The end of a high-performance sports career often opens an uncertain chapter, where an identity built over years must find new paths. For many Olympic and Paralympic athletes, this transition does not mean stepping away from sport, but rather reinterpreting it. In this context, the program led by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), together with the International Olympic Committee, offers a concrete alternative: turning competitive experience into a narrative tool capable of connecting with new audiences.

Created ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, this training program provides participants with intensive preparation in sports broadcasting, combining theory, practice, and the real opportunity to be part of live coverage. The second group of selected athletes had the chance to live this experience at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, where the shift from competition to the broadcast booth marked a turning point in their relationship with sport.

From athletes to storytellers: learning behind the microphone

The process begins with specialized workshops in London, where athletes work alongside experienced commentators to understand that commentating goes far beyond describing an action. It involves translating technical complexity, interpreting split-second decisions, and, above all, conveying emotions with clarity and purpose. In this space, many discover skills that remained hidden during their competitive years.

Stories like that of Devin Logan reflect this transition. An Olympic medalist at Sochi 2014, she moved from competing in freestyle skiing to commentating it live, finding in storytelling a new way to connect with her discipline. The same happened with Viktor Polášek, who experienced being in a commentary booth for the first time, discovering that his technical knowledge could be transformed into an accessible and engaging narrative for audiences.

A new perspective on sport through experience

For those who participated in Milan-Cortina 2026, the experience not only meant a change of role, but also a transformation in how they understand sport. British athlete Laura Deas, a medalist at PyeongChang 2018, found in the booth a way to reconnect with her own story, sharing a broadcast with the commentator who had once narrated one of her greatest achievements. Her contribution, focused on analysis and context, enriched the viewer’s experience from an authentic perspective.

This connection is also reflected in the experience of Annika Lucas, who described commentating as emotionally similar to competing. The pressure, focus, and need to perform at the exact moment resurface, but from a different place. Through the microphone, many athletes discover a different dimension of sport: one where they are no longer trying to outperform others, but to understand them, interpret them, and accompany their stories from a completely new perspective.