Olympic pin trading, a competition of its own!

• What's up with trading Olympic pins? 
• Why do spectators and athletes become excited when receiving a new and unusual pin?
• Why do some wait in line to view vendor product demonstrations with the expectation of a pin reward?

Staff and volunteers decorate lanyards holding accreditation cards with colorful enamel pins. Each pin tells a story of an encounter with a guest from another country, conversation with an athlete or chance encounter in the canteen. I brought several bags of USA flag pins and have enjoyed giving these away, especially to children and young adults who approach me to practice English language skills! 

According to Kyle Vanhemert of wired.com, "Pin trading dates to the dawn of the modern Olympics, when three designs were produced for the 1896 Games: One for judges, one for athletes, and one for officials. Production skyrocketed with the 1936 Games in Berlin; the Nazis manufactured them in the millions as tiny propaganda pieces.

In the years since, pins have become highly collectible. Nearly every country competing arrives with boxes of them, and some produce unique pins for individual sports...The International Olympic Committee offers its own dignified designs, and of course sponsors hand pins of their own to anyone who asks."

Some of my favorite pins acquired during the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games are: a Romanian Paralympic Team pin given by an athlete, lion-headed pin from GBR Paralympics, happy Bandabi mascot received from an art and tourism volunteer, and "119" (known in the US as 9-1-1) pin from an EMS tech, who was stationed nearby our volunteer team during Opening Ceremonies. Can't wait to get some new pins before the end of the Games! 

Celebrating accomplished para-athletes during Winter Games

PyeongChang, ROK - 14 March, 2018

During the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics, teammates, spectators, volunteers and media mingle in Olympic Park during evening medals ceremonies. This is a great opportunity to meet exceptional athletes and acknowledge their achievements! As flags are raised, the national anthem plays for the Gold medalist and spectators show respect.

Cross-country skiing is challenging. Imagine excelling at this sport with a visual impairment! We felt in awe of the medalists of the Women's 1.5km Sprint Classic - Visually Impaired:
Sviatlana SAKHANENKA of Belarus (Gold) with a time of 4:29.9, Mikhalina LYSOVA of Neutral Paralympic Athletes (Silver) with a time of 4:44.0, and Oksana SHYSHKOVA of Ukraine (Bronze) with a time of 4:45.6. Oksana graciously agreed to meet with our group briefly to receive personal congratulations.

We applauded Gold Medalist Andrew SOULE of USA, Silver Medalist Dzmitry LOBAN of Belarus, and Bronze Medalist Daniel CNOSSEN of USA, winners of the Men's 1.1km Sprint Sitting.

Our group of volunteers also celebrated winners of the Men's 1.5km Sprint Classic Final, Standing: Alexandr KOLYADIN of Kazakhstan (Gold), Yoshihiro NITTA of Japan (Silver), and Mark ARENDZ of Canada (Bronze). One member of our Team hails from Kazakhstan and was thrilled to spend time with her countrymen!

Daniel CNOSSEN of Team USA, Bronze Medalist, 1.1km Sprint Sitting

Andrew SOULE, Gold Medalist of Team USA, 1.1km Sitting Sprint

CNOSSEN, SOULE and Dzmitry LOBAN of Belarus, Silver Medalist

Team Australia poses with smiling volunteer!

Following medals ceremonies, live musical presentation and fireworks cap off the evening.
The weather has dramatically changed from -1C earlier this week to +11C and rain today. We have changed from wearing snow suits to removing warmer layers. Several sport events (Para Alpine Skiing Men's and Women's Slalom) will be rescheduled due to weather.

Curling competitions in Gangneung

Joined colleagues from Great Britian, USA and Korea on 12 and 13 March, 2018 to cheer on our curling teams striving for Gold. Support from a hometown crowd for Team Korea charged the arena with energy!

It takes much effort to push a smooth stone down the sheet (field of play) from a wheelchair, while planning your strategy to knock opponents' stones away from the tee and home (center circle). Team mates hold the back of the wheelchair to prevent forward movement. There is no sweeping in wheelchair curling, but many instances of lost points due to well-placed stones!

We enjoyed meeting a spirited older fan wrapped in the flag of the Republic of Korea and wearing hundreds of trading pins. He shared a video clip of himself as one of the Olympic torch bearers.

12 March results, Mixed Round Robin Session 6:

KOR bested CAN 7 - 5
SVK 8 vs SWE 3
NOR 6 vs NPA (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) 2
CHN 6 vs FIN 4
GER 7 vs SVK 6
CHN 8 vs SUI 2
FIN 8 vs USA 5
GBR 6 vs SWE 1
NOR 6 vs SUI 3
NPA 6 vs USA 4
GBR 8 vs CAN 1
GER 4 vs KOR 3

13 March results, Mixed Round Robin Session 9:

KOR 11 vs FIN 3
SWE 5 vs NOR 4
NPA 7 vs SVK 5
CAN 8 vs CHN 5
CHN 6 vs USA 4
SVK 6 vs GBR 5
SWE 9 vs GER 5
SUI 10 vs FIN 7
NPA 8 vs GBR 2
CAN 6 vs USA 5
KOR 6 vs SUI 5
NOR 8 vs GER 6

See also 14-02-2018 Blogger post, "Intro to Curling as a Winter Sport" to learn how game is played. 

Korean cheerleaders bring positive spirit to Paralympic competition

As warm-up to the Opening Ceremonies, male and female cheerleaders rallied the crowd to feel excited about the main event. During the lengthy parade of Paralympians, brightly colored cheer dancers welcomed athletes and coaches as they traveled the perimeter of Olympic Stadium. 

Prior to Men's and Women's Seated Cross-Country Skiing yesterday, cheerleaders and synchronized dancers from the Korean Army opened the event. Spectators enthusiastically greeted the cheerleaders who were not daunted by brisk 1 degree Celsius weather! (View video below)

My favorite spirited group of four appeared before and during the sledge hockey game between Team USA and Czech Republic on Monday, March 12. Nimble folk dancers with hand drums and colorful costumes delighted us during pre-game warm-up and then appeared each time a goal was scored by Team USA. 

According to TraditionsCustoms.com, "Pungmul (p'ungmul) is a traditional Korean music style. Each performance includes tens of dancers, drummers and singers. In the beginning pungmul was performed by farmers during everyday events or in shamanistic rites. Nowadays it can be seen at various public events like for example Incheon Bupyeong Pungmul Festival."   (View video below)

Cross Country Skiing in Alpensia

I had the privilege of attending Cross-Country Skiing, Men's 15km seated and Women's 12km seated on Sunday, March 11 at Alpensia Biathalon Centre. This sporting event was thrilling to watch as skiiers strived for excellence, changing position with best times. According to the International Paralympic Committee, "competitions are open to athletes with a physical impairment and blindness/vision impairment. Depending on his or her functional impairment, a competitor may or may not use a sit-ski, a chair equipped with a pair of skis. Athletes with vision impairment compete in the event with a sighted guide."

View para-cross country skiing (IPC YouTube)

Regarding Men's 15km Sitting, host Nation South Korea earned bronze represented by hometown favorite SIN Eui Hyun. The U.S. and Daniel CNOSSEN earned the Silver medal and Maksym YAROVYI of Ukraine earned Gold. 

Biathalon Centre in Alpensia, site of Cross-Country Skiing today

Para-cross-country skiiers at the mark awaiting starting signal

Consider the upper body strength required to propel
oneself through wet snow!

Since skiiers start at different times, it is not the first who crosses the finish line,
but the FASTEST who earn medals!

Fans are ready despite -1C weather!

Who is that behind the Foster Grants?

The Korean unification flag is a popular novelty with all fans

Canadian athletes root for a teammate

Bandabi helps us to celebrate the victory of Daniel Cnossen of Team USA!

Gold, Silver and Bronze medalists receive fan applause

Women skiiers climbing slippery hill on
the challenging course

Enthusiastic athletes and families cheer for Republic of Kazakhstan
and also other paralympians!

First finishers of Womens 12km seated cross-country

Athletes from Norway enjoy the competition

Winners of the Women's 12km Sitting were Kendall GRETSCH of the U.S., who earned Gold, Andrea ESKAU of Germany earning Silver, and Oksana MASTERS, who received the Bronze medal for the U.S. 

Women medalists enjoy celebration following a tough race

Today, I look forward to ice hockey mixed preliminary round, USA vs. Czech Republic, at Gangneung Hockey Centre.

10:00	Alpensia Biathlon Centre		Men's 15km, Sitting UKR Maksym YAROVYI (LW10)  USA Daniel CNOSSEN (LW12)  KOR SIN Eui Hyun (LW12)		Finished
11:15	Alpensia Biathlon Centre		Women's 12km, Sitting USA Kendall GRETSCH (LW11.5)  GER Andrea ESKAU (LW11)  USA Oksana MASTERS (LW12)