Why the Pyeongchang Games Are Different From All the Others
- 6 years ago
Why the Pyeongchang Games Are Different From All the Others
Before medal ceremonies, a video describes "Ceremony Etiquette," which includes a reminder to keep the place clean by "putting the trash where it belongs!" Unlike plenty of other places — Fenway Park
and Yankee Stadium come to mind — people seem to listen.
On Wednesday night, the rink’s master of ceremonies interviewed a cheerleader before the third period and asked questions like, "How do you like being the official cheerleading group of the arena?" There was no translation, unfortunately,
but the body language — a wide grin, jazz hands beside each ear — sufficed as an answer.
While television can leap instantly from one sporting venue to another, for those here it’s a drive
that lasts between 20 to 40 minutes, unless you need a connecting bus, in which case, it’s longer.
On Olympics By
DAVID SEGAL
FEB. 17, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — In the Gangneung Hockey Centre, the four-faced video
screen in the middle of the rink puts on a show every time a penalty is called.
What sets these Games apart isn’t the commuting — that’s common — it’s the layout.
The place has an official cheerleading group, four young women in short, pink dresses, who stand halfway up the stands
and dance to songs like "Happy" by a Chinese-South Korean group called Cosmic Girls.
Before medal ceremonies, a video describes "Ceremony Etiquette," which includes a reminder to keep the place clean by "putting the trash where it belongs!" Unlike plenty of other places — Fenway Park
and Yankee Stadium come to mind — people seem to listen.
On Wednesday night, the rink’s master of ceremonies interviewed a cheerleader before the third period and asked questions like, "How do you like being the official cheerleading group of the arena?" There was no translation, unfortunately,
but the body language — a wide grin, jazz hands beside each ear — sufficed as an answer.
While television can leap instantly from one sporting venue to another, for those here it’s a drive
that lasts between 20 to 40 minutes, unless you need a connecting bus, in which case, it’s longer.
On Olympics By
DAVID SEGAL
FEB. 17, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — In the Gangneung Hockey Centre, the four-faced video
screen in the middle of the rink puts on a show every time a penalty is called.
What sets these Games apart isn’t the commuting — that’s common — it’s the layout.
The place has an official cheerleading group, four young women in short, pink dresses, who stand halfway up the stands
and dance to songs like "Happy" by a Chinese-South Korean group called Cosmic Girls.