17 sports journalists and editors  from NTU, National Television of Ukraine, participated in a 3 day workshop on their own premises on Sports commentating in a view to prepare optimal coverage of the Turin Winter Olympics. The workshop focused on:

• practical methods to prepare for the Turin 2006 and to cover it,
• knowledge about the live production, summaries and highlights provided by EBU/Eurovision,
• ideas to make a creative Olympic coverage.

6 modules were delivered by an expert in Winter Sports Commentating on Television, Svein Morten Buer from Norway:

Module 1 & 2: Prepare live coverage of skiing (biathlon, cross-country and alpine)

Objectives: to get tools to collect facts and figures about the sport and the runners. Identify the most important runners and sport champions. To be able to organize the commentary booth.  

Module 3: Prepare live coverage of speed skating

Objectives: to get and use tools to collect facts and figures about the sport and the runners. Identify the most important runners and sport champions.  Prepare and make the live commentary. 

Module 4: Summaries and highlights

Objective: To know the products provided by EBU/Eurovision and get used to comment summaries and highlights live.  

Module 5: Interviews

Objectives: To obtain proper and interesting answers by the athletes, officials and others.

Module 6: Reportages

Objective: To get a toolbox to edit and comment a good story/reportage

Each module aimed to:

• Identify information which is important/interesting to viewers
• search forfacts and figures
• inform about facts and figures and when to comment the ongoing competition 
• understand Differences between normal distance, sprint, pursuit, interval start, mass start and relay 
  (biathlon and cross-country)
• build up expectations for the viewers
• be organized in the commentary boot

Group discussions, practical work and exercises added to the learning process.

A vast majority of journalists found the workshop  completely useful and completely met their expectations .

What they found most useful was:

"Perfect professionalism of the trainer and his ability to pass his experience and knowledge."
"...certain moments that are really helpful to train  myself as a sports commentator. A good experience of commenting certain kinds of sport. I never did it before. I had  a wonderful chance to compare myself with other much more experienced people."
"...interview, press-conferences, many useful things."

NTU management is satisfied and believes that the workshop has met its targets. Svein enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the workshop and the dedication of NTU colleagues.