7 Ways to Enjoy the Olympics Without a TV

Experience the Vancouver Olympics via Facebook, Twitter, iPhone apps and more.

ByABC News
February 22, 2010, 4:16 PM

Feb. 23, 2010— -- The Olympic Games always boasts at least a handful of firsts, but one of this year's first-ever feats isn't happening on ice or snow, but online.

On Twitter, Facebook, Google, Flickr and other Internet sites and mobile applications, Olympic fans around the world are taking part in the Vancouver Games in unprecedented numbers.

"It's the first-ever social media Olympics. There's no doubt about it," said Alex Huot, the International Olympic Committee's (first-ever) head of social media.

Olympic medals might be decided by the events broadcast on television, but social media goes a long way in sharing what happens off the sporting stage, in the minds of the competitors and those who cheer them on.

"I think the big thing is how personal you can get with the athletes," Huot said. "They can tweet, they update their status on Facebook in a very personal way that gives access to people."

Whether you're in Vancouver or thousands of miles away, whether you have a TV or not, here are seven ways you can get personal with the games.

1. Fans Get 'Face Time' With Athletes on Facebook

So far, at least, it looks like Facebook is in first place when it comes to social media Olympics coverage.

The official IOC page, Facebook.com/OlympicGames, has attracted more than 1.4 million fans with its stream of updates, daily photo contests and an online game that lets users compete virtually in events like snowboard cross and ski jumping.

Through Facebook, fans can also keep up with about 500 athletes and 200 teams.

After snowboarder Shaun White won his gold medal in the men's halfpipe event, he told his more than 1 million Facebook fans, "Whoa! What a night, didn't get to sleep until 1am last night, so excited! Thanks to everyone for all your support, I couldn't of done it without you!!!"

Skier Lindsey Vonn took to Facebook even after a disappointing post-gold medal run. After she crashed in the women's super-combined competition, she posted a message called "mixed emotions" on her Facebook page.

"I am really disappointed that I didn't finish and I lost a chance for gold in one of my strongest events," she wrote. "But on the positive side I was happy to have another solid run in DH and I was also happy with how my SL was going before skiing out."

Huot said those kinds of personal messages have helped push Olympics Facebook activity "through the roof," setting the tone for the 2012 London Olympics.

In honor of the 2010 Vancouver Games, Google created a dedicated site featuring several special Olympics tools.

In addition to a schedule of events, constantly updated medal count and event results in 40 languages, Google provides satellite and street-view images of the competition venues.

To capture mountaintop views of Whistler Mountain, the company deployed its new snowmobile outfitted with photographic and GPS technology. With a few clicks, you can virtually drop in to the snowboarding halfpipe on Cyprus Mountain or fly over Vancouver's Olympic Village.

You can also view and share photos on Picasa, read real-time search results for the Games and learn about Vancouver hotspots from local experts.

Downloaded by more than 1 million people, the official (and free) Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics mobile application is another top sports applications in Apple's App Store. (It's also available for a number of other handheld devices.)

It's one of many mobile apps for the Winter Games but is backed by the Vancouver 2010 committee and lists all of the competitions, as well as free concerts, ceremonies and cultural events.

If you're in Vancouver, the location-aware application tells you how close you are to the various events.

For those taking part from home, it aggregates Olympics-related news, photos, video, medal counts and Twitter streams.