Opening Ceremony Top Moments: Shirtless Flagbearer, Trump Impersonator and More
Tongan athlete Pita Taufatofua wore only a grass skirt and necklace, his torso covered in oil, despite the midwinter cold
By Noreen O'Donnell and Asher Klein ••
The Winter Olympics got off to an official start with an opening ceremony meant to tell the story not of North or South Korea but of the Korean peninsula as a whole.
Here are some key moments of the celebration featuring Korean pop songs, enthusiastic athletes and flashes of politics:
SHIRTLESS IN SOUTH KOREA He said he wouldn't, but he did.
Pita Taufatofua, the Olympic athlete from Tonga whose shirtless entrance into the Rio Olympics made him an instant star, capped off an improbable trip to the Winter Olympics with another shirtless moment.
The taekwondo athlete turned cross-country skier had said in a Pyeongchang 2018 news release that he would be bundling up for the opening ceremony: "I want to still be alive for my race. It's going to be freezing, so I will be keeping nice and warm."
But when Tonga's turn came at the parade of nations, there was Taufatofua wearing only a grass skirt and necklace, his torso covered in oil, despite the midwinter cold.
"I won't freeze. I am from Tonga. We sailed across the Pacific. This is nothing," he told the Olympic news service, according to The Associated Press. "It's a little bit warmer being in Rio than in here ... but anytime you get to represent your country is a good time."
EFE
Fireworks explode outside the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Getty
Kim Yu-na, South Korean Figure Skater lights the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Jamie Squire/Getty
The Olympic cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
NBC
The Olympic torch ignites the cauldron for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.
Getty
The Olympic torch is carried to the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
PA Images via Getty
A general view of the South Korea and Olympic flags during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea.
Sean Haffey/AP
The Olympic flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
The South Korean delegation parades during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Richard Heathcote/Getty
A general view during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Matthias Hangst/Getty
Musicicans, In-Kown Jeon, Eun-mi Lee, Hyun-woo Ha and Ji-yeong An perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images
The Unified Korea delegation parades during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty
A general view as performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Quinn Rooney/Getty
Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Quinn Rooney/Getty
Perfomers during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Getty
Vice President Mike Pence, bottom right, speaks with second lady Karen Pence at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Behind Pence are Kim Yong Nam, second from top right, president of the Presidium of North Korean Parliament, and Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty
South Korean President Moon Jae (C) shakes hands North Korea's Kim Yo-jong (sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) with during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea.
Ronald Martinez/Getty
Members of Republic of Korea team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Jae C. Hong/AP
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, front left, first lady Kim Jung-sook, Kim Yong Nam, the 90-year-old president of the Presidium of the North's Parliament, second from left in the back, and Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong, right, wave when the combined team came in during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Julie Jacobson/AP
North Korea's Hwang Chung Gum and South Korea's Won Yun-jong walk onto the stage during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Matthias Hangst/Getty
Flag bearers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty
Flag bearer Tucker Murphy of Bermuda and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Franck Fife/AP
Athletes of the United States arrive during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Sean Haffey/AP
Erin Hamlin carries the flag of the United States during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Patrick Semansky/AP
Vice President Mike Pence, bottom, watches the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Seated behind Pence are Kim Yo Jong, top right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of North Korean Parliament, second from right.
Ronald Martinez/Getty
Flag bearer Lucas Eguibar of Spain leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Maddie Meyer/Getty
Flag bearer Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty
Flag bearer German Madrazo of Mexico and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Matthias Hangst/Getty
Performers entertain the fans during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Vadim Ghirda/AP
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
EFE
Fireworks explode outside the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images
Participants perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Ronald Martinez/Getty
The South Korean flag is carried into the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
AP
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, left, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in as his wife Kim Jung-sook stands second from right near Kim Yo Jong, far right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's nominal head of state, third from right, during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Sean Haffey/AP
Performers make the Republic of Korea flag during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images
Actors perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images
Actors perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Jamie Squire/Getty
White Tiger & Five Kids perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
People arrive at the Olympic Stadium ahead of the opening ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Matthias Schrader/AP
Members of the North Korean delegation sit before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Matthias Schrader/AP
Members of the North Korean delegation sit before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Bloomberg via Getty
Security personnel stand guard at the Pyeongchang Olympic Plaza ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in the Hoenggye-ri village area of Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, South Korea, on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. South Korea will host the games this week in the alpine resort town of Pyeongchang with 2,925 registered athletes -- the largest number ever at an Olympic Winter Games -- from 92 national committees.
Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
Members of the North Korean cheering band wave ahead of the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018.
Taufatofua is the second Tongan at a Winter Olympics, following luger Bruno Banani's appearance at the Sochi Games in 2014.
KOREAS, BRIEFLY UNIFIED In a historic show of unity, the younger sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, shook hands with the South Korean president Moon Jae-in as they watched the celebration.
But when the unified Korean team entered the Olympic stadium under one flag, everyone in the VIP box stood except U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, Washington Post reporter Ann Fifield tweeted.
Elsewhere in the Olympic Stadium, impersonators of President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un stood side by side, generating plenty of buzz online before they were reportedly ushered out.
ALPHABETICAL ORDER Greece, in keeping with Olympic tradition because it hosted the first modern Games in 1896, began the parade of athletes into Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium.
It was followed by Ghana — whose flagbearer stopped to do a little shimmy — and Nigeria, an order that might have been confusing for some. But the order of the nations is determined by the alphabet of the host nation.
The athletes and were welcomed by cheerleaders wearing hats depicting the Pyeongchang Games’ mascot, the white tiger Soohorang.
BERMUDA IN SHORTS Pita Taufatofua wasn't the only athlete sporting clothes more suitable for the summer: the Bermuda contingent appeared in traditional shorts and blazers.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty
Flag bearer Tucker Murphy of Bermuda and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
The CIA, tweeting along with the ceremony, asked what feature of the Bermuda flag is unique: a beach, a sinking ship, shorts or a pirate. Answer: Not the shorts but the sinking of the Sea Venture in 1609.
A NEW LOOK FOR RUSSIA Among all of the national colors, Russian athletes stood out for their drab grey-and-white uniforms. The 160 or so athletes are competing not as an official delegation but as "Olympic Athletes from Russia."
Russia is being punished for manipulating anti-doping regulations and is banned from the Pyeongchang Games.
A PLEA FOR PEACE Carrying on the theme of peace, the ceremony brought images of doves lit up on the floor of the stadium as Korean stars sang John Lennon’s “Imagine,” with its final lyrics of “I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one.”
CAULDRON-LIGHTING SURPRISE The identity of the person who lights the Olympic cauldron is a closely guarded secret, but as the ceremony came to a close, Yuna Kim, a gold medal-winning figure skater, took her place atop the Olympic Stadium and received the torch from hockey players from the joint Korean team.
Kim won the gold medal at the Vancouver Games in 2010, setting a world record performance and becoming the first female figure skater from South Korea to win Olympic gold.
She was favored to repeat as champion in Sochi, but lost to Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova in controversial fashion — she got a hug from a Russian judge after one of her performances. The International Skating Union rejected complaints from South Korea's skating federation that outcome was "unjust" after an investigation.
Kim retired from figure skating after stepping off the podium in Sochi but has served as an ambassador for the Pyeongchang Games.
