Author: Jessica

Throughout my time at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, I spent most of my time in Phoenix Snow Park where I was able to witness a lot of snowboarding. The atmosphere was always lively and the crowd was always pumped. I believe much of that credit goes to Henry Jackson, the commentator for these events. Throughout each event his honest and emotional commentary keep the crowd engaged and the riders pumped. He offers realistic feedback and heartfelt encouragement to the athletes as they are snowboarding and rejoices with the crowd when seeing successful runs. While other sports commentators could be serious, Henry Jackson always brought enthusiasm to the snowboard course. He was one of my favorite parts of being at snowboarding and it came as no surprise that when I looked him up, one snowboarding magazine referred to him as the “King of all Snowboard Events MCs.”

After enjoying a delicious meal of chicken and beer, a group of us attended the Women’s Bobsled Final event. GW alum, Elana Meyers Taylor, is a bobsled pilot and was competing for a medal in this event so, we went to support our fellow alum. After taking a long hike up to the sliding center, I was amazed to see how fast the bobsleds are moving. As you stand along the side of the track, you see the bobsled pass you by for only a split second and I gained a whole new appreciation for the sport. When we got into the stands, Soohorang and the cheerleaders were keeping the crowd lively and the South Koreans were really excited to be at the event. They were dancing and wanted to take pictures with us the whole night. The energy did not slow down for the whole night, but ultimately the best this to witness was Elana Meyers Taylor and her partner Lauren Gibbs take home the silver medal for the USA.

Yesterday, I attended the first ever men’s snowboard big air final! This was a brand-new event in featured in this year’s winter Olympic games and the arena was packed. There were many fans and spectators from USA and Canada there to cheer on their athletes. It seemed that everyone was excited to see this new event unfold. It was amazing to watch the big jumps and tricks that the athletes performed and even more exciting to watch them land. The different scoring format from the more traditional snowboarding events made it so it was very hard to guess who would take home a medal. At the end of the event Canada’s Sebastien Toutant won gold, USA’s Kyle Mack won silver, and Great Britain’s Billy Morgan won bronze. I am so happy I got to attend the event and witness the excitement and I hope to see this event in future Olympic programs.

Last night we went to Japan House for dinner and it was a great experience! They were able to seat seven of us and the people were so friendly. Most importantly, there was a great selection of food either available from the buffet or from ordering from the wait staff. We all ordered drinks and got food from the buffet. In addition, we ordered sushi for the whole table as well as fried dumplings. I also ordered a noodle soup. All the food was delicious and it was nice to experience another country house at the Olympics. The Japan House has photos of all of their athletes on the wall as well as signed photos of all their medal winners. Everyone was full and in a good mood when we left and the best part was that it was all free!

The other night, I had the privilege of attending the men’s 10000m speed skating final. This was the night that the medalists would be named and the athletes put it all on the line. Competing in this event was the current world record holder as well as the Olympic record holder. Both athletes were looking to bring home gold for their respective countries. As the skaters can only compete 2 at a time, the Olympic record holder was up before the world record holder. The Olympic record holder was from the Netherlands and there were a lot of fans in orange who showed up to cheer for their local hero. The crowd was electric when he beat his own record to set a new Olympic record. In the next heat, however, was the current world record holder: a man from Canada. As with the Netherlands, there were many Canadians who showed up to support their country’s superstar. The crowd went wild when not only did he beat the previous times set by the previous heat, but also set a new Olympic record. Back to back new records were set and the competition was fierce. Canada would ultimately take home gold and the Netherlands, silver but the whole crowd was completely excited and proud of the athletes and the caliber of competition that they brought to the Olympic games.

Located near the curling center is the Canada House. The people were friendly, the beer was cold, and the Olympians, including the medalists, from the day’s events made appearances and mingled with the patrons. Desperate for a taste of food from home, Elizabeth and I ordered poutine and a cheeseburger with fries. It was my first time eating poutine and it was delicious! The house was so lively as people made new friends and cheered for the Canadian Olympians playing in their respective sports. Around 10:30pm, a mini ceremony was held in which the athletes that were medalists were honored by their fans, family, and friends. Having the opportunity to interact with the friendly people and see the athletes up close was a great time. To add to the experience, there was even an outdoor terrace with firepits and blankets for a more quiet and low-key atmosphere. We were able to relax outside for a little bit until we needed the warmth and energy of the indoors. Overall, the Canada house was a great time with great people and great food.

Each night of the Winter Olympics, the medal winners of the day are presented with their medals in a medal ceremony. This is a different format than at the Summer Olympics in which they have the medal ceremonies right after the medals are won. Last night, Shaun White was presented with his gold medal for the men’s snowboarding halfpipe. It was an emotional night as he was awarded with his third Olympic gold medal, making him the most awarded Olympic snowboarder in history. It was great to see all the medalists overcome with emotion as they represented their countries in the Olympic games. The crowd was there to support the athletes even in the cold weather. Seeing the athletes each be awarded their medal was a once in a lifetime experience and particularly seeing Shaun White who is so recognizable in snowboarding was a moment that I will never forget.

After making my rounds of data collection, I had the great opportunity to watch the men’s slopestyle snowboarding final. The only American in the finals, Red Gerard, was currently in last place after his first two runs and it seemed that a medal for Team USA was not in the cards. As the other athletes completed their third runs, one by one it seemed that Team Canada would take Gold. But, Red Gerard completed his third run in style and soared into 1^st place to knock Team Canada into 2^nd place. However, the competition was not over, Team Canada’s Max Perrot was also waiting for his turn at redemption with his third run. After a perfect run from Max Perrot, there was extreme tension in the stands as many spectators represented both Canada and the USA. Spectators were anxiously awaiting the announcement of Max Perrot’s score and whether he or Red Gerard would take home Olympic Gold.

As Max Perrot’s score was announced, cheers erupted from the USA fans as it became official that Red Gerard would take home the gold medal. Not only was this Team USA’s first medal of the 2018 Olympic Games, but Red Gerard, at age 17, also became the youngest gold medalist in snowboarding ever. Being a part of the atmosphere and excitement was a once in a lifetime experience that cannot be replicated on television. This was the first medal for Team USA and I hope to witness more as the Games continue.

I had the privilege of attending the Olympic Opening Ceremony. As I was watching the ceremony, not only was I enamored by the beauty of the celebration, but also with how both traditional and modern Korean culture was incorporated into the show. With the balance of traditional dance with more modern dance along with the mild incorporation of K-pop, the opening ceremony was very reminiscent of the spirit of the Games and what they hope to capture through their sports. While making decisions on the programming of the Games, factors such as the tradition of the sport or event as well as the youth appeal are weighed. I felt that those factors that they take into consideration when making the program were prevalent in the opening ceremony and appreciated by people of all ages.

Another thing that captured my attention at the opening ceremony was how political it truly was. While the Olympics are to be non-political, the night was rife with politics. Watching North and South Korea march under a unified flag and Russian athletes marching with only the Olympic flag says a lot more about current affairs than is typically expected from the Olympic Games. However, it seems that it is very difficult to keep politics out of the picture when planning a global event in which all countries are to unite and take part.

Following the arrival in PyeongChang, I was given the opportunity to join Dr. Neirotti to meet her colleagues in the e-sport industry. E-sports is becoming a big industry and money maker and is even being considered for the program for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This year, there was a lead-up competition prior to the Olympic Games for the IOC to see what kind of attention e-sports could bring to the Olympics. I was very excited to have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the conversation and the world of e-sports.

We arrived at the Golden Tulip to meet with Dr. Neirotti’s friend, Wendy, and throughout the evening I was intrigued by the increase in attention that e-sports has received and the growth that the sport has experienced these past few years. Wendy explained how the sport has become so formalized recently. She explained that over these past few years, neurosurgeons have developed technology and assessments that can determine whether or not a gamer has what it takes to become a professional. Assessments can measure a gamer’s greatest strengths and weaknesses and determine their place on a gaming team. I found this very interesting because this type of assessment is rarely heard about in more traditional sports such as basketball or baseball, but because e-sports is primarily cognitive, different types of assessments must occur.

Also, during our conversation, branding was addressed. Most recently, global brands have taken an interest in e-sports and interestingly, Loreal has become a newcomer in the industry. With the emergence of women in the sport, Loreal has taken an interest into seeing what this increasingly popular sport has to offer. As previously mentioned, e-sports is hoping to make an appearance at the Olympic Games in the 2024 Paris games, but a major concern when selecting sports and events for the Olympic program is the balance of men and women to maintain gender equality. While women are emerging in the sport, there is still a question of how the Olympic program will need to be shifted in order to maintain the balance of men and women with the current unbalanced demographic of e-sports. It will be interesting to see how e-sports will evolve in the future particularly in the Olympic games and with women.