Scarlett wins Intel's pre-Winter Olympics 2018 StarCraft 2 event

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Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn lifts the trophy ahead of some tough competition.

Image credit: ESL via Twitter

The 2018 Winter Olympics kicks off in Pyeongchang, South Korea this weekend with all the chilly sports the summer Olympians are too scared to compete in. As a precursor to the main event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) competition also brought StarCraft 2 to the games—three months after competitive gaming was recognised by the International Olympics Committee as a sport. 

The tournament's finals wrapped up last night, with seasoned SC2 pro Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn beating some of the world's best to clinch first prize.

As reported by Reuters, esports' association with the Olympics has not been well received by everyone—"They are two totally different worlds," so says two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety—however the $150,000 IEM event was aired on Twitch, and on the IOC-owned Olympic Channel globally. It's also thought Intel is preparing esports events in-line with the Olympics' 2020 and 2022 competitions.

Scarlett's win sees her become the first female player to win a major international LAN in StarCraft 2. Her victory follows the news Geguri is set to become the Overwatch League's first female player by joining the Shanghai Dragons. 

Joe Donnelly
Deputy Editor, PC Gaming Show
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