The highly popular figure skater from South Korea Yuna Kim is bestowed the honor of lighting the torch at this year’s Winter Olympics. Yuna, winner of the gold medal in 2010 and the silver medal in 2014 is often referred to as “Queen Yuna” by millions of fans.
A unified Korean team of athletes marched out together carrying the unification flag as the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, watched from the stands near Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North Korean leader.
No Russian flag in the parade of nations.
The absence of the Russian flag is part of the punishment for Russia’s state-backed doping program at the Olympics four years ago. But the Russians still have a robust team of more than 160. The Olympic flag was carried by a volunteer instead of an Russian athlete.
Team USA Walks Out to “Gangnam Style.”
At 242 strong, the American contingent is the largest ever for any country at any Winter Game. The U.S. also got the chance to walk out to “Gangnam Style,” by far the most successful Korean pop song ever.
Pita Taufatofua, the One-man Tongan Team Wowed the Crowds–Again.
He caused a stir at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he was a taekwondo athlete, by carrying the flag shirtless and greased up—And he’s done it again, this time in the face of frigid temperatures—to the roar of the crowds.
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