After arriving in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Kate Hansen, a 21 year-old luger from La Canada, Calif., and BYU Provo student, became an Internet sensation with her warm-up routine. Hansen started catching the eye of the media with her pre-race preparations. Her warm-up consisted of dancing to pop superstar Beyoncé songs blasting in her headphones.Hansen qualified for the Olympics after winning the World Cup singles luge race in January, the first American to win the World Cup in almost 17 years, says AP. She then headed to Sochi where she took her talents, and dance moves to the Olympics in hopes of bringing home a medal.When asked about her pre-race routine and why her warm-up consisted of a dance-off with herself, she answered, “She [Beyoncé] just gets me fierce and I get stoked. I’ve got good mojo on.” Her dance moves provided good enough “mojo” to get her to Sochi, competing for a gold medal. Although she placed 10th in the singles luge race, she seemed to grab more attention than the gold medalists as cameras followed her around the Olympics. Her pre-race videos hit YouTube and went viral. “I didn’t even know what ‘luge’ was until I saw this chick on TV at the Olympics dancing all over the place. She was all over; YouTube, Facebook, TV, even on the Jimmy Kimmel show. It was crazy, she’s rad” said Aaron Jessee, a junior from San Clemente, Calif.Hansen even made it onto the “Jimmy Kimmel Show” after the talk show host with a prank that included a wolf wondering the halls of the Olympic athletes’ hotel rooms.Although a little unorthodox, Hansen said, “It’s how I roll,” responding to the media questions about her dancing. With the experience of the 2014 Winter Olympics under her belt, Kate looks to continue her success as a luger and improve at the young age of 21. She intends on developing into a gold medal athlete, looking to bring home the hardware in 2018. Before the next Olympics, she will return to BYU Provo to study and develop as a student and athlete.Having never heard of Kate Hansen before, Hannah Higginson, a sophomore from Huntington Beach, Calif., said, “All I know is that girl can twerk. You gotta respect it.”
Writer: Ben Halverson ~ Multimedia Journalist
