The Olympic Games kicked off on Friday, Feb. 6, in both host locations, Milan and Cortina, Italy. Almost 3,000 athletes from ninety-two delegations witnessed the symbolic tradition of lighting the Olympic cauldrons by Italian Alpine skiers Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni in Milan and Sofia Goggia in Cortina.
At the San Siro Stadium in Milan, the Opening Ceremony featured performances by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, as well as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Other enjoyable highlights included celebrations of Italian art, history, and my personal favorite, lots of colorful dancing moka pots. Obviously, coffee is the most important part of Italian culture.
The ceremony marked the conclusion of the Olympic torch’s journey across Italy, spanning sixty-three days and passing through the hands of 10,001 torchbearers. Among the many notable torchbearers that included former Olympians and prominent Italian athletes were some familiar faces. On Jan. 25, the stars of the new hit Canadian series Heated Rivalry, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, appeared together to bring the flame closer to its final destination. Their characters, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, respectively, played for the Russian and Canadian men’s hockey teams in the fictional Olympic Games in the series. Snoop Dogg carried the flame across Gallarate, Italy, on Feb. 4, sparking international attention.
The inclusion of highly-recognized pop culture figures is aimed at drawing viewers and engagement. Safe to say, it certainly worked. Crowds lined the streets to get glimpses of the stars, as well as participate in the centuries-old tradition of the flame’s journey to the Opening Ceremony.
In the first five days of games, athletes from the United States have won twelve medals: four gold, six silver, and two bronze. The American Olympic Committee sent the largest group of athletes with 232, yet they have earned the third most medals. The most victorious athletes come from Norway and Italy, with thirteen each. It is no surprise that Norway, one of the snowiest countries, has the highest number of gold medals in the Winter Games, at seven.
American alpine skier, Breezy Johnson, won Team USA’s first gold medal on Sunday, Feb. 8. Her win came on the same track, and right after, teammate Lindsey Vonn crashed, fracturing her leg and ending her Olympic chances. This was the second time Vonn had to be airlifted off the track, after she tore her ACL in a practice run the week before.
21-year-old figure skater, Ilia Malinin, helped claim gold for the United States in the team event. Known as the “Quad God” for his astonishing ability to repeatedly land perfect quadruple jumps, Malinin landed a formerly forbidden single-blade backflip. The move was first successfully performed in a competition by French figure skater Surya Bonaly at the 1998 Games, when it was still illegal, yet highly impressive. Bonaly was docked points for the move, despite making history as a successful, Black female figure skater.
Team USA’s other gold medals were won in women’s mogul skiing by Elizabeth Lemley, and in men’s speed skating by Jordan Stolz.
One group to keep an eye on is the U.S. women’s ice hockey team. They beat Team Canada on a Tuesday, Feb. 10 preliminary game in a 5-0 shutout after beating Czechia, Switzerland, and Finland in the previous three games. Defensive player Laila Edwards is the first Black woman to play on Team USA’s women’s ice hockey team, and on Tuesday became the first Black woman to score a goal for Team USA.
The Olympic Games will conclude on Feb. 22, and the Paralympic Games will start on Mar. 6. Make sure to stay tuned for more updates.
