They had never experienced the Olympic atmosphere. Many had never even seen snow. At the initiative of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), 7 young French-speaking reporters traveled to PyeongChang for the 2018 Winter Games. They came from Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia), of the Pacific (New Caledonia), of Africa (Senegal). Around their neck, a media accreditation. In their looks, a mixture of astonishment and curiosity.
The operation was intended to be unprecedented, but it was carefully prepared. The 7 very special envoys to the Winter Games were invited by the OIF regional office for Asia and the Pacific, located in Hanoi, Vietnam, to a week of training in December. On the program, an analysis of the Olympic movement, the Winter Games and disciplines, the particular context of the PyeongChang Olympics, but also a detailed table of the working conditions of a reporter at the Olympic Games. A way to prepare for a unique journalistic exercise, full of pitfalls, where experience proves to be an invaluable ally.
The OIF team met in Seoul three days before the start of the Games, coming from Nouméa, Dakar, Phnom Penh and Hanoi. The cold gripped them. The gigantism of the Olympic setting threatened to suffocate them. But they braved the first and assimilated the second to attend the opening ceremony. Testimony of Thibault Bourru, sent by Le Petit Journal, a French-speaking site in Cambodia: “ I had always watched the Olympics on television, but strangely I didn't recognize anything. Everything is very big, the distances are significant between the sites. The most memorable moment was undoubtedly the opening ceremony. The spectacle is majestic, I felt a strong excitement when I arrived in the stadium. I had an incredible, unforgettable week. Each day had its share of surprises in store for me. »
Nadine Goapana (photo below), journalist for France Télévisions in New Caledonia, says: “ Being in PyeongChang was unexpected, for me who comes from a South Pacific island that does not practice any winter sports. The figure skating qualifications were magical. I saw myself again, as a kid, in front of the television admiring these athletes. And I was in the same room as them! Another very strong moment: the parade of delegations at the opening ceremony. Finding myself in the stands was very unlikely. »
Their coverage of the event willingly moved away from the obligatory passages, to concentrate on a more offbeat approach. They told the Games from an Asian and French-speaking perspective. Among the topics, a meeting with Michaëlle Jean, the secretary general of the OIF (photo above), a French-speaking evening at the Swiss Chalet, a Vietnamese cultural show, the interview at the athletes' village of skiers from Togo and Madagascar. Another vision of the Games. An original way to bring the Olympic spirit to life.
