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Emma Holmsen, one of the 130 young journalists that took part in the unprecedented AIPS Centennial project: 100 Olympic Stories by 100 Young Reporters from 100 Nations in 100 Seconds is at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as one of Olympic Information Service (OIS) reporters.
She is very proud to have told the Olympic story of her country, Sweden, as been part of the project. “First of all, I think it’s a really great project because you really get an overview of the world and there are literally young reporters everywhere to establish contact with, especially now with fake news being a big problem. I find it inspiring to be able to connect with the experiences of people from other countries and I hope this platform grows even bigger.”
POLE POSITION For a second consecutive summer Olympic Games, Holmsen, alongside Jeroen Adriaanse from the Netherlands, who took part in the AIPS Young Reporters Programme at the UEFA Women’s EURO held in his home country in 2017, will have front-row seats to the initial emotions of the stars of the show, the athletes, and they do not take their role for granted. “We are in the first position in the mixed zone to the athletes. So as soon as they leave the field of play, we will be the ones to sort of catch them and ask them the first couple of questions,” explained Adriaanse. “Those quotes will be transcribed and published on the My Info system so that all the journalists who are not present are still able to use the quotes for their own reports,” he added.
It is always an amazing experience for Holmsen to be in such a position: “It’s such a big privilege just to speak to them in that moment when they are filled with a lot of emotions, whether good or bad. It’s something you dream of as a journalist.”
THE OLYMPIC JOURNEY The 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires is where it all began for both of them, having been selected to participate in the IOC Young Reporters Programme. Then they were among those handpicked from the group of 34 to cover the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Early this year at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, Holmsen reported for the OIS while Adriaanse produced content for the International Skating Union.
TOKYO VS PARIS And now they are at their second (senior) summer Olympics after the Tokyo 2020 edition, which took place in 2021. “With the Tokyo Olympics being like the COVID Games, you obviously had to stay in a bubble and was not allowed to go outside and explore whereas here you have much freedom to work, first of all, and also to go to places. In terms of access, I feel like working in the mixed zone is going to be a much smoother process here in Paris because in Tokyo you had to distance yourself from the athletes by at least one and a half meters. So I think for everyone this is a much more relaxed working environment, unlike Tokyo that had a lot of requirements."
As part of the OIS crew in Paris, Adriaanse and Holmsen will be dedicated to providing flash quotes, daily reviews and other content from the mixed zones and press conferences. “We are sort of act as a news agency for all media that is present at the Games, for them to be able to get all the coverage they need for their own reports,” Adriaanse, who will be covering road cycling time trial, triathlon and golf, said.
TRAINING Holmsen will be covering Equestrian and is looking forward to learning a lot about the sport and gaining new experience at the Château de Versailles. She already has a bit of experience having twice reported on the sport at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The OIS team has had a lot of training sessions to prepare them for the incredible task ahead.
“I think all the OIS reporters realise that we are in a special spot and we make up a special team. We are all very much looking forward to working at the Games and delivering the best possible content,” Adriaanse enthused.
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