could ask her name, and a French tourist handed his camera to Jennie and asked her to take a few shots of him posing in various positions in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

After a few hours, everyone was tired, so the group stopped for a rest on a bench at the north entrance to the City and chatted about their experience so far at these Games. Jenny said she wishes cycling would add other sprint races to the Olympics and she is content with her decision to retire once she returns home to Seattle. Haworth said four more years would be worth the feeling of knowing she'd achieved her full potential.

Then it was off to another dinner. And, for Haworth, anyway, the beginning of the journey to London.

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