The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics Russian team. Kazakhstanis took their places in the stands
PYEONGCHANG, February 9th. /TASS/. The opening ceremony of the 2018 Games took place on February 9 at the Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang. The event was complicated by cold weather (minus 1 degree) and high humidity.
Many athletes from different countries refused to participate in the ceremony due to fear of catching a cold on outdoor stadium on the eve of responsible starts. The organizers handed out warm blankets and even hats to the spectators. The fans, unlike the athletes, were not afraid of the frosty weather - there was not a single empty seat in the stands.
The ceremony opened with a general plan of the stadium and fireworks around it, one of the flashes turned into the word Welcome ("Welcome"). The first to appear on the stage was a white tiger - it was carried out in the form of a doll on sticks-frames by children. It was Sukhoran the tiger who was chosen as the official mascot of the 2018 Olympics. This animal is closely associated with the mythology of the Republic of Korea and is a symbol of trust, protection and strength.
Together with the tiger, three boys and two girls went on a long journey. Plot application - the guys find a mysterious cave and a magical fresco. Then the magical guides lead the children into the world of fairy tales, where they meet blue dragons, whimsical butterflies, black snakes, wild boars. The journey was accompanied by the performance of folk dances.
The spectators of the ceremony were introduced to the rich historical heritage South Korea. National clothes, ancient temples and monasteries, the famous Hwaseong fortress - all these images replaced each other to the sound of drums and flutes. The costumes of the participants in the action recreated the colors of the national flag of the Republic of Korea - white, blue and red. The central emblem of the flag reflects the views of the universe as a whole, the interaction of opposite energies of yin and yang. The four elements around symbolize earth, fire, air and water.
After that, the flag of the Republic of Korea was carried into the arena by eight famous local athletes. The flag was raised to the national anthem, which was performed by children from multinational local families.
Greece leads the parade
The parade of countries, paying tribute to traditions, was opened by the Greek team. The rest of the countries went to alphabetical order, but when determining the order, the organizers were guided by the South Korean alphabet. Largest number parade participants were part of the US team.
Athletes from all countries were dressed very warmly - mostly in ski suits. Each of the countries was accompanied by a girl in a costume reminiscent of the attire of the Russian Snow Maiden. In the hands of the girl held branches with the name of the country.
Teams from 92 countries are represented at the 2018 Olympics. For the first time in Winter Games national teams from the Republic of Kosovo, Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria, Eritrea and Ecuador participate. A number of countries are performing after the break - South Africa, Kenya, Colombia, Madagascar, North Korea and others.
Athletes from Russia met with a warm welcome
Team Olympic athletes she left Russia at the parade under the 55th number - between the national teams of Austria and Uzbekistan. 80 representatives of the Russian delegation participated in the parade, in total 168 Russians will take part in the Games. The team was unable to enter the parade under the national flag due to the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee by the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Russian athletes marched under the Olympic flag carried by a volunteer girl.
Many were worried that the spectators of the ceremony would react negatively to the exit of the Russians because of all the recent negative events that preceded the Olympics. Contrary to expectations, everything went without complications: the fans warmly welcomed the team of Olympic athletes from Russia, like all previous countries.
It is noteworthy that the directors of the Olympic broadcast in South Korea, when the athletes left Russia, still used the image Russian Federation on the world map. Some fans from Russia also became spectators of the ceremony. Russian flags were visible from afar in the stands.
The opening ceremony was attended by IOC member Shamil Tarpischev, head of the Independent Public Anti-Doping Commission Vitaly Smirnov, head of the delegation of Olympic athletes from Russia Stanislav Pozdnyakov, presidential aide Igor Levitin and Russian ambassador to Seoul Alexander Timonin.
There were some surprises: during the broadcast, during the presentation of the French team on Korean television, the flag of the Russian Federation was shown in the credits instead of the French flag. The workers apparently mixed up the flags because of the similar colors.
Under the flag of a united Korea
The uniqueness of the opening ceremony of the 2018 Games was also that the teams of South Korea and the DPRK marched together in the parade of athletes under the flag of a united Korea. This event happened for the first time in 12 years. The flag of the united Korea was previously used at the Games in 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens) and 2006 (Turin). After 2006, the flag was not used due to the cooling of relations between the countries.
At the opening ceremony of the Olympics, South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for the first time with the sister of North Korean leader Kim Yo-jong. Representatives of the two countries shook hands. In addition, as is known, the joint women's team in hockey, composed of athletes from both countries.
All spectators of the ceremony were surprised by the athlete from Tonga, Pita Taufatofua, who was the flag bearer of the country at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, he performed as a taekwondoist, and in Pyeongchang he will perform as a skier. At the parade, the brave athlete, despite the cold, came out bare-chested and wearing a traditional Tongai skirt.
South Korean president declares Olympics open
The head of the organizing committee of the 2018 Olympics, Lee Hee Bum, was the first to speak, calling the opening ceremony of the competition a historic moment. “It is gratifying that the Republic of Korea, 30 years after the Games in Seoul, is hosting the Olympic Games,” he said. “I am sure that the Games in Pyeongchang will give a ray of hope to all mankind. As Baron Pierre de Coubertin said, the main thing is not victory, but participation, I want to wish all participants to follow the basic Olympic principles, I wish the athletes to enjoy the Games and write a new page in history under the motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger".
With the opening Olympic Games IOC President Thomas Bach also congratulated everyone. “Dear Olympians around the world, this is the moment we have all been waiting for,” he said. “Dear athletes, now it’s your turn, this will be the competition of your life, in the coming days the eyes of the whole world will be on you. Despite all the differences, you live in harmony, as well as mutual respect and adherence to the rules of the Olympic spirit, you will especially enjoy these Games if you follow the rules and stay clean from doping."
The head of the IOC also recalled the spirit of universal unity that the Olympic Games carry. "While you compete, you will live together in Olympic village Bach emphasized. - A special example of the unifying power of sports is today's joint procession of the teams of South Korea and the DPRK. Two years ago, for the first time, a refugee team participated in the Games in Rio de Janeiro, and this, in turn, gave hope to the whole world, it was a powerful message of peace for all mankind."
For world peace
It is symbolic that John Lennon's song Imagine ("Imagine") about world peace was heard during the ceremony. To the sounds of the song, the journey of children around the world ended in the present. The ceremony participants lit candles, symbolizing the comfort of the family hearth, and then lined up in the images of peace doves.
The authors of the script of the ceremony made the main bet on advanced technologies - the audience was presented with images of the digitized world, in particular, 120 doors to the future. With the help of digital technologies, the center of the arena turned into a media center, which figuratively conveyed to all corners of the planet the main semantic message of these Games - world peace.
Eight South Korean athletes carried the Olympic flag into the arena. The honor to light the Olympic flame went to figure skater Kim Yong Ah, Olympic champion in 2010, silver medalist of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The theme of new technologies continued with the lighting of the Olympic flame - this was done with the help of a telescopic torch.
The closing ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Games will take place on February 25. The event will also take place at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium.
The opening ceremony of the 2018 Games took place on February 9 at the Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang. The event was complicated by cold weather (-1 °C) and high humidity. Many athletes from different countries refused to participate in the ceremony for fear of catching a cold in an open stadium on the eve of important competitions. The organizers distributed warm blankets and hats to the spectators. The fans, unlike the athletes, were not afraid of the frosty weather - there was not a single empty seat in the stands, TASS reports.
Welcome
The ceremony opened with a general plan of the stadium and fireworks around it, one of the flashes turned into the word Welcome. The first to appear on the stage was a white tiger - it was carried out in the form of a doll on sticks-frames by children. It was Sukhoran the tiger who was chosen as the official mascot of the 2018 Olympics. This animal is closely associated with the mythology of the Republic of Korea and is a symbol of trust, protection and strength.
Together with the tiger, three boys and two girls went on a long journey. Plot application - the guys find a mysterious cave and a magical fresco. Then the guides lead the children to the world of a fairy tale, where they meet blue dragons, bizarre butterflies, black snakes, wild boars. The journey was accompanied by the performance of folk dances.
The spectators of the ceremony were introduced to the rich historical heritage of South Korea. National clothes, ancient temples and monasteries, the famous Hwaseong fortress - all these images replaced each other to the sound of drums and flutes. The costumes of the participants in the action recreated the colors of the national flag of the Republic of Korea - white, blue and red. After that, eight famous local athletes carried the flag to the arena. It was raised to the national anthem, which was performed by children from multinational local families.
Parade of 92 countries
Paying tribute to traditions, the parade of countries was opened by the Greek team. The rest of the countries went in alphabetical order, but when determining the order, the organizers were guided by the South Korean alphabet. The largest number of participants in the parade was in the US team.
Athletes from all countries were dressed very warmly - mostly in ski suits. Each of the countries was accompanied by a girl in a costume reminiscent of the attire of the Russian Snow Maiden. In the hands of the girl held branches with the name of the country.
Teams from 92 countries are represented at the 2018 Olympics. For the first time, national teams from the Republic of Kosovo, Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria, Eritrea and Ecuador are participating in the Winter Games. A number of countries are performing after the break - South Africa, Kenya, Colombia, Madagascar, North Korea and others.
The team of Olympic athletes from Russia entered the parade under the 55th number - between the national teams of Austria and Uzbekistan. 80 representatives of the Russian delegation participated in the parade, in total 168 Russians will take part in the Games. The team was unable to enter the parade under the national flag due to the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee by the decision of the International Olympic Committee. Russian athletes marched under the Olympic flag carried by a volunteer girl. Fans warmly welcomed the team of Olympic athletes from Russia, like all previous countries.
It is noteworthy that the directors of the Olympic broadcast in South Korea used the image of the Russian Federation on the world map when the athletes left Russia. Ceremony spectators and some fans from Russia. Russian flags were visible from afar in the stands. In addition, during the broadcast, during the presentation of the French team on Korean television, the flag of the Russian Federation was shown in the credits instead of the French flag. The workers apparently mixed up the flags because of the similar colors.
United Korea
The uniqueness of the opening ceremony of the 2018 Games was that the teams of South Korea and North Korea marched together in the parade of athletes under the flag of a united Korea. This happened for the first time in 12 years. The flag of the united Korea was previously used at the Games in 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens) and 2006 (Turin). After 2006, the flag was not used due to the cooling of relations between the countries.
At the opening ceremony of the Olympics, South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for the first time with the sister of North Korean leader Kim Yo-jong. Representatives of the two countries shook hands. In addition, as is known, a joint women's ice hockey team, made up of athletes from both countries, will perform at the Games.
All spectators of the ceremony were surprised by the athlete from Tonga, Pita Taufatofua, who was the flag bearer of the country at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, he performed as a taekwondoist, and in Pyeongchang he will perform as a skier. At the parade, the brave athlete, despite the cold, came out bare-chested and wearing a traditional Tongai skirt.
"Stay clean from dope»
First to speak 2018 Olympic Organizing Committee Chairman Lee Hee Bum, calling the opening ceremony of the competition a historic moment. “It is gratifying that the Republic of Korea is hosting the Olympic Games 30 years after the Seoul Games,” he said. - I am sure that the Games in Pyeongchang will give a ray of hope to all mankind. As Baron Pierre de Coubertin said, the main thing is not victory, but participation, I want to wish all participants to follow the basic Olympic principles, I wish the athletes to enjoy the Games and write a new page in history under the motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger"".
Congratulations on the opening of the Olympic Games IOC President Thomas Bach. “Dear Olympians around the world, this is the moment we have all been waiting for,” he said. - Dear athletes, now it's your turn, this will be the competition of your life, in the next days the eyes of the whole world will be on you. Despite all the differences, you will live in harmony, as well as mutual respect and adherence to the rules of the Olympic spirit, you will especially enjoy these Games if you follow the rules and stay clean from doping.
For world peace
It is symbolic that during the ceremony John Lennon's song Imagine (“Imagine”) about world peace was played. To the sounds of the song, the children's journey around the world ended in the present tense. The ceremony participants lit candles, symbolizing the comfort of the family hearth, and then lined up in the images of peace doves.
The authors of the script made the main bet on advanced technologies - before the audience appeared images of the digitized world, in particular, 120 doors to the future. With the help of digital technologies, the center of the arena turned into a media center, which figuratively conveyed to all corners of the planet the main semantic message of these Games - world peace.
Eight South Korean athletes carried the Olympic flag into the arena. The honor to light the Olympic flame went to figure skater Kim Yong Ah, Olympic champion in 2010, silver medalist of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The theme of new technologies continued with the lighting of the Olympic flame - this was done with the help of a telescopic torch.
Good afternoon, dear friends! In a few minutes, the official opening ceremony of the XXIII Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will begin. You probably already know how many Olympians from the Russian Federation will take part in the ceremony? No? Then we recall: 80 people.
Therefore, all reports that the Russians are planning to boycott the ceremony, allegedly in retaliation for the IOC anti-doping sanctions, are not true. If they suddenly boycotted, it would be considered sabotage. Therefore - it is impossible!
Russia, or rather OAR (Olympic Athlete from Russia), will appear between Austria and Uzbekistan at number 55. “It's kind of strange, something is wrong here,” you say. And you will be right. However, there is no strangeness, just unusual. We explain. As a rule, the entrance of the participating countries to the Olympic stadium is in English alphabetical order, but in the case of Pyeongchang, Russia's proximity to Austrian and Uzbek athletes is explained by the fact that not the English, but the Korean alphabet is taken as the basis. That's it! Games in Korea means everything must be in Korean.
TASS/Sergey Bobylev
According to tradition, the Greeks will open the parade of national teams, but the united Korean delegation will close.
Another injustice! Russian athletes not only will pass under the Olympic flag, but also, according to the requirements of the IOC (oh, this IOC), a volunteer appointed by the organizing committee of the Games, and not one of our athletes.
So, we are looking forward to who will still light the Olympic flame. It's always intrigue. By the way, Reuters paid the price for this intrigue. They posted a photo from the rehearsal of the opening ceremony - and paid the price. They will not be allowed on the spectacle, and the photographer is deprived of accreditation. Everything, we are waiting! True, you have to wait at least four hours. We endure, we hold on!
In the meantime, here's the famous torchbearer. Learned?
Fans start filling up Olympic Stadium Pyeongchang.
40 minutes left before opening. In anticipation of a grand event (we hope that the opening will be grand), we invite you to see how our fans supported the skaters in team competitions. "Blow up" the ice arena.
Fans in the stands are chanting: "Olympic athletes Russia - victory will be ours"! IN ice palace only hear them pic.twitter.com/NCuULcJ0O4
SE Olympics-2018 (@se_olympics) February 9, 2018
Well, let's not forget about those who tell and show you about everything that happens at the Games. Our colleagues are also ready for the opening of the Olympics.
The Olympic flame is coming.
Girls in such cases say: "Mi-mi-mi."
오늘 정보봇님이 올린 평창 시상복 입은 마리네뜨가 넘나 예뻐서 급하게 나도 우리 아드마리한테 평창 시상복 입혀줬다 ㅠㅠ
평창 시상복 입은 아드마리
Welcome to PyeongChang 2018
平昌 2018 冬季オリンピック pic.twitter.com/d8xsmcEoEX- 아드리앙 생일 5월 15일임 별찌 (@Byeoljji_public) February 9, 2018
TASS/Sergey Bobylev
Attention! Donald Trump has arrived and will be watching the ceremony with someone else.
Meet two men who are dead ringers for Kim Jong-un and Trump. They appeared at the opening ceremony of the 2018 #PyeongChang Olympics. pic.twitter.com/aM3CRkL3no
Byung Taek Jeonㅣ뉴스프로 (@metempirics) February 9, 2018
TASS/Sergey Bobylev
The fans are happy.
Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/Bai Xuefei
They have already begun to roar ... with joy, I guess. Mom, don't fall!
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
Here is another bird:
The parade of athletes began. Well, according to tradition, the Greeks came out first. Alpine skier Sofia Ralli is the standard-bearer.
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
Everyone would like to see biathlon legend Ole Einar Björndalen, but he is not at the Olympics. It's simple - did not pass the selection!
The parade is held under a well-known composition.The largest delegation - the United States! Who would doubt that. But we could not let us down, if not for certain events.
The one who decided for us and deprived us!
TASS/AP
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left to right) during the opening ceremony of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Stadium
Want to be honest? Kind of boring. It was more fun in Sochi.
Global Look Press/dpa/Tobias Hase
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/Fei Maohua
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
Gold words.
Video version of the exit of the Russians. Most beautiful.
This will go down in history!
TASS/Valery Sharifulin
Delegation of Olympic athletes from Russia during the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Stadium
Here he is, handsome! The only representative of Tongo.
Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/Joel Marklund
Pita Taufatofua
Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/Joel Marklund
Teams of South and North Korea
That's it, the parade of athletes is over! The teams settled in the stands, and now again the cultural program.
Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/Joel Marklund
Global Look Press//imago sportfotodienst/JOEL MARKLUND
Remember we said boring? So, colleagues reminded what real boredom is.
Thomas Bach speaking! He thanked everyone "who contributed to the organization of this Olympics."
Only 169 Russian athletes. According to the regulations, 215 athletes must participate from each country. However, the Russian sportsmen intend to show their maximum potential so as not to let their fans down.
reuters.comIn connection with the doping scandal, the Russian team will compete at the Olympics under neutral flag. Fans were allowed to carry the Russian tricolor into the stands, but were urged to refrain from political ones.
The output of the Romanian national team was accompanied by a flurry of applause. An unusually large number of fans came to support the national team.
Team USA at the 2018 Olympics | Photos from social networks The exit of a gigantic US delegation accompanied the 2012 hit Gangnam Style. The song is considered one of the most famous compositions by South Korean artists. The dancers could not resist and started dancing during the explosive verse.
The American delegation became the largest at the 2018 Olympics. It was headed by a luger and bronze medalist Olympic Games Erin Hamlin.
The Belarusian team took the stage. Her standard-bearer was Olympic champion in biathlon. It really became cold in the stands - the fans began to distribute special heating pads.
Finally, they took the stage Russian athletes. Our delegation is quite large. The Russian athletes were led by a volunteer: he was instructed to carry the IOC flag. Our athletes looked happy enough, despite the protracted. A special uniform was prepared for the Russian team, on which there is no symbolism of the national flag.
reuters.com Ukrainian athletes left behind the Russian team. They were followed by Japanese athletes. It is necessary to note the size of the delegation, which can be compared with the American one.
The Canadian delegation also impressed the fans. It is noteworthy that two athletes carried the national flag at once: Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue. This rarely happens at the Olympics.
Skier Pita Taufatofua acted as the flag bearer for the Kingdom of Tonga. The athlete was remembered at the Rio Olympics for his provocative appearance. The 34-year-old athlete was perhaps the only one who was not cold at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
sputniknews.com The Korean team was the last to enter the stadium. The authorities of the DPRK and South Korea made a joint decision to march with a single flag in Pyeongchang. It is known that relations between countries can hardly be called tense. However, the athletes had the strength to carry the flag. North and South Korea were flag-bearers by one athlete each.
"Pyongyang Time"
The children who opened the ceremony floated on the "river of time". They knew what they would become in the future. Someone was lucky enough to become an artist, and someone - a doctor. The organizers once again decided to confirm the main message of the performance: "Children are the future".
Then, at the stadium, the artists performed a dance with doors to the "future". The dancers tried to show all the pros and cons of the technological future. Later, the fans were able to admire the "Tower of Babel" erected by the artists.
reuters.com IOC President Thomas Bach descended to the podium. At first, the chairman of the sports committee was not given the floor. As a result, he greeted the audience in Korean and thanked the organizers of the Olympics for the work done.
Bach paid special attention to the fact that the athletes of North and South Korea came to an agreement and entered the stage under a single flag. Bach called the incident an excellent example of the unification of two conflicting countries. He also recalled the case when the refugee team played at the Olympics in Rio.
“The time for Pyongyang is coming,” Bach summed up his speech.
President Moon Jae-in officially opened the XXIII Olympic Games. His statement was accompanied by a solemn salute. Earlier, he shook hands with the sister of the head of the DPRK, Kim Ye-jong.
reuters.com olympic fire
The audience enjoyed the song Imagine, which was performed by a quartet of local musicians. An installation in the form of a giant bird of a thousand lights was formed around the musicians. The children released the dove of peace into the sky.
Four South Korean athletes descended to the podium. They read out an oath on behalf of all the coaches, athletes and judges of the upcoming 2018 Olympics. Later, the fans were shown videos with the most highlights Olympic torch relay.
South Korean athletes almost lit the fire. The Olympic torch relay started in Greece on October 24, 2017. The route of the relay race, in which 7.5 thousand people took part, amounted to 2018 kilometers. It passed through 17 cities in South Korea. Figure skater Yuna Kim has become the latest torchbearer. On February 9, she solemnly lit the Olympic Cup.
The gala event will start at 2:00 pm Moscow time
Today, February 9, the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games took place in PyeongChang, South Korea. All the details of this colorful and responsible event are in our live online broadcast.
`Everything! Music sounds, the audience slowly begins to disperse from the stadium. The 2018 Games have officially started and we first of all wish good luck to our athletes - Olympic athletes from Russia! And, of course, absolutely everyone - to do without injuries.
That's all for now, thank you for following the ceremony with us and see you soon!
` The opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympics is coming to an end, and now the final chord, so to speak, is already underway.
`This is how it was:
`Great fireworks over the stadium! Hooray, the 2018 Olympics are open!
`Wow! She lit a special structure, which rose and "delivered" the fire to a large bowl!
` Kim Yong Ah is an Olympic champion in figure skating from South Korea! She appeared on skates, handed her a torch and ... Yeah, she lights the Olympic flame!
` Soooo... Here it is, the torch in the arena! Who will be the last link of the relay?!
` The Olympic flame is about to appear!
` On behalf of the athletes, coaches and judges, the oath was pronounced.
` The anthem of the Olympics has been played.
` It's beautiful in Pyeongchang!
` They brought in the Olympic flag.
`Five Olympic rings in the center of the ski slope.
`Now a dove has been folded from the candles, symbolizing peace.
` Our beloved traveler children lit the candles.
` South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced the opening of the Winter Olympic Games!
` Thomas Bach greeted everyone in Korean.
"Dear members of the Olympic family. Welcome to the 2018 Games! This is an event that we have all been waiting for a long time. This is an event for which the organizing committee worked with dedication and diligence. Thanks to everyone who made this Olympics possible," said the IOC President and said that now is the time for athletes. Yeah. And, of course, he did not miss the opportunity to declare a "pure" sport.
` The head of the organizing committee of the 2018 Games, Lee Hee-bum, welcomed all the participants.
"We are on the verge of a very significant moment in our lives. Sport is a unique force that can unite people. I am convinced that the Games in Pyeongchang will give a ray of hope for all peoples," he said.
` Officials began their journey to the microphone.
` Here it is - the delegation of North and South Korea!
` Koreans are now giving a special message: during the Olympics, there will be world peace!
` A bit of modern art and productions are on the line.
` Now the children have grown up and turned into those whom they dreamed of becoming: doctors, scientists, artists ... And they ended up in the world of the future.
` The children's journey continues - we observe the colorful nature of South Korea. Children swim through the river of time.
` United athletes of North and South Korea! Under a common flag!
` A tiny delegation of Tonga and a half-naked standard-bearer! Class!
` Team Canada appeared at the stadium. Well, guys, let's meet in hockey?
'This is what it looked like...
` Volunteer girl carries the Olympic flag. Our guys are in gray jackets, white hats and scarves. Restrainedly wave their hands to the stands.
` And here are the OAR athletes - Olympic athletes from Russia!
` We remind you that Russian athletes will go under
` The largest delegation to these Games is the United States. Half of the stadium was occupied by the Americans.
` Under the arches of the arena, a crazy hit of the past years - Gangnam style began to play! The track was greeted with great enthusiasm.
`This is what the parade looks like. And now athletes from Madagascar are walking in front of the audience.
` And Grigory Rodchenkov, fearing for his life, did
` While the national teams are on parade, we recall that
` The Norwegians walked proudly. The ones who took 6,000 doses of asthma medication with them.
` The parade of athletes has begun! Athletes from Greece are the first to leave.
` The national anthem of South Korea is played.
` And now they brought the flag to the stadium out of fabric. Carried by local representatives different types sports.
` Another performance of artists who symbolize the flag of South Korea - some of the peoples are red, some are blue.
`Now everyone welcomes the President of South Korea Moon Jae-in and the head of the IOC Thomas Bach. Russia especially welcomes the latter.
` The stadium has a South Korean flavor that shows the country's historical heritage.
` This was the salute at the very beginning:
` Other exotic little animals joined him.
` Some kind of animal ran into the center of the arena - it looks like a white tiger, but it is somehow modified.
` Now we are shown a video in which South Korean children went outside in winter, got lost and eventually stumbled upon some ancient miracle. And this miracle began from ancient times: pictures of antiquity flashed before them and we are again transported to the stadium.
` So, it all started with a light show and fireworks.
` The countdown has begun! 10, 9, 8, 7...
` Volunteers are ready to start!
` While the main intrigue of the ceremony is kept in the strictest confidence - who will light the fire? How will it look like?
` It's quite cold in Pyeongchang, and the audience is even given special mats to make it more comfortable to sit.
` Hello, ladies and gentlemen, big and small sports fans! We are glad to welcome you to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which will begin in a matter of minutes!
Competitions at the 2018 Olympics began yesterday, February 8. During this time, curlers, ski jumpers and figure skaters managed to join the fight, who
True, all this faded into the background due to proceedings against Russian athletes. 47 people were left out of the Games because the International Olympic Committee(IOC) did not issue them an invitation and all hope was for the Sports arbitration court(CAS). But also
Now we have to rely only on those who were admitted earlier and follow the purely sporting ups and downs, leaving everything else. Yes, the Russian team is disqualified, there are no many leaders, but some athletes will compete under a neutral flag and with the OAR logo - Olympic Athletes from Russia, and they also need support.
The official start of the Games will be given today, during the official opening ceremony. Interestingly, it will take place at a temporary stadium, which was built specifically for the Olympics, and after the closing ceremony will be dismantled.
Many representatives of Russia will not be at this event: someone has not yet managed to fly to Pyeongchang, someone continues to prepare for the main four-year competitions in neighboring cities of South Korea, and due to the situation with the suspension of the national team, the flag of our delegation will be carried by a specially designated volunteer.
Who will eventually have the honor of lighting the Olympic flame? What surprises have the organizers of the ceremony prepared for? How will spectators and athletes feel in sub-zero temperatures? We will find out the answers to these and many other questions very soon. "MK" will conduct a live online broadcast of the opening of the 2018 Olympics and will begin at exactly 14:00 Moscow time!
