Learning from Olympic First-Timers
My interview of first time Olympic attendees
Over the years, I’ve met, traveled with, and encouraged friends to attend the Olympic Games in person. I created this Substack to share my personal experience and tips, but I thought it would be useful to hear their experiences attending the Games for the first time as well. I’ve compiled their answers below - they have some really useful insights as you begin to plan your own Olympic adventure for LA2028!
What were your expectations of attending the Olympics versus watching them on tv? Were those expectations met?
Mr. London: I got to go to London in 2012. I’ve enjoyed watching the Olympics on television for forever. Getting to be there was even better. The city was alive with other people there for the same thing, so while we got to enjoy London as a city, we got to enjoy it even more in the context of London as a sporting city.
I was definitely surprised, and sometimes a little disappointed, at how difficult some tickets are to get. But once I moved on past that and decided to go to some sports that I might normally not go to, I had an amazing time at some amazing venues.
Mrs. Australia: I think my expectations about watching the Olympics live vs on TV were focused on the atmosphere of being in the host city. I had only ever watched from home and I really wanted to be there in person to cheer along with the crowds. My expectations were definitely met, I loved being in London for the 2012 games, the whole city felt electric, the kind of buzz you cannot get at home.
Ms. Paris: I don’t really remember having any expectations, I remember having nerves about some things. I was blown away by it all!
Mr. and Mrs. Milan: We really didn’t know what to expect attending our first Olympics. Honestly, I think I was prepared for a little more disorganization and chaos, but it was the complete opposite. Everything was incredibly well organized at all three events we attended, from entry to concessions. We also felt very safe at each venue, which made the experience even better. The bathroom lines were long but that's to be expected.
If you attended a non-sporting event (hospitality house, Live Site, etc.) what was most memorable and why?
Mrs. Australia: I do remember going to Hyde Park a few times and sitting with lots of other people. They had several big screens set up with different events so you could just sit and watch whatever you were interested in. I actually liked these experiences the best. I can’t remember if we paid anything to get inside (although I don’t think so) and inside the food and drink prices were more reasonable than I expected. And we could stay for hours just enjoying all the different sports. The atmosphere was great, everyone was so jovial.
Ms. Paris: Champions Park was absolutely incredible and is a core memory for me. Athletes of all nations were given superstar treatment, strutting down a runway, seeing fans, and showing off their medals. It was such amazing energy.
Mr. and Mrs. Milan: We went to the Switzerland House in Milan and it was so much fun! We loved being able to watch the events on the big screen while enjoying some food and drinks. The vibe was super casual, welcoming, and just really fun overall.
Plus, the location was right in the middle of everything, which made it even better!
Would you recommend the events you saw or would you want to see different ones next time?
Mr. London: Next time I would still go see triathlon or something else that doesn’t require a ticket. I would like to go to some bigger ticket events next time. Swimming and gymnastics come to mind. That said, any ticket is a good ticket because of the energy!
Mrs. Australia: The event we watched in the stadium was athletics and yes, I would absolutely recommend that. We got to see Usain Bolt win a gold in the 200m and the crowd was so loud. It was very exciting being there. We wished we could have watched other events in person, such as swimming and diving, but the tickets were difficult to buy and we just didn't get them allocated to us. The reason we attended athletics was to watch our friend compete in her first Olympic games, and the thrill of being there to support her was worth all the effort (and money) in traveling so far.
Ms. Paris: They each have such different fan bases and atmosphere so I’d love to attend them all eventually!
Mr. and Mrs. Milan: We would 100% recommend the events we went to! We saw the Men’s 500m Medal Match for Speed Skating + Team Pursuit Qualifiers, the Women’s 500m Medal Match for Speed Skating + Team Pursuit Qualifiers, and Denmark vs. USA in Men’s Hockey. All three events were 10 of 10 experiences!
I do wish we had planned a few more days to head up into the mountains to catch snowboarding, bobsled or skiing. It’s definitely doable, but with 3–4 hours of travel each way. We chatted with a few fans that were doing day trips from Milan, and it seemed like a lot of travel to jam into one day to see one event.
We actually had tickets for Ice Skating in our cart for Sunday! In the end, we decided to enjoy a nice dinner in Milan instead since we were only there for two days. Honestly, it was the perfect balance of events and soaking in the city.
Is there anything that you didn’t consider beforehand that you wished you planned for before arriving in the host city?
Mr. London: Well I messed up my initial reservation and didn't have a hostel my first night, so I would do that differently. Besides that, I wish I was more aware of the non-sports activities available.
Mrs. Australia: I actually didn't consider that I would see a lot less of my home country's athletes competing. Of course, it makes sense. We were in London so the TV coverage was largely focused on Team GB, but I still found out about a lot of Australia's medals via the news, rather than seeing it happen on the TV. It was fine, we loved watching anyone from anywhere! But it's definitely one thing that I hadn't thought about.
Mr. and Mrs. Milan: We definitely should have looked into public transportation ahead of time. We didn’t have any issues getting to Speed Skating, but leaving the Men’s Hockey game was a bit chaotic. We also didn’t check transit drop-off spots near our hotel versus the venue, which probably would have saved us some time and challenges with getting an Uber.
Other than that, everything went smoothly. We were able to get tickets, make dinner reservations, and explore without any trouble!
How did you feel about your country throughout your trip? Were you comfortable expressing your own national pride?
Mrs. Australia: Yes, I felt very comfortable expressing national pride. There are always a lot of other Aussies in London, and Australia is still part of the Commonwealth, so there is friendly rivalry between Great Britain and Australia. I was surprised that there wasn't a dedicated place in London for Aussies to congregate and watch some of the games. I'd heard that other countries set up a 'House' where visitors could all meet and hang out together. Maybe it just wouldn't be possible because there are always so many Australians in London, but it would have been a good addition for us. Like the Hyde Park events, but for Aussies.
Ms. Paris: I honestly forgot who I supported because I was so focused on the athletes themselves.
Mr. and Mrs. Milan: I’m not going to lie, given everything happening in our country, we were a little nervous about wearing USA gear. I was worried that people from other countries might say something. As soon as we arrived, my guard completely dropped. The crowds were pretty welcoming.
I felt such an immense sense of pride cheering for Team USA and the athletes who worked so hard to make it to Milan. It’s not about politics, it’s about celebrating the athletes dedication and achievements in their sport. Also, seeing Jordan Stolz win a gold medal and hearing our National Anthem was a powerful experience.
At the end of the day, the Games bring people together, no matter what your views may be.
Love this article!