FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 21st, 2017

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST JOEY CHEEK TO MAKE NBC OLYMPICS DEBUT AS SPEED SKATING ANALYST ALONGSIDE TOM HAMMOND IN PYEONGCHANG

Golf Channel Anchor, Reporter and Interviewer Steve Sands to Serve as Speed Skating Reporter

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 21, 2017 – Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek will make his NBC Olympics debut as a speed skating analyst alongside speed skating play-by-play announcer Tom Hammond at the PyeongChang Winter Games in South Korea, it was announced today.

Cheek and Hammond will be joined by Golf Channel’s Steve Sands, who will serve as a reporter. Cheek has worked with NBC Sports on its speed skating coverage since 2015. Hammond returns for his 13th Olympic assignment with NBC Sports.

QUOTABLE

“I’m back on the team! I couldn’t be more excited to help tell the stories of some of the greatest athletes on earth in the home stretch of their Olympic dream.  I came to this sport watching my heroes compete, and it’s a privilege to join the team that will inspire the next generation.” – Joey Cheek

“Joey Cheek is a unique combination of intelligence and grit – he has won Olympic gold, launched businesses, and taken on important causes. We are thrilled that he’ll now be taking viewers inside the action in a sport where athletes are going 30 miles an hour on skates. And it’s especially exciting that he’ll be making his Olympic debut with Tom, who has voiced countless legendary Olympic moments.” – Jim Bell, President, NBC Olympics Production & Programming

SNAP SHOTS – NBC OLYMPICS’ SPEED SKATING TEAM

Joey Cheek

  • Making NBC Olympics debut in PyeongChang
  • Won gold in the 500m and silver in the 1000m at the 2006 Torino Olympics, took home bronze in the 1000m at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics
  • Four-time world medalist, including a 2006 world sprint championship
  • Cheek made his broadcast debut in 2015.

Tom Hammond

  • 13th Olympics overall with NBC Sports
  • Called NBC figure skating coverage at the past four Olympic Winter Games
  • Has called track and field, gymnastics, and basketball for NBC at the Summer Olympics
  • Hammond has been integral on a wide range of NBC Sports events over the past three decades, highlighted by horse racing – covering his home-state Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes 16 times apiece, and 11 Belmont Stakes, including American Pharoah’s historic Triple Crown victory in 2015.
  • He was the voice of NBC’s Notre Dame Football coverage for more than two decades, and called NFL and NBA games on NBC.

Steve Sands

  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports
  • Served as a golf play-by-play announcer and reporter for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and a speed skating reporter for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
  • Sands joined Golf Channel in 2001 and is currently a lead interviewer, hole announcer, and play-by-play host on PGA TOUR telecasts.

NBC’s primetime coverage of The Winter Olympics begins February 8, 2018.

–NBC OLYMPICS–