PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — At the Olympic snowboard events, the party-like atmosphere includes dance music booming in the background and loud gasps of “ooooh” and “ahhhh” from the lively crowds responding to every high-flying trick.
But when the American Arielle Gold dropped into the halfpipe for her bronze medal-winning run, she didn’t hear any of it.
“I was listening to ‘8 Mile’ by Eminem,” she said after the race. “I always listen to Eminem when I’m snowboarding. I really like his lyrics. He fought an uphill battle, and sometimes it feels like that’s what I’m doing.