ORRINGTON, Maine — As athletes compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, two-time Olympian Karl Anderson says a lot has changed since he competed on the U.S. team more than 40 years ago in 1976 and 1980.
"I'd do it all over again! You are doing what you love to do!" Karl Anderson said.
Now living in Orrington, Anderson said that the courses, protection, and skis have dramatically improved throughout the years.
"The new equipment has given me a new lease on skiing," Anderson said.
He also says COVID is taking away an essential part of the Olympic experience for the athletes there.
Before the pandemic, competitors from all countries could hang out or have lunch together.
"You are not able to do that. We used to eat in the big light mess hall, for instance in Lake Placid, and you see people who are stars in other sports. You can walk over [and] get their autograph. They want your autograph, and it's this real esprit de corps across all disciplines and sports," Anderson said. "You fought all your life to get here."
A little more than four decades ago, Anderson retired from competitive skiing and started working in banking. Several injuries and getting an artificial hip replacement mostly got him out of the sport.
"They cant operate my back, and my two rotator cuffs are gone," Anderson said.
His sister and brother-in-law Carolyn and Regis LePage said he is known for just being a great person.
In his 68 years, Anderson hopes people remember him for being a good sport.
"I was just trying to be on the eastern team to race on the national circuit in America, so I thought my career was over. And my coach said, 'Why don't you go to Europe and race on the ... Europa Cup?'" Anderson said.
Anderson was the first American to win a title in the European cup. He was a national downhill champion, three times runner up to the national championship for downhill. Later, he served in the Athletes' Advisory Council to the Olympic Committee representing athletes.
He went from being 125th in the country to 5th and making the U.S. ski team!
"The skis didn't turn that well. They have gotten better, and the course prep has gotten a lot better," Anderson said.
Anderson added the Olympian days, for him, were exciting times.
"One of the biggest things that he advocates is having fun, enjoying yourself, being outdoors," Carolyn LePage said.
"If you dream, and you work hard at it, and you have talent, then anything is possible," Regis LaPage said.
Anderson said covid has messed up the experience for athletes. Many can only go once, and some are not having the whole experience.
"Part of when you go to the Olympics is that you are in awe of the people in the other sports, and they are in awe of you. It's this mutual admiration, and you are not able to do that," Anderson said.
Anderson also said politics and sports will never combine well.
"Taking sports out of diplomacy is the best [thing] that could ever happen. That's what happened in 1980 for the summer games. We didn't go to Moscow. Everything you ever tried to do was gone just like that. Using us as a political tool, and that should never happen," Anderson said.
Anderson humbly said most of his Olympic memorabilia is kept in the attic.
"There's a lot of pictures of friends and family, and that's really what's more important in life," the former Olympian said.
Anderson added people like you for who you are, not who they think you are.
At 68, Anderson still hits the slopes for fun.