The Winter Olympics officially started in South Korea with a spectacular fireworks-and-ice opening ceremony that included a historic meeting.
Temperatures were frigid but relations between the two Koreas are thawing, at least temporarily, as the Winter Olympics officially start in South Korea with the opening ceremony at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium. The two Koreas will field a joint women’s ice hockey team and the athletes will march in the opening ceremony under one flag. If political tensions have eased, anxiety has broken out on another front: security guards have been hospitalized with norovirus and military personnel have had to move to handle security.
But anticipation among athletes is building in the stadiums, on the ski slopes and on the bobsled and skeleton courses. As the Games get underway, here’s what you need to watch.
Here are our four events to watch:
1. Spectacular Start: The Opening Ceremony
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Competition has already begun in curling, luge, team figure skating and a few other sports in Pyeongchang, but the 2018 Winter Games got off to their official start during the opening ceremony. There was the showiness, glitter and splendor of past Olympic productions wrapped around a theme of peace.
Luger Erin Hamlin led the U.S. contingent. The 31-year-old from New York, competing in her fourth and likely last Olympics, was named the team’s flag bearer on Wednesday. She won a bronze medal in singles luge in Sochi, the first American to ever medal in the event.
2. Opening Ceremony Star: South Korea’s Yuna Kim
The highlight of the ceremony remained a secret until the end: the final torch bearer to the light of Olympic cauldron was revealed to be Yuna Kim, a retired figure skater and South Korean superstar. Kim became the first South Korean to win a gold medal in figure skating at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Four years later in Sochi, hoping to become only the third woman to defend her gold medal, she placed second behind Russian Adelina Sotnikova.
Kim retired from competition and became a goodwill ambassador to promote the Pyeongchang Olympics.
Erin Hamlin's opening ceremony moment also came with controversy. She won the honor over speedster Shani Davis with a coin toss. On Twitter, Davis said "@TeamUSA dishonorably tossed a coin to decide its 2018 flag bearer. No problem. I can wait until 2022. #BlackHistoryMonth2018"
3. Teen Hope for U.S. in Slopestyle Snowboarding
The men's snowboard slopestyle final is set up to be a clash of superpowers, as Canada and Norway — the two strongest countries in this event — both qualified their full roster of four riders.
But there is one young American who could upset the balance of power, 17-year-old Red Gerard. He was the solo U.S. athlete to qualify for the final.
Canadians Max Parrot and Mark McMorris, two of the top favorites, both posted huge scores on their second runs to finish 1-2 out of the second group.
![[CSNBY] Raiders snap count: Not much room for Obi Melifonwu right now](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2019/09/corning-gerard.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=218%2C123)
4. A Unified Korean Team Takes the Ice
A preliminary women’s hockey match features a unified team from North and South Korea versus Switzerland at 4 a.m. It will be the first time that the two Koreas have competed together at the Olympic Games. The team is made up of 12 North Koreans and 23 South Koreans; 22 players will can compete in any game.
Watch live on USA at 4 a.m. Saturday or on digital platforms.
Looking Ahead: More Saturday Action
Who will win Pyeongchang’s first gold medal? Medals will be awarded in five events on Saturday in South Korea, including events in biathlon, cross country, speed skating, short-track speed skating and ski jump. But don’t be disappointed if the Star Spangled Banner isn’t playing in Pyeongchang on Saturday. Americans aren’t the favorite in any of these events.
Women’s biathlon, women’s 7.5 kilometer sprint at 3:15 a.m Saturday: Watch coverage on NBC beginning at 10 a.m. PT Saturday on NBC4 or LIVE at 6:15 a.m. on our digital platforms.
Women’s cross-country skiing, 7.5 kilometer plus 7.5 kilometer skiathlon: Watch LIVE on NBCSN at 11:15 p.m. PT Friday or on our digital platforms.
Women’s speed skating, 3,000 meters: At 3 a.m., watch on our digital platforms.
Men’s short-track speed skating, 1,500 meters: Watch LIVE on NBCSN at 2 a.m. PT Saturday or on our digital platforms.
Men’s ski jumping, normal hill: Watch LIVE at NBCSN at 4:35 a.m. PT Saturday or on our digital platforms.
