Luge like nobody's watching

Are we all just a little bit in love with Kate Hansen? The Team U.S.A. women’s luger is the surprise sweetheart of these games so far. It’s not because of her medal-winning performance necessarily (she competes in the finals today – I think, freaking timezones), but because she’s the most adorable fly girl Olympian you’ve ever met. During coverage of the women’s luge it was revealed the 21-year-old’s pre-race routine was simple. Crank up Queen Bey and dance like nobody is watching. Get it, guuuuurl. The NBC broadcaster watching her epic dance moves was the biggest, boringest killjoy in the world. But please ignore his inability to feel joy and enjoy this clip of Kate getting her groove thang on.



Get down, girl, go on get down. Though I would expect nothing less from someone whose Twitter bio reads: “I know all of Beyonce’s choreo by heart and I wear spandex for a living.”



In a post-race interview she told a decidely more fun NBC broadcaster that she always, always listens to Beyonce to get her game-face on:

“Strictly Beyonce. My girl, B. She just gets me fierce and I get stoked and I have to. I have such good mojo going on. So that’s just how I roll.”

And then when prompted by the same reporter to show off her popping and locking, she told him to drop a beat.



See, now this is why I watch the Olympics. Not for the politics, not for the medal count. It’s to meet fun athletes like this who clearly love what they do and are having the time of their lives at the pinnacle of their sport.

And, besides having moves, Kate isn’t a bad cinematographer either. She filmed and edited this video of her fellow athletes at U.S. Winter Olympics training facility last fall. (p.s. She has a whole YouTube channel with similar videos, by the way.)



Oh, have I mentioned one of her biggest goals is to get on Ellen? Oh, Great Panted One, hear your people’s cry. Let this girl dance.