7 to Watch: Opening Ceremony, VR and Gold

Temperatures are likely to be 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. Twenty-two North Korean athletes will participate and bring along 230 cheerleaders, 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. 1. Opening Ceremony Expresses Hopes for Peace Competition has already begun in curling, luge and a few other sports in Pyeongchang, but the 2018 Winter Games got off to their spectacular start with the opening ceremony, which will be televised on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. Expect the showiness, glitter and splendor of past Olympic productions wrapped around a theme of peace.The ceremony reveals the pain of the divided Koreas but also their people’s hope for peace, according to organizers. The director of the opening ceremony, Yang Jung-woong, describes it as a winter fairy tale seen as a dream in which children find peace through adventure.”Peace is the most important message, as we are the only divided country in the world,” said Song Seung-whan, the general director of the opening and closing ceremonies, according to Nikkei Asian Review. “We want to let the world know about the pain of division and our desire for peace.”For the Koreas, unity was the motif. Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, an increasingly influential figure, is the first member of North Korea’s ruling family to visit the South and she sat in the VIP section. She shook hands with the South Korean president Moon Jae-in while they watched the elaborate show.But it was a different story for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who attended with his wife, Karen. He did not interact with Kim Yo Jong, nor did he stand when the unified Korean team entered the stadium to cheers. And accompanying Pence in South Korea is Fred Warmer, the father of Otto Warmbier, the American student who died after he was imprisoned in North Korea and returned home in a coma.Early in the ceremony, a puppet tiger danced with children through mountains. During the Parade of Nations, countries entered the stadium to K-Pop music — the United States entering to Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Tonga’s flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua, once again appeared shirtless and oiled up, as he had in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. Later, a group of Korean musicians sang a cover version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”Watch live on NBC 7 at 5 p.m. PT, or on digital platforms at this link.2. 2016 Shirtless Tongan’s Plan to Bundle UpAt the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua blew up the internet after marching in the Opening Ceremony in his traditional ta’ovala, and nothing but. With weather reports in PyeongChang predicting temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit for the Opening Ceremony, Taufatofua said he won’t be reprising his show-stopping attire at these Olympics.”I want to still be alive for my race. It’s going to be freezing, so I will be keeping nice and warm,” he said according to a PyeongChang 2018 media release.As for Team USA, athletes wore Polo Ralph Lauren-designed techwear. The innovative red, white and blue down parkas are embedded with wearable heating technology, giving athletes a jolt of toasty warm at the touch of a button.They were paired with a USA-themed navy bandanna, brown suede gloves with fringe and beading and brown suede mountaineering boots with red laces.3. Opening Ceremony Stars: South Korea’s Yuna Kim, U.S.’s Erin HamlenThe 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.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.Her moment also came with controversy. She won the honor over speedster Shani Davis – he claimed by a coin toss. “@TeamUSA dishonorably tossed a coin to decide its 2018 flag bearer. No problem. I can wait until 2022. #BlackHistoryMonth2018,” Davis tweeted.Davis was not scheduled to attend the ceremony.Watch live on NBC 7 at 5 p.m. PT, or on digital platforms at this link. 4. Teenagers Represent U.S. in Slopestyle SnowboardingCanadian and Norwegian snowboarders are the favorites in both men’s slopestyle and big air snowboarding, but two first-time Olympians should give the U.S. a chance: teenagers Chris Corning and Red Gerard.Corning, 18, ranked 14th in slopestyle in the 2016-17 World Snowboarding Tour. His quick rise began the previous season. Gerard, at 17, could become the youngest American snowboarder to win a medal. He is two months younger than Chloe Kim, the favorite in women’s halfpipe.At the last Winter Games, Ryan Stassel finished 14th in slopestyle.Other top riders to watch: Canadians Mark McMorris, who competes in Pyeongchang about a year after surviving a terrible snowboarding accident that left him hospitalized, and Max Parrot, known for new tricks, as well as top Norwegian contender Marcus Kleveland.Watch live on NBC 7 at 5 p.m. PT, or on digital platforms at this link.5. A Unified Korean Team Takes the IceA preliminary women’s hockey match features a unified team from North and South Korea versus Switzerland at 4 a.m. PT Saturday. 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 compete in any game.Watch live on NBC 7 at 4 a.m. PT Saturday or on digital platforms at this link. 6. And the Gold Goes to…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 PT Saturday.Watch coverage beginning at 10 a.m. PT Saturday on NBC 7 or at 3:15 a.m. PT live on digital platforms at this link.Women’s cross-country skiing, 7.5-kilometer plus 7.5-kilometer skiathlonWatch live at NBCSN at 11:15 p.m. PT Friday or on digital platforms at this link. Women’s speed skating, 3,000 meters at 3 a.m. Saturday PT. Watch on digital platforms at this link. Men’s short-track speed skating, 1,500 meters. Watch live on NBCSN at 2 a.m. PT Saturday or on digital platforms at this link.Men’s ski jumping, normal hill will be live at NBCSN at 4:35 a.m. PT Saturday or on digital platforms at this link.7. How Virtual Reality Will Play a RoleVirtual reality and immersive media are going to be a cornerstone of Intel’s  initiatives at the Winter Olympics.David Aufhauser, Managing Director of Intel Sports and his team are producing at least 30 events as completely immersive experiences.”All of the content that we are producing and all of the experiences we are producing are under the NBC Sports brand,” Aufhauser said. “All of that content will be available under NBC Sports VR.” For fans just learning how to VR, and those who may not have a headset, can take advantage of the content on their mobile phone. Check out the podcast here.Photo Credit: Lee Jin-man/AP This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Source: NBC San Diego