LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For more than three decades, Kentucky native Tom Hammond was the voice behind some of the most unforgettable Olympic moments, calling the games as an NBC sportscaster.
This week, Evelyn Schultz and Megan Mannering sat down with him on "Hot Mic" to relive those goosebump-worthy memories and explore his remarkable journey from Lexington to the world stage.
"If you find something you want, go after it. If there's an opportunity, go after it. Maybe you won't succeed, but you've got to try," Hammond said, retelling the story of his unusual journey to broadcast.
In his career he covered five winter games and 8 summer games, and his call sheet was wide — track and field, basketball, gymnastics, speed skating, diving and his unexpected favorite, figure skating.
"I believe the ladies final skate, long skate, is the most pressure packed event in all of sports," said Hammond. "You've worked your whole life, and you get one shot. You're out there on the ice by yourself for four minutes, knowing if you make even the slightest mistake, your whole life's work is done."
Hammond recalls 2002, when that Olympic pressure shook the favorites — Irina Slutskaya and Michelle Kwan. Sarah Hughes, the 16-year-old underdog, stole the spotlight and stunned even herself.
"They come to the final long skate, Sarah Hughes skates first among the group, and she has the skate of her life. As I said on air, 'She brought the house down,'" Hammond recalled. "We're awaiting the scores. Our producer and director had a shot of Sarah Hughes backstage as she watched the scores and sure enough she won the gold medal. The look on her face was priceless."
Hammond admits he wasn't an expert in figure skating — or some of the other Olympic sports — but his "every-man" approach, paired with an iconic voice and vivid storytelling made him a fan favorite over his 34 years with NBC.
And then there's one more story — the one Hammond calls his favorite. The 400 meters in Sydney in 2000 starring Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman.
"As they came to the top of the home straightway, there's no way this is gonna have a happy ending, thre's no way she's gonna win the race. Somehow she finds a way to will herself to victory, somehow she crosses the finish line first, and a few steps past the finish line she collapses to the track," Hammond said.
From the weight of expectation to the thrill of the unexpected, Hammond's career was never just about calling the action. It was about capturing magic.
Hammond shared many more history-making moments from his career on this week's episode of Hot Mic. You can listen or watch here.
