I'm a sucker for the Olympics. It doesn't matter if it is the Summer or Winter Olympics. I will see as many events as I can--it's quite disruptive to my normal schedule. I don't care. There is something about the human spirit overcoming physical limitations to reach excellence. Each and every story of these athletes is a testament to what can be achieved. I am truly captivated by all of it.
The opening ceremony this time was very inspirational. North and South Korea marched in together in unison as if the two countries were one country. They were one country in past history. It was annexed by Japan in 1910 and ruled by Japan until 1945. In 1945, Korea was separated as a result of actions taken by the United States and the Soviet Union from World War II. The North was under occupation of the Soviet Union and the South was under American occupation. Of course, that didn't end well. Tensions between the two countries escalated as the Korean War began in 1950. The war ended up as a stalemate in 1953. And so, here we are today. A lot of this history is covered in this Wikipedia page.
However, the two countries have managed to step together here in the Olympics. They walked in unison into the stadium. Then, two athletes each on the combined women's hockey team went up the steps handling the torch together until they handed it off to an Olympic female ice skating champion. She lit up the torch in a rather dramatic fashion. The entire sequence was well orchestrated.
In the official area for dignitaries, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un stole the show. You have to give her credit for showing up to the Olympics. She was sitting right behind Mike Pence, our disgraceful Vice President. She displayed an inscrutable smile through the whole procession of athletes until the combined the teams showed up. She's probably North Korea's best propaganda weapon besides the crazy cheerleader section of young North Korean girls.
The opening ceremony always starts off the Olympics on a wonderful note. It raises the anticipation for the rest of the program. There is a pre-ordained formula to all of this. And, if you see this sports event repeatedly as I have, you can predict all of it. And yet... It's magical and manages to show off the hosting countries best qualities. South Korea decided to use drones in the Olympics but this didn't happen live. No matter. It was still spectacular. This is one use of drones that I heartily approve of!
As wonderful as the opening ceremonies are, the rest of the Olympics events are even more so. Even though I am not a fan of Winter, I can appreciate all of it--even curling. The IOC decided to add four more winter sports this time around. New medal events for curling mixed doubles, speed skating mass start, Alpine skiing team event and snowboard big air were all added to the schedule. This really packs in a large amount of events to see. My favorite events are always around ice skating.
I like all of the different forms of ice skating: figure skating and ice dancing. I especially love ice dancing because it combines graceful movements executed with strength. When done well, you can feel the passion and the emotions going into the routines. You witness stories unfold with artistry. You also see a lot of Swarovski crystals. In fact, an outfit can cost anywhere from $1000 to $5000. One of the ice skaters, Nathan Chen, will be wearing an outfit designed for him by Vera Wang. Vera Wang normally designs wedding dresses, but dipped a toe into the ice skating world when she started to design outfits for Nancy Kerrigan and other ice figure skaters. Other designers have started creating outfits for ice skaters, as well.
In terms of fashion, one can say that the outfits that the athletes wore coming in to the stadium were not very interesting. However, Ralph Lauren designed a jacket with heating in it for the American team. Pretty cool tech! However, it is expensive: $2500.
Nothing can compare to Pita Taufatofua, though. He's the Tongan athlete that stole the show at the opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He was the shirtless athlete wearing thong sandals in 28 degree Fahrenheit weather. Not just shirtless--he was oiled. It's unbelievable that he is back two years later to partake of the competition . He is the only athlete from Tonga. Talk about dedication!
Interestingly, the structures that were built for the Olympics will most likely be torn down after the athletes leave. It's a pop-up stadium. It cost $109 million. It does seems to be a big waste of time and resources. But, the Olympic Games are generally a financial curse for the host city. More often than not, cities end up with enormous debt. The structures that are built fall into decay and are useless to the cities after the games are done. Worse, some people in certain sections of the cities are evicted and displaced. The politics of all of this never enable anything better for the displaced individuals and families.
Of course, all of this is bread and circuses. But, people like bread and people like circuses. Here's to 15 more days of imagining a better world beyond the bread and circuses they want us to believe in.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir out of retirement making a last appearance at the Olympics. How can you NOT feel this?