Iciness Olympics ceremony sees historical handshake

The Twenty 1/Three Iciness Olympic Video games are discipline to formally kick off with the hole ceremony on the South Korean city of Pyeongchang.

Spectators, athletes and officials were welcomed to the chiming of bells as a ceremony titled « Peace in Motion » got underneath manner within the 35,000-seated Pyeongchang Olympic stadium.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s youthful sister, Kim Yo Jong, who landed on the Incheon airport of Friday, became once viewed shaking palms with South Korean President Moon Jae-in within the course of the hole ceremony.

In a rare listing of team spirit, athletes from South and North Korea will march collectively underneath a « unification flag ». 

Earlier, a high-level North Korean delegation, led by Kim’s sister arrived for a three-day confer with.

Loud cheers greeted the South and North Korean groups, as they marched collectively on the hole ceremonies on Friday [AP]

For the subsequent 17 days, an estimated 2,952 athletes from 92 countries will probably be competing for Olympic medals in 102 events across 15 a type of sports activities.

Some carrying events, deal with curling and ski jumping, started on Thursday.

Al Jazeera’s Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from the South Korean city of Gangneung acknowledged: « Right here’s South Korea’s moment within the international spotlight. »

‘Peace Olympics’

Right here’s the predominant time South Korea is web web situation hosting the Iciness Olympics and it is the country’s second Olympic event after the 1988 Summer Video games in Seoul. 

Residents suggested Al Jazeera that they are proud and angry to be web web situation hosting the Olympics over again.

Many feel the Pyeongchang Video games are a « honest alternative to promote South Korea ». 

Broad cheers within the stadium on the PyeongChang Iciness Olympics opening ceremony when the unified Korean personnel – simply known as “Korea” in French, English and Korean – entered pic.twitter.com/FHZRz1S4V7

— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 9, 2018

« I’m hoping that with North Korean athletes’ participation right here can be a Peace Olympics. And I’m hoping we are in a position to hang reunification between the South and the North, » one spectator in Gangneung suggested Al Jazeera. 

One other acknowledged: « No topic North Korea’s participation, the Olympics must be a competition. »

There became once an apparent thaw in relatives between North and South Korea in fresh weeks.

The 2 neighbours resumed unpleasant-border talks final month.

In what became once described as a predominant diplomatic breakthrough, North Korea acknowledged it would possibly most certainly ship a delegation of athletes and performers to the Pyeongchang Iciness Olympics in South Korea.

North Korea staged a somewhat toned down defense pressure parade to impress the Seventieth anniversary of its armed forces in its capital on Thursday.

Russians lose charm

A final-minute charm by forty one Russian athletes and coaches to gather part within the games became once rejected by the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport on Friday.

The Russians appealed in opposition to their exclusion by the World Olympic Committee, over the 2014 doping scandal on the Sochi Video games.

Within the meantime, almost a hundred and seventy Russian athletes have been cleared to compete, nevertheless since their country is banned, they are going to be flying a neutral Olympic flag.

The games, which cost an estimated $12.5bn, will disappear from February 9 to 25.