LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Sports broadcasting legend Tom Hammond will release his memoir, “Races, Games, and Olympic Dreams: A Sportscaster's Life,” in August.
After a decades-long career and frequent "You should write a book!" comments from friends and fans, Hammond took pen to paper, forever preserving his story.
In anticipation, LEX 18 caught up with Hammond to hear some of the stories to be featured, many of which relate to the Olympics, a timely topic.
“Athletics was always a part of my interest, so it was a natural thing to go into it and make it a career,” Hammond began.
With plans to pursue a career in the thoroughbred business, Hammond studied animal science at the University of Kentucky. It was a gig at WVLK, reading race results every night, making just $35 a week, that would ultimately launch him into the world of broadcast.
“Once I got that foot in the door, I took a liking to it, found out, I guess, I had an aptitude for it, and then took different roles at WVLK before a job at LEX 18 opened as sports director.”
At WLEX, Hammond honed his craft, gaining mentors and sharing a manual typewriter with the likes of Sue Wylie.
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“In those days, there were only three networks, so the chances of making it to a network from a market as big as Lexington were not very good, usually you’d have to climb the ladder. I stayed because I wanted to be close to the horses,” said Hammond.
But when the bigwigs from NBC came to town to cover UK basketball, Hammond made acquaintances and established himself as a horse racing expert.
So, when NBC first broadcasted the Breeders’ Cup in 1984, NBC remembered Hammond and asked him to climb aboard for expert analysis.
“And another thing happened. Michael Weisman, executive producer of NBC Sports, said, ‘Well, we didn't realize until this week we had a broadcaster on our hands. Would you be interested in doing other things for NBC Sports starting with NFL football?’ And that was the start of 34 years at NBC, doing football, basketball, you name it, pro and college, track and field, 13 Olympics. The whole 34 years was an amazing run for me.
Touring his basement, now filled with memorabilia from his career in sports, Hammond pointed out a photo with Muhammad Ali and spotting sheets from various Bowl games.
Some of his most treasured memories stem from more than a dozen Olympics.
“The work at the Olympics is back breaking work, and pressure packed,” said Hammond, “but the fact that you're a part of it is so satisfying.”
Hammond described in detail the moment Usain Bolt broke the world record in the 100-meter dash in 2008.
“Usain Bolt was otherworldly,” said Hammond. “He ran nine Olympic races, I called all nine of them, and he won all nine of them in his career.”
Track and field came naturally, but Hammond said events like diving and figure skating were all new. From Seoul to Atlanta, Sydney to Beijing, the commentator grew in knowledge and appreciation for each sport and its athletes.
Rattling off more stories about figure skater Sarah Hughes and runner Cathy Freeman, it’s understandable why Hammond is writing a book.
As another Olympic Games unfolds across the pond, Hammond will be watching from the comfort of his retirement, holding onto the memories of a gold medal career.
You can pre-order Hammond's memoir here: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9781985901018/races-games-and-olympic-dreams/
