Winter Olympics declared open
Posted February 7, 2014 9:10 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SOCHI, Russia (NEWS1130) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared the Winter Olympics open at a superlative-filled opening ceremony in Sochi.
Canada’s flag-bearer Hayley Wickenheiser took Sidney Crosby’s advice. The women’s hockey star carried the Maple Leaf high and didn’t trip as she led Canada’s largest-ever Winter Olympic team into the opening ceremonies of the Sochi Games.
Representatives of Canada’s 220-athlete team looked sharp in red and black coats and toques designed by Hudson’s Bay.
Not all of Canada’s athletes marched into Fisht Olympic Stadium.
Crosby and the men’s hockey team haven’t arrived yet, figure skaters are in the middle of the team competition and skiers and sliders are staying too far away from the host city.
Canada came in halfway through the athlete’s march, which was organized by the Cyrillic alphabet used in Russia.
The opening ceremony kicked off with an alphabetical rundown of Russia’s greatest figures and achievements, including author Anton Chekov, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and the Sputnik 1 satellite.
The opening montage was followed by a musical number that represented the geographical vastness and multicultural makeup of the host nation.
There appeared to be a small glitch when four snowflakes turned into Olympic rings, but a fifth didn’t make the transformation.
