WINTER OLYMPICS 2018 COVERAGE & GEAR

Republic of Korea PyeongChang Alpensia Sliding Center Taken February 2, 2017. https://flic.kr/p/RzeG5V

The XXIII Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea officially begin with the Opening Ceremony on February 9, 2018. But NBC media coverage of events will be begin February 7 at 11pm Eastern Time on NBCSN, with mixed doubles curling.  Live.  There won’t be a tape–delay, reports an item from Sports Illustrated’s si.com, written by Richard Deitsch.
 
The network coverage will extend across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Sports app. The Opening ceremony will be aired in primetime and won’t be tape-delayed in non-Eastern time zones.
 
There’s more information about coverage in Deitsch’s article.  It’s quite complicated and must-reading for those who plan to catch as much as possible of the international sports festival. A competition schedule is available on the PyeongChang 2018 official website.
 
There aren’t any running, walking, exercise/fitness, or obstacle events in the Winter Games. However, even though some do not plan to get caught up in Olympic fever for that reason, like influenza it’s spirit is infectious. We may not be able to resist bingeing on the 2 week sport extravaganza.
 
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will showcase winter outdoor apparel worn by all athletes  in procession. There will of course also be technologically advanced gear and garments designed to allow or assist with top performance in specific sport and team competitions.
 
As in past Olympics it’s predictable that I’ll start to browse internet shops for merchandise while watching the ceremonies and competitions. I don’t ski, snowboard, curl, or luge, but the hats, gloves, and scarves are usually so colorful and cool, and look so great on the young athletes, I want to wear the same items. Much of my outdoor gearfor walking and running, except for safety vests and jackets, comes in dark grey or black tones. This year I’ll be able to ogle the athleisure wear. 
 
it’s most tempting to shop for the same official pieces the athletes wear. Usually by the time the Olympics air these items are all sold out. Especially the more affordable accessories. The most expensive high-tech jackets or uniforms might still be available for purchase but are beyond my pocketbook’s reach. Sometimes I’m hoping to find something that would be a great gift for someone else. To encourage their efforts in a favorite winter sport.
 
Official USA Olympic opening /closing ceremony and some team uniforms gear have been revealed. The NBC Today Show highlighted Ralph Laren jackets, hats and gloves. An article in bustle.com reports on the special heating elements built into the beautiful red-white-and blue jackets. Instyle.com also published Olympic fashion news.
 
On the Ralph Lauen website it appears ALL official items are expensive, and some are already sold out!  Same with the Nike and Burton collections. Others can’t be found on the store webpages, like the Nike USA Medal Stand Summit Jacket System.  Many of the costly as well as cheaper items in Burton’s Snow Board Team Gold Elite Collection are sold out.
 
The good news is that affordable non-official items are being sold on the official Team USA shop. Other athletic wear companies have attractive Winter Olympics collections that are still in stock. But be aware that what you find desirable will be desireable to others too, and may sell out once TV coverage of the XXIII Games ramps up.
 
If you want to bright up outdoor or indoor winter gear with Olympic-themed clothes, better browse and buy soon. Regardless, enjoy the spectacle and amazing athletic feats that are sure to be part of PyeongChang 2018.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Winter_Olympics
 
https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/11/28/nbc-winter-olympics-tv-schedule-live-stream-watch-online
 
https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/OWG2018/en/general/competition-schedule.htm
 
https://www.bustle.com/p/who-designed-the-team-usa-opening-ceremony-uniforms-this-designer-is-familiar-with-gold-medal-looks-8050910
 
https://www.ralphlauren.com/men-olympics-feat
 
https://www.ralphlauren.com/women-olympics-2018
 
https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pw/n/1j7?sl=olympic
 
https://www.burton.com/us/en/c/gold-elite-collection
 
http://www.instyle.com/awards-events/sports/usa-olympic-team-uniforms
 
http://www.teamusashop.com