Olympic gold medallist Sarah Hughes is translating skating for NBC’s online audience

Photo: Facebook Page of Sarah Hughes

STAMFORD, Conn.—NBC has built a formidable team of former ice champions to talk about current ones in Sochi, but left one back in the United States to try something new.

Sarah Hughes, the 2002 figure skating gold medallist , co-hosts a daily television-style show online and chats with fans via social media when NBC is showing prime-time skating.

Hughes does her “Olympic Ice” show with co-host Russ Thaler from the NBC Sports Group facility in Connecticut.

The Long Islander says she’s used to speaking to ice skating fans who live and breathe the sport every day, as well as those who get interested every four years about this time.

It’s those occasional fans she says she’s enjoying talking to, to give them pointers on how best to enjoy the competition.