My brother was the USOC transportation person at the Beijing airport, charged with getting atheletes into and out of the country. Two stories from after the games:

• Shawn Johnson asked if maybe showing her medal to someone at the airport would get her a better seat on the plane. Matt responded that going to the counter and GIVING them her medal they would probably work. She looked at the medal, and decided her current seat was probably just fine.
• Kobe Bryant was flying first class, and was told he should feel free to wait for his flight in the first class lounge, but the USOC really didn’t want him in there by himself. Matt, being the transportation liaison, was asked if he wouldn’t mind spending an hour, on the busiest travel day of the games, sitting at a table with Kobe Bryant. They spent a nice hour chatting in the lounge.