WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree at the Alpine slopes in South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The WRAL-TV team in South Korea has gotten to experience some of the epic 2018 Winter Olympics wins in person during the final week of the competition. WRAL-TV News Photojournalist Jamie Munden shared photos from the USA v. Canada Women’s Hockey Gold Medal Game. WRAL-TV Anchor Kathryn Brown bonded with fellow moms away from home, Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie of The TODAY Show.
WRAL-TV Anchor David Crabtree reported live about the death of Billy Graham. And WRAL-TV News Photojournalist Richard Adkins shared stunning photos from a walk along the waterfront.
Here are just a few of the amazing stories they’ve been sending back from PyeongChang:
WRAL-TV’s Kathryn Brown wrote, “One of the coolest moments we’ve experienced at the Olympics. Many thanks to Randi Heesoo Griffin and her incredible family for letting us tell their story!!!”
WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden posted: “A cool story Kathryn Brown and I shot with the official Olympic artist. Roald Bradstock threw the javelin in the ’84 and ’88 games for the UK. He wanted to make art that was only painted by Olympic athletes and will hang in IOC headquarters. He made fifteen canvases one for each sport in the winter games. They will interlock and be put on display even if they are not completed. The day we were there the ninth athlete showed, a speed skater from Belgium, and painted a little. Prince Albert even came by at one point…sorry we missed that.”
Brown posted, “My skiing adventure! SO fun … a little scary … major wipe out … and I put it all on TV!”
WRAL-TV’s Kathryn Brown (center) with The TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie (left) & Hoda Kotb at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
“We got cozy with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie from The TODAY Show…and learned some fun things about WRAL’s Monica Laliberte in the process!” posted Brown.
Brown has a new hobby, saying, “I’m getting quite the education in Olympic PIN TRADING!”
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden shared a story he found really meaningful.
Sometimes a story just draws you in a little more than others. This story is one of those. Apex’s Randi Heesoo Griffin has been playing for the Korean Unified women’s hockey team and scored their first ever Olympic goal the other night. This story has many layers as Randi hadn’t played hockey since 2012. The Korean Hockey Federation found her and a few other North American players with Korean heritage that could raise the talent level of their fledgling program. Randi moved to South Korea to train with the team at the beginning of 2017 while still working on her masters at Duke. Then right before the games South Korea adds twelve North Korean players to its roster to try and foster goodwill between the countries thus making a Unified Korean team. To add to it, Randi’s grandparents lived through the Japanese occupation and witnessed a lot during that time. For their granddaughter to be playing and score the country’s first ever goal in the games and it be against Japan had extra meaning.
We had never met Randi or her family or spoken with them until we got here. They have been so gracious with their time and have allowed us to hang around as they went on this journey. Kathryn and I can’t thank the Griffin family enough for allowing us to tell their story.
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree ended up doing an unexpected story when news broke that Billy Graham had died. The crew had retired for the night, but Munden wakened Crabtree with a call from WRAL, wanting him on live on the air.
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
“Time blurred as in a nanosecond I remembered Pope John Paul II as he struggled with Parkinson’s disease in his later years and how Billy Graham had done the same,” Crabtree later wrote. “I could see Graham in his wheelchair for his 95th birthday celebration four years ago. It was clear then that he was ready, yet there would be another 1,500-plus days of living in a failing body before, as his doctor would say, ‘He just wore out.’”
For More
Find the latest scores, medal standings, television schedule and much more on WRAL.com and WRALSportsFan.com by searching for ‘Olympics’.
The WRAL Olympics team is reporting on WRAL-TV every evening, live at 5:00, 6:00, the Olympic Zone at 7:30, and WRAL’s 11:00 News. Brown and Crabtree are also posting daily on WRAL.com and Facebook.
Watch the final competitions from now through the weekend and then the Closing Ceremonies on WRAL-TV on Sunday.
SLIDESHOW: Week Two From the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins takes a much-needed break at the waterfront during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
From WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins: Our Winning Team…. Yes, those are real. Loaned to us for a photo op. I lost my bronze and silver due to a doping scandal! (large amounts of sarcasm found in my blood)
From WRAL-TV’s Kathryn Brown: Found this taped to an audio booth…but I think it applies
From WRAL-TV’s Kathryn Brown: Every time I google something, it all comes up in Korean. I’m sure there’s a way to change this setting. I’d google it, but……..
WRAL-TV’s Kathryn Brown (center) with The TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie (left) & Hoda Kotb at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree: The Alipine slopes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree: The Alipine slopes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree at the Alpine slopes in South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree with a member of the Czech 4-man bobsleigh team.
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree: An hour before the puck dropped in the Gangneung Hockey Centre, fans of Team USA were ready to pack the arena. The winter weather unseasonably warm, the beer was cold and the fans were in a festive mood.
Dr. Peter Heetderks, of the Critical Care Unit at Wake Med is here. He and three friends skied for a few days in Japan then flew to the Winter Games. “We weren’t sure we were going to hockey today.” This fan of the Carolina Hurricanes was happy to have a ticket.
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree: Liveshot ready. Off to the mountains!
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree: Our venue (Gangneung Hockey Centre). Amazing to be here!
From WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree: Our venue (Gangneung Hockey Centre). Amazing to be here!
From WRAL-TV’s Kathryn Brown: We got cozy with Hoda Kotb (right) and Savannah Guthrie from The TODAY Show…and learned some fun things about WRAL’s Monica Laliberte (left) in the process!
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Adventures in Korean eating last Thursday in country – David’s Teriyaki Chicken
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Adventures in Korean eating last Thursday in country – Spicy Udon.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung is really neat but it takes on a whole different vibe at night. We are usually gone for the day by the time night falls so it was cool to see the park come to life at night. Gangneung Hockey Centre with the Today Show set huts outside it.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung at night – This is a sculpture called Ice Shoes. Richard Adkins did a great piece with David Crabtree on it that.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung at night – People love to pose with the skater on Ice Shoes.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung at night – The blade of Ice Shoes comes to life at night with a ribbon of colors and messages.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung at night – Line for the Superstore. It’s like this almost all day long.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung at night – I was in the park late waiting for half an hour to get into the Superstore. Hopefully that was the last visit.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: The Olympic Park in Gangneung at night – There’s always a line at McDonalds.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Adventures in Korean eating last Thursday in country – Richard loves the kimchi.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Face off starting the second.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Shootout
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Goal for Amanda Kessel
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Canada’s last shot
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Stoned.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Bedlam.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – So cool!
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – Gold Medal pile.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. –
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. – First time for gold since 1998.
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. –
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Another cool experience today getting to watch the gold medal game between USA and Canada women’s hockey. –
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Adventures in Korean eating last Thursday in country – fried dumplings
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Adventures in Korean eating last Thursday in country – Richard’s “Before and After Chicken”
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Now this was pretty neat…
From WRAL-TV’s Jamie Munden: Now this was pretty neat…
