INTERNATIONAL: Over 90 countries come together to participate in the 23rd Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
By Micah Pierce, Staff Writer
The opening ceremony for the 2018 Olympic games, titled “Peace in Motion,” was held only on February 9. The ceremony featured quite a few highlight moments, ranging from the return of the shirtless Tongan flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua, to the synchronization of over 1,000 drones to create the Olympic rings in the sky above PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. The Parade of Nations showcased the 92 countries that are competing in the games, and displayed the unifying quality that the Olympic games have always held.
The opening ceremony began with an intense countdown and a traditional Korean bell sitting centerstage, the tolling of which represented the start of both the ceremony and the games. The first performance featured five young Korean children as protagonists, and blossomed into an astonishing winter fairytale that portrayed the adventure of the children. The cultural spectacle also included massive representations of traditional Korean animals, such as a white tiger and dragons. This first segment came to a close, and was followed by quite a few more performances including the projection of the Korean flag on top of an ensemble of Korean performers, and the Korean national anthem was sung by the Rainbow Children’s Choir. These presentations eventually segued into the Parade of Nations.
The parade took place in alphabetical order with the exceptions of Korea and Greece. Korea entered the stadium last as the host country, and Greece first, following tradition. The American Olympic team entered the stadium with a familiar tune playing in the background, Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” The luger, Erin Hamlin held the American flag, leading a record-setting 242 American athletes. The oiled and shirtless Tongan flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua, stole the show once again, just as he did two years ago at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. This time around, the Tongan athlete braved 32 degree weather wearing only a traditional Tongan mat. The Korean athletes entered last, with the Northern and Southern athletes walking together under a united Korean flag. Even more history was made that night as South Korean President Moon Jae-in shook hands with Kim Yo-Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and Kim Yo-jong was even granted the honor of officially announcing the start of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
The ceremony ended with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the end of the torch’s 101 day journey around the country. The flame was delivered to the cauldron by Korean figure skater Yuna Kim, who won a gold medal in 2010 and a silver medal in 2014. At last, the ceremony was topped off with over 20,000 fireworks and the Olympic Rings formed in the sky.
The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics came to a stunning close with the closing ceremony on February 25. The ceremony featured another parade of nations, but this time with all athletes marching together, without any distinctions of nationality. Multiple performances were put on by South Korean musicians as well as Dutch DJ Martin Garrix. The US placed fourth at these Olympics in total medal count with 23 medals, placing behind Norway, Germany, and Canada. These top 3 countries each earned 39, 31, and 29 medals each, respectively. 9 of the US’ 23 medals were gold, with Snowboarder Shaun White rebounding spectacularly from his performance in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The American curling team also made history this year when it won America’s first ever gold medal in curling, closely edging out Sweden in the gold medal match. Although the US team may not have been the top performing country at the 2018 Olympics, they certainly made history in them. Now upcoming are the 2018 Winter Paralympics, which will begin on Thursday, March 8 and last until Sunday, March 18.