“It was so cold that I could not feel my toes, fingers, or even, my face!”. That was my first, and most lasting impression of being at the Winter Olympics.
The 2018 Olympic Winter Games was a significant moment in Malaysia’s sporting history. It marked the first time that we, as a nation, participated in the winter edition of the Olympics, and I had the privilege of being in South Korea to cover the Games.
Malaysian athletes are known to excel in certain sports ─ badminton being our most successful ─ at an international level. We have also achieved results in diving, squash, track cycling, hockey and bowling, to name a few, but I never, ever, imagined that one day we might add a winter sport to that list.
All that changed when Jeffrey Webb became the first Malaysian to qualify for the Winter Olympics. I remember reading about it in awe, and before it could sink in, figure skater Julian Yee earned himself a ticket as well. In a flash, Malaysia had a genuine reason to be interested in the Winter Olympics.
To begin with, I must point out that I was never meant to be on-site in PyeongChang. Yet, a 5 am phone call on the day of the Opening Ceremony saw me board a plane at noon, and thirty-six hours later, I was standing 940 metres above sea level, at the top of a mountain in the Alpensia Sliding Centre.
That was the first time I realised just how cold minus-20 degrees felt like. Despite my multiple layers of thermal and thick snow gear, I was shivering and could no longer feel my toes or fingers, let alone my face. Every five minutes or so, I had to constantly take shelter inside the media centre as my tropically-accustomed body could not acclimatise to the below-freezing temperatures.
As days went by, it got better, and the fact that I had the best assignment ever, helped tremendously. I was tasked with visiting different Olympic venues; describing and sharing the atmosphere with an audience, who was also experiencing the Winter Games for the first time.
I got to watch American alpine skier and multiple world champion, Mikaela Shiffirin, win gold in the giant slalom; I found an appreciation for the skill and bravery required to ski down a slope at over 100 km/h. I was also awed by the daredevil bobsleigh and luge athletes who slide down the ice at neck-break speed; more so by the skeleton athletes who went downhill, headfirst.
I was swept away by the energy inside the Gangnueng Hockey Centre during the ice hockey match between arch-rivals USA and the Olympic Athletes from Russia. I learnt about the chess-like strategy required in curling and marvelled at the acrobatics of the freestyle skiing and snowboarding athletes.
I would be lying if I did not admit that I was enchanted by the grace and beauty of figure skating. Watching Japan’s Hanyu Yuzuru jumping extraordinary feats; all the while making it look so effortless and artistic was a personal highlight for me as he went on to clinch back-to-back gold medals. I finally understood why this sport was one of the highlights of the Winter Games, and why it is the most-watched event on TV.
I even had the pleasure of shaking hands with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, as he made his rounds in the International Broadcasting Centre.
In a nutshell, 2018 was not only a sporting milestone for Malaysia, it opened my eyes to what the Winter Games is actually all about. I gained a deeper appreciation of the athleticism and skill that goes into becoming a world-class winter athlete.
I also realised that it is not beyond our reach. As Jeffrey and Julian proved to us, our climate need not be a barrier. I am certain that their participation at the Winter Olympics has broadened the spectrum of sports that Malaysian kids can aspire to excel in.
The 4th of February 2021 marked the one-year-to-go milestone for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
With perception barriers realigned, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the next generation of Malaysian winter sports athletes. ─ The Vibes, 13 February, 2021
