Players can connect online with a curated program of activities hosted by athletes.
Airbnb Connects Past And Present Olympians For Tokyo 2020
People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic Rings in Tokyo, Japan. (Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
TOKYO — Airbnb, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Paralympic Committee are bringing people closer to the magic of Tokyo 2020 with a special program during the Games via Online Experiences.
Hosted by competing and retired sporting heroes, these one-of-a-kind experiences will allow athletes to share their passion with guests.
Bookings for the five-day event will open on July 22, with more than 100 Paralympian and Olympian Online Experiences offered by Lex Gillette, Tatyana McFadden, Stephen Miller, Naomi Osaka, Yusra Mardini, Rui Hachimura, Allyson Felix, and others.
Hosts of the Online Experiences include John John Florence, Pita Taufatofua, Sky Brown, Jonny Brownlee, Hannah Mills, Clarisse Agbegnenou, Alice Dearing, Katie Zaferes, Ibrahim Al Hussein, Jonnie Peacock, Hunter Woodhall, and Tara Davis and Bassa, and Mickael Mawem—meaning guests can connect with a variety of athletes before or after they compete in Tokyo 2020.
Guests will also be able to relive a personal Olympic or Paralympic story with legends such as Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, Shiva Keshavan, Brandi Chastain, Michael Johnson, Chris Waddell, and Benoit Huot.
Pippen, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and six-time NBA (National Basketball Association) champion will host fans at his home court for the Olympic Games.
“Being able to represent the United States as an Olympian twice was an incredible honor as an athlete,” said Pippen.
“Playing alongside the best of the best with Team USA will always be a career highlight for me, and I’m excited to host basketball fans at my home to witness the next generation of athletes performing at the top of their sport. “
“With spectatorship looking different this year, audiences are searching for new ways to support Olympians and Paralympians during Tokyo 2020,” said Catherine Powell, Airbnb Global Head of Hosting.
“Airbnb is all about creating unique experiences that connect people, and Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences allow fans to feel closer to their heroes than ever before.”
“These interactive activities will provide an intimate window into the Games, all made possible by the 200+ athletes joining our Hosting community this summer,” she said.
By Hosting Online Experiences on Airbnb, athletes are given a chance to earn money by sharing their skills and passion for sport with the world. A number of refugee athletes are leveraging the opportunity by hosting interactive activities.
They can also share their journeys from Survive and Thrive with Asif Sultani to Daring to Dream with Ibrahim Al Hussein to workout classes with Ehsan Naghibzadeh.
“As international fans around the world won’t be able to experience the thrill of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we wanted to create a unique alternative to bring together athletes and fans while keeping the same sense of discovery and exclusivity,” said Kaveh Mehrabi, Director of the Athletes’ Department at the International Olympic Committee.
(With inputs from ANI)
(Edited by Amrita Das and Pallavi Mehra)
