Shibutanis find 'nostalgia' in return to Gangwon at Korea's second Winter Olympics

The past two weeks have been a sort of homecoming for American figure skaters Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, who were named ambassadors to the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics after winning two bronze medals six years ago at PyeongChang.

Alex Shibutani, left, and Maia Shibutani pose for a photo outside of the Gangneung Ice Arena before the figure skating team event at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangneung, Gangwon on Thursday. [MARY YANG]

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon — The Shib Sibs have finally made their junior Olympic debut, returning to Gangwon six years after they became two-time Olympic medallists in Korea at PyeongChang.

The past two weeks have been a sort of homecoming for American figure skaters Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, who’ve been helping promote the Gangwon 2024 Youth Winter Olympics as ambassadors while spending time with local middle schoolers as part of their work through the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation.

“We’re experiencing a lot of really beautiful nostalgia in terms of being back at the same venue,” Alex Shibutani told the Korea JoongAng Daily. “I feel like it’s very uncommon for Olympic athletes to return to the site of their performances or memorable accomplishments during an Olympic-type event.”

It’s been a markedly different trip from their last time at Gangneung Olympic Park, trading intense focus on the ice for museum trips with middle schoolers and skating — for fun — on the rink open to spectators in the middle of the village.

And it’s been a lot less stressful, Maia Shibutani said. “It’s easier to support people than be the ones handling all the pressure at an event that is the culmination of so many hard years of work, and the whole world is watching.”

“I think that we’ve been able to pass along some tips here and there to the young athletes, and that’s nice to see, but they're definitely embracing the moment and creating their own history,” she added.

The Shibutanis won bronze in the individual ice dance and team event for the United States at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first-ever athletes of Asian descent to medal in ice dance in the history of the Games.

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the United States, right, stand on the podium at the Gangneung Ice Arena after winning bronze in the ice dance at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, Gangwon on Feb. 20, 2018. [AP/YONHAP]

The siblings, who are Japanese American, never competed in the Youth Olympics; by the time London hosted the first junior Winter Games in 2012, they had missed the age cutoff and were already competing at the senior international level.

But the Shibutanis got the lay of the land in Gangwon, hopping around to catch sports like bobsled, curling, ski jump and hockey — a much broader palette than their last time in Gangneung, where the only event they watched was short track because they shared a venue.

“We’ve been very happy to be here because [Korea] and the Pyeongchang and Gangwon region is always going to be special. We’re always going to feel connected here,” Alex Shibutani said.

This time around, the Shibutanis also got to do more traveling, taking a day trip to Seoul to visit the U.S. Embassy — and HYBE (they’re “K-pop appreciators,” according to Alex).

Plus, they’ve gotten to meet many fellow Gangwon two-timers — volunteers who also staffed PyeongChang.

“I think it goes to show that the legacy of PyeongChang just will continue,” Maia Shibutani said.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]