As political tensions on the Korean Peninsula mount, a different type story will sweep through the area. The Winter Olympics are coming to Pyeongchang, a city in South Korea, and for the first time in decades, North Korea will be joining them. The two nations recently agreed to groundbreaking diplomatic agreement that will allow North Korea to participate. The two nations will march in the ceremony together in an act of solidarity, and will both carry a blue and white unification flag. Such an agreement eases the concerns of North Korean meddling in the Olympic games, a large concern for most of those attending.
In years past North Korea had taken terrorist action against international events in South Korea, blowing up a plane and killing over 100 victims. However, such an event has never occured when North Korea was invited. While many experts believe that their inclusion curbs such a threat, not all are as optimistic. “North Korea will cause trouble one way or another in order to interrupt the successful completion of the Games,” said Yoo Dong-ryul, the head of the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy in Seoul. “In all the years the Kim dynasty has been in power, North Korea has never once properly cooperated with South Korea.”
North Korea is not the only presiding concern surrounding the games However, as Russia’s doping scandal continues to receive publicity. Athletes from Russia had to apply for exemption from the state-wide ban, and only 169 athletes, down from the previous 232, qualified to compete.
The US, however, are poised to shine, with a slew of prominent athletes well positioned to perform on the world stage.
In the slalom event, Mikaela Shiffrin looks to continue her dominance. Shiffrin won a gold medal back in 2014, and has since established herself as the class of the event, winning both the 2015 and 2017 World Championships. Bode Miller, an Olympic medalist and analyst for the upcoming games, confirms her dominance. “Mikaela’s the best I’ve ever seen, male or female, in a few different categories,” he stated. “She can do whatever she wants.”
Lindsey Vonn joins Shiffrin on the slopes as she looks to add to her Olympic bronze and Gold medals. With four World Cup titles and numerous international medals, Vonn remains the United States’ most successful skier. However, she has battled with injury this season, and at 33 may struggle, but with her experience and pedigree still remains a threat to win the downhill or Super-G events.
Shaun White joins Lindsey Vonn as an elderly icon on the team. Arguably the most well known athlete in the Winter Olympics, White struggled to even make the team. However, in his final qualifying round, he achieved a perfect 100 score. His impressive performance in the halfpipe leads analysts to believe that he may have one final shot to earn his third gold medal.
Beyond the renowned stars who will garner the most attention, the U.S team as a whole finds itself in a solid position to continue its success. At Sochi in 2014, the U.S won 28 medals, seven of which were gold, finishing in fourth place in the standings. This year, analysts predict they will finish third, with an estimated 10 gold medals and 29 total.
The opening ceremony begins on February 9th and continues until the 25th. With the threat of North Korea, the scandal-clad Russian athletes, and a rising US team, the Winter Games promise to be nothing if not entertaining.
