As a Canadian, hockey is seemingly a part of my DNA. So imagine my disappointment when I realized one of my classes conflicted with Canada’s opening game against Norway. Devastation. But thanks to Twitter, I was able to follow every goal, assist and major action from my laptop.

These games have been pegged as the “first social media Olympics.” On Twitter, fans can connect directly to Tweeting athletes through a published list of verified Olympic athletes. Sites like Twitter-Athletes and NBC’s Twitter tracker are two other sources of news.

Facebook is not to be left behind. The official Olympic Games fan page has about 1.5 million fans, collecting status updates from Olympians like skier Lindsey Vonn and speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, as well as adding daily photos from Vancouver.

The great thing about these sites is fans now have the ability to connect directly to the athletes, giving everyone the feeling that they have the “inside scoop” about what’s going on in Vancouver. No matter where you are in the world, through social media, fans can feel like they are part of the Olympic Village.