Thunder Bay's Rick Lang heading to Pyeongchang as part of national coaching team

Curling great Rick Lang is looking forward to another Olympic games, both as a coach and as a sports fan.

"You know, I played the game all my life, but ... also, I'm just a sports fanatic," he said, and the Olympics "is the epitomeof all sport in my mind."

"It's just such an exciting event to be at."

In just a few weeks, Lang will leave his home in Thunder Bay, Ont., to head to Pyeongchangas part of Curling Canada's nationalcoaching team.

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It's a role for which he's well prepared.

Lang, who's won two world championships and three Briers, is also a seasoned coach who helped lead Canada's men's team to gold inSochiin 2014.

His job now is to help make sure Canada's curling teams are rested, relaxed and ready as both the men and women prepare to defend Canada's gold medal titles.

It's a job that involves a lot of management, and touches on everything from nutrition, to scheduling, to smoothing out travel plans for the friends and families of the Olympic athletes, said Lang.

Last few weeks spent recharging batteries

As for the athletes themselves, Lang said the most strenuous preparation is already done. Thelast few weeks before the games, which kick off on Feb. 9, will be spent recharging.

In fact, in the final days before the competition, the teams will head to a training camp in Japan, where they can disconnect from work and life in Canada, and "just get some really quiet time to make sure the battery's recharged."

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The athleteswill need that energy, considering the high Olympic expectations Canadians have for their curlers.

"It's a lot like hockey," said Lang. "It's gold or nothing."

"So ya, there's extremely high expectations ... and we don't downplay that, nor could we" he said. "We kind of relish that and take pride in that."