The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games began its 17-day run on February 7 in Sochi, Russia. The opening ceremony was held in the Fisht Olympic Stadium under the slogan “Hot, Cool, Yours,” with pageantry, speeches, dance and a light show, all based on a Russian epic.

The opening ceremony began with an introduction to Russian history and to the country’s most famous people with a showcase of various visual effects. The people featured included Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer of “Swan Lake,” Russia’s leading abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky, well-known short story author Anton Chekhov, Russian-born French painter Marc Chagall and Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin, considered to be the greatest Russian poet and who wrote “What Though Life Conspire to Cheat You.”




Unlike at previous Olympic opening ceremonies, in Sochi the athletes from each of the 88 countries, led by the Greek national team, entered the venue from the center of the stage. Korea was the 60th country to enter the venue, according to Cyrillic alphabetical order. Team Korea waved to the crowds as it was led into the stadium by Lee Kyou-hyuk, speed skater and bearer of the Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his spouse stood up and gave a standing ovation to the athletes.



The lighting of the Olympic flame was the highlight of the opening ceremony, and the torch itself was unveiled in the final moments. The flame was supported by five Russian sports stars: well-known figure skater Irina Rodnina, ice hockey hero Vladislav Tretiak, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, wrestler Aleksandr Karelin and winning rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Together, they lit the flame while receiving cheers from the audience and performers alike.

The torch created a sensation throughout its relay, since being lit in Greece last September. About 14,000 people held the torch as it passed through the Arctic Ocean, Lake Baikal and even a space station.

By Jeon Han, Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr