Savor every moment CoSport Olympic packages off er ultimate fan experience
by MIMI WHETSTONE When U.S. Figure Skating offi cial Charlotte
Heidenreich attended her fi rst Olympic Games nearly two decades ago, she was overcome by the experience. “It felt like visiting the future — one with
peace for all,” Heidenreich said. “It fi lled me with a sense of optimism for mankind.” Heidenreich, who attended both the 1994
Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, shares the sentiment of many avid fans who have traveled to the Olym- pic Games on multiple occasions. “T ere is just so much positive, happy en-
ergy,” added Debbie Martin, a skating fan who has attended the last seven Olympic Winter Games. “Everyone is excited to be there. T e crowds are happy and patient and I can’t remem- ber a negative experience at any event or in any city.”
Unlike other sporting events, the Olympic
Games not only celebrate the heritage of each national team, but also showcase the very best talent in each sport, creating an unparalleled ex- perience for spectators. “T e Olympic spirit and the joining of na- tions in competition and camaraderie is so exhil- arating,” adult skater Cindy Terhune added. “It has developed a desire for me to attend as many Olympics as I can in my lifetime.” Terhune’s aspiration has spanned 30 years.
Since her fi rst Games in 1984, Terhune has at- tended both the 2010 and 2012 Games and plans to travel to Russia and watch the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. T e Olympic experience has also proven
to be more than once-in-a-lifetime for Figure Skaters Online administrator Leah Adams, who, like Martin, has attended the last three Winter Games. “Everyone is happy, upbeat and full of life,”
Adams said. “T e Olympic fl ame draws a crowd all hours of the day to view. Foreign teams are in their country’s uniform and having a blast. Vancouver had a bagpiper at the waterfront, Salt Lake City paraded the wonderful opening cere- mony man-made animals down the street, and Turin’s fi reworks every night after the medal cer-
Debbie Martin has attended the last seven Olympic Winter Games. She’s never had a bad experience, she said.
20 NOVEMBER 2013
emony could be seen from all over downtown. T e excitement is electric.” For musician and skating fan Dawn Owen,
the memories aren’t just about the celebration of culture, but witnessing the journey athletes take toward their Olympic dream. “Attending two Olympics provided lifetime
memories,” said Owen, who attended the Games in 2002 and 2006. “In 1996, my sister Deb and I attended the U.S. Championships for the fi rst time in San Jose. It turned out to be quite thrill- ing, with a signifi cant upset happening in the men’s event. We also met Ginny Goebel, mother of the 1996 U.S. junior men’s champion Timo- thy Goebel, while we were there. While this was more than two years before he became the fi rst to land a quadruple Salchow in competition, we both thought he looked pretty promising to pos- sibly become an Olympian down the road. We kept in contact with the Goebel family for the next six years, and Timothy came home from the 2002 Games with a bronze medal. It was great to be there, not only for this specifi c event, but to spend time walking around the city amongst people from all over the world.” In addition to fi gure skating, attending the Olympic Games allows viewers to witness
the elite members of several sports attempt to write their names in the history books. T e 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi will boast competition for 15 disciplines of seven diff erent sports, totaling 98 events, 12 more than the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and 14 more than the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy. At past Olympic Games, the ticketing
policy didn’t necessarily win the fans’ favor. “For Salt Lake 2002, in order to procure a ticket for the men’s short program, I also had to purchase tickets for luge and a qualifying women’s hockey game,” Owen said. “Likewise, to get the ticket for the men’s free skate, I had to buy tickets for ski jumping and men’s Super-G. T ey came in packages; there really wasn’t a choice to purchase fi gure skating tickets separately.” For fans like Terhune, who plan to attend
the 2014 Games, ticketing should go a lot smoother. U.S. Figure Skating has partnered with CoSport to off er fi gure skating ticket packages in a number of confi gurations. Each package op- tion includes tickets to at least three fi gure skat- ing events, the option to attend Opening and/ or Closing Ceremonies, daily breakfast, access to exclusive hospitality within the Olympic Park and support from the experienced CoSport team from the date of purchase through the Olympic Games. Ticket packages also include fi ve nights’ accommodation at the Zhemchuzhina Hotel, a centrally located Sochi property situated on the Black Sea. Located 10 minutes by car from So- chi’s central train station, the facility’s features include more than 950 guest rooms, sea water swimming pools, a private beach area, several restaurants and bars, a surf station, spa and tennis courts.
U.S. Figure Skating supporters can pur- chase special packages exclusively through usfi
gureskating.cosport.com at discounted pric- es, using a unique discount code available at usfi
gureskating.org. “CoSport has a deep knowledge of Russia
and is preparing to welcome fans of U.S. Figure Skating with access to highly sought-after event tickets and accommodation and hospitality op- tions,” Robert Long, president of CoSport said. “Our fi gure skating packages greatly simplify at-
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