USOC Blazes Path to PyeongChang Winter Olympics -- Photodesk

(ATR) There's strong interest in the 2018 Winter Olympics by U.S. journalists judging by the record turnout at this week's Team USA Media Summit organized by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Three days of briefings for print, internet and broadcast outlets ended Wednesday at the Grand Summit Resort, located in the Canyons Village just outside Park City, Utah. It’s the same location used in 2013 for the Media Summit ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The event began Monday and wrapped up Wednesday.

Click here for photos from the athletes at the summit.

But with 385 registered media, this year’s summit is the largest ever, 75 more than for the Sochi edition.

In 2013, 86 media outlets registered. In 2017 the number is up to 106.

More than 300 media members made the trip to Park City, 30 miles from 2002 Olympic host Salt Lake City. Park City was an integral part of those Games, the venue for ski jumping, sliding sports, and some of the Nordic and Alpine ski events.

The USOC made some news this week at the Summit when chairman Larry Probst declared that the US is interested in a new bid for the Olympic Winter Games. His declaration came just a couple of weeks after Los Angeles was selected for the 2028 Summer Games.

The briefings from every team heading to the PyeongChang for the U.S. stretched the days to eight or nine hours. Broadcasters and digital media set up in hotel rooms to record interview after interview with the 100 plus athletes in Park City, a record number.

Timed just ahead of the winter sport season, the schedule allowed for nearly 100 percent live attendance of the Olympic hopefuls. While big stars such as skiers Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety or figure skater Ashley Wagner are considered safe bets to make the US team, few ofthe sports have yet to nominate their final squads who will journey to South Korea in February.

The first Winter Games in South Korea come with a tide of rising military tensions between North Korea and the U.S., a wellspring for plenty of questions from the reporters. But the answers reveal an absence of alarm from the athletes, without exception.

PyeongChang 2018 media staff did their part to deflect concern about the controversy with North in their Q&A with the press.Other POCOG staff corralled athletes to record personal greetings that will be used for the upcoming 100 days to go.

Also on hand for the athletes to check out – the heaviest medals ever minted for a Winter Olympics – well in excess of 500 grams each, or slightly more than one pound..

USOC Media Director Lindsay Hogan tells Around the Rings that the appearance of Mike Tirico marked the first time ever for the NBC Olympics primetime host to attend the summit.

"We were able to welcome LA 2028 as the official host city and organizing committee of the 2028 Games," notes Hogan about another first for the Summit. LA was selected by the IOC three weeks ago.

"New from 2013 was the Social Media Lounge – which we debuted last year at the Rio Media Summit. This was our second edition and we had all the major social platforms, like Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, as well as social media influencers and YouTube stars, like celebrity chef Cat Cora," she said.

Written and reported in Park City by Ed Hula.

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