Olympic Games helps bring world together

Jennifer Sommer
Posted 2/15/18

MENDOTA – This year marks the 23rd Winter Olympics. Top athletes from across the globe entered the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea for the parade of nations and the game’s opening ceremony, Feb. 9.

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Olympic Games helps bring world together

Posted

MENDOTA – This year marks the 23rd Winter Olympics. Top athletes from across the globe entered the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea for the parade of nations and the game’s opening ceremony, Feb. 9.

The message of the evening was peace and hope, exemplified by a giant lit dove of peace, John Lennon’s “Imagine” sung by four famous South Korean singers, and North and South Korea walking into the stadium in unison under the Korean Unification Flag.

The ceremony was both a display of tradition and technology, including traditional Korean dances, flying kites, and children representing the elements fire, water, wood, metal and earth, combined with over 20,000 fireworks and a world record setting 1,218 drone formation that lit up the sky.

Two members of the joint Korean women’s hockey team carried the Olympic Torch up a steep flight of stairs to 2010 Olympic figure skating champion Yuna Kim who lit the flame–and the games began.

For 16 action-packed days, athletes compete in 15 sports for 102 medal events. Although Pyeongchang is one of the smallest host cities, this year marks the largest Winter Games in history with over 2,800 athletes.

Big air snowboarding, freestyle skiing, mass start speed skating and mixed doubles curling have been added to the event list.

As a symbol of strength, protection and trust, in Korean folklore, Soohorang the Tiger made his debut as the 2018 Winter Olympics mascot, as well.

The Winter Olympics is packed with combinations of events for men and women in sports such as alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboard, and speed skating.

Some of the most famous U.S. Winter Olympians include Dorothy Hamill, figure skating, 1976; Shaun White, snowboarding, 2006 and 2010; Bonnie Blair, speed skating, 1988, 1992, and 1994; Kristi Yamaguchi, figure skating, 1992; Apolo Anton Ohno, speed skating, 2010 and 2014; Picabo Street, alpine skiing, 1994, 1998 and 2002; Eric Heiden, speed skating, 1980; Peggy Flemming, figure skating, 1968; Scott Hamilton, figure skating, 1984; Dan Jansen, speed skating, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994; and Brian Boitano, figure skating, 1988 and 1994. Of course, there are many others that have made their mark in the Winter Olympics, as well.

According to International Olympic Committee (IOC) data, the most successful nations include Norway, United States, Germany, Canada, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, and Finland. Out of 22 Winter Games, the United States ranks second with 96 gold medals, 102 silver medals, and 84 bronze medals. Norway tops the U.S. by 47 medals. Germany places 3rd with 73 fewer than the United States.

A look back:

The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the first Olympic Winter Games, was held in Chamonix, France.

The first gold medal awarded in that Olympic Winter games was won by Charles Jewtraw of the United States in the 500-meter speed skate. France, failed to win any gold medals, finishing with only three bronze medals.

In 1925, the IOC decided to organize Olympic Winter Games every four years.

The next Winter Olympics was held in St. Moritz, Switzerland – 1928; followed by Lake Placid, New York, United States – 1932; and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – 1936.

The 1940 and 1944 Winter Olympics were cancelled due to World War II.

In 1948, the Winter Olympics resumed at St. Moritz, Switerland. Ten more countries hosted the games before the IOC decided to offset the Winter Olympics in the second year after the Summer Olympics, including: Oslo, Norway – 1952; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – 1965; Squaw Valley, California, United States – 1960; Innsbruck, Austria – 1964; Grenoble, France – 1968; Sapporo, Japan – 1972; Innsbruck, Austria – 1976; Lake Placid, New York, United States; Sarajevo, Yugoslavia – 1984; Calgary, Canada – 1988; and Albertville, France – 1992.

Two years later, the host city was Lillehammer, Norway – 1994.

Five more games would take place before this year’s Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang, South Korea, including: Negano, Japan – 1998; Salt Lake City, Utah, United States – 2002; Turin, Italy – 2006; Vancouver, Canada – 2010; and Sochi, Russia – 2014.

Looking forward, Beijing, China won the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Complete information on 2018 events and results can be found on the Olympic Games official website at www.olympic.org.

The 23rd Winter Olympics will conclude with a closing ceremony on Feb. 25.