16 things that defined the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony

At long last, the 2018 Winter Olympics are officially underway in Pyeonghang, South Korea. The opening ceremony — whether you watched live version or the tape-delayed broadcast — is in the books. It is LIT. And by “it” we, of course, mean the Olympic caldron.

Yes, there had definitely been action in Pyeongchang before Friday. You may have spotted a U.S. curler who looked alarmingly like Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid or already heard NBC figure skating commentator Johnny Weir perfectly roast a performance. But, fellow Olympianthusiasts, we know very well that no games truly begin until the Olympic flame burns brightly and the parade of nations concludes.

Before we get on to the moguls and the 102 medal events stretching until Feb. 25, let’s look back at the most delightful, moving and significant moments from a memorable night.

After traversing the country on a 101-day journey, the torch relay is finally over. The flame was carried up a steep set of stairs and delivered to South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim, who won a gold medal in 2010 and silver in 2014. She had the honor of lighting the caldron — and the daunting task of skating on a small sheet of ice high above the crowd.

In a moment not unprecedented but no less insignificant (no matter how you want to parse that significance), athletes from South Korea and North Korea entered the stadium together under a united flag depicting the Korean peninsula.

Politics are never far from sports, and that is certainly the case with the Olympics. A pair of impersonators — one portraying U.S. President Donald Trump and another representing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un — drew some attention at the ceremony.

Led by flag bearer Erin Hamlin, a luge competitor in her fourth Olympics, the U.S. contingent entered the stadium with a record-setting 242 athletes, the most ever for a nation at a Winter Olympics.

As the U.S. delegation entered the stadium, the international K-pop hit by South Korea’s Psy was playing:

Despite the frigid temperatures in Pyeongchang, Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua was out there without a shirt. The well-oiled star of the Rio Olympics, famous for his show-stealing flag bearing at the 2016 opening ceremony, is competing as a cross-country skier in 2018.

The centerpiece of the opening ceremony, the parade of nations included contingents from the approximately 90 participating countries, each adorned in special gear and led by a flag bearer. Greece led the way, as always.

Athletes from Russia entered the stadium under the Olympic flag due to a massive doping scandal that led the IOC to bar the nation from competing in the Olympics.

From Cyd Zeigler of Outsports:

NBC failed to mention or highlight a single out LGBTQ athlete in its three hours of Opening Ceremony coverage Friday night. They also failed to take various opportunities to mention any gay or lesbian people, LGBTQ issues or any other connection to the LGBTQ community whatsoever.

Police were investigating the incident involving an intruder sliding down an icy chute to reach the performers, according to AFP.

South Korean producer Song Seung-whan was the executive creative director of the opening ceremony. You may know him from the musical Nanta (also known as Cookin’ or Cookin’ Nanta), a nonverbal performance that debuted in 1997. That show mixed comedy, music, cooking and traditional Korean samul nori rhythm. The narrative of his opening ceremony followed the fairy-tale adventures of five children through time to learn about South Korea’s history and culture.

After a countdown in the stadium, fireworks illuminated the sky over Pyeongchang to get the opening ceremony started. They flashed and sizzled above the chilled crowd again to close the festivities.