The World Competes

Tomorrow’s the day! Are you excited?

Athletes are starting to get some practice runs in, and final preparations are being made for the opening ceremonies.

The ski slopes were closed down partway through the day yesterday due to fog. I suppose that it’s better than being rained out. American skier Will Brandenberg tweeted “I’m bummed. I wanted to go so bad. But, maybe tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day.” While the slopes were closed down, a lynx wandered onto the slopes.

Lindsey Vonn, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s
Olympic preview issue, has a severely bruised shin, and might not be able to compete in the Olympics. She’s a fighter though; let’s hope she gets better soon.

North and South Korea will not be marching together during tomorrow’s opening ceremonies; they could not work out their differenced in time. They marched together in 2000, 2004, and 2006; they did not march together in 2008 either. North Korea will have two athletes in the Olympics, while South Korea has 46.

The United States has announced that Mark Grimmette will carry the US flag during the opening ceremonies tomorrow. Grimmette is a luger who made his Olympic debut at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. He is only one of three five-time Olympians to compete for the US this year (the other two are nordic combined’s Todd Lodwick and ski cross’s Casey Puckett).