SF State English lecturer Pierrette Jeanmonod, came to school Aug. 31 with the words Athens 2004 printed on the back of an ordinary white shirt. Her Olympic photo ID reflects the gleaming light as it hangs around her neck. The only difference between Jeanmonod and everyone else is her attire was part of her uniform as a translator for the 2004 games.

Dressed in a green jacket and blue pants, Jeanmonod was an official French interpreter for the International Federation of Gymnastics. She has just come back to SF State from Athens on Aug. 31.

This is not the first time she has been in the company of the world’s finest athletes. Athens is her fifth Olympic games and she has been the official French interpreter for 19 years. Over the course of nearly two decades she has worked in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney.

Jeanmonod said the hardest thing, as a translato,r is to interpret just what people are saying to each other.

“I have to get close to people’s meaning,” she said.

She added that political discussion is especially hard.

“You have to be very careful of what people said. Otherwise you create problems,” she added.

While working in Athens, the Paul Hamm gymnastic controversy unfolded and he was asked to return his gold medal because of judging errors. Jeanmonod worked for that case, but she could not disclose the details because information discussed in the Olympic committee is confidential.

Jeanmonod is originally from Switzerland and came to the U.S. when she was 20 years old. While working in the SF State French department, Andrea Schmid-Shapiro a kinesiology professor and two times Olympic medal holder in gymnastics for Hungary, asked her be a translator in 1985.

“Of course, it was exciting,” she said, referring to when Schmid-Shapiro asked her.

Since going to the Olympic congress before the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, South Korea, Schmid-Shapiro has supported athletes, coaches and judges behind the scenes.

Jeanmonod shared her Athens Olympic experiences with her students by showing her Olympic opening ceremony package, which contains a small gold bell, a white handkerchief, tickets and a small light.

Her students seem to be interested, she said and added that they all seem to love her Olympic fashion.