The Day of `Snow and Ice Festival` Has Come

The `World of Snow and Ice` finally unfolds.

2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics will hold the opening ceremony at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium at 10 a.m. on the 9th (Korean time), and begin its 17-day competition. It will mark the largest Winter Olympics ever, as 3500 athletes and staff personnel from 80 nations are to participate. 9000 press personnel will be involved to broadcast the Olympics on television at 160 nations in 50 different languages.

2600 athletes will represent their countries in 7 events, such as skating and skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, ice hockey, luge, and curling. They are to compete for 477 medals (78 gold medals) in total.

Korea sent its largest number of athletes ever, 76 personnel (48 athletes), and is aiming to enter the top 10 positions for 4 times in a row with 3 gold medals. Korea’s Short Track is seeking gold medals in men’s 1500m and 5000m relay, and women’s 3000m relay, with the world’s first ranker, also 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics 1000m gold medallist, Kim Dong-Sung (Korea Univ.) at its front. Lee Kyu-Hyuk (Chunchon City Office) and Choi Jae-Bong (Dankuk Univ.) are seeking medals in the men’s 1000m speed skating event.

As Salt Lake City Winter Olympics is the first major event in the U.S. after the 9.11 terror attack, the security has become the center of attention.

The supreme highlight of the Olympics is the opening ceremony, which 3.5 billion people will watch globally. Don Mischer, who also participated in the opening ceremony of 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, is taking full charge of producing the ceremony that is currently covered under veil for maximum effect. British pop singer Sting and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be performing on stage, and 5000 performers will make the event an exciting festival. Producer Don Mischer said, "Since it’s the first international event after the war on terror, people will especially feel deeper affection."

U.S. President George W. Bush is to attend the opening ceremony, and all flights will be banned in Salt Lake City for 4 hours in prevention of terror threats.

Korea failed to have another South-North joint entrance after 2000 Sydney Olympics, as North Korea decided not to participate. Hur Seung-Wook (A&A- Alpine Ski), who is marking his 5th consecutive participation in Winter Olympics, will carry the national flag in the front.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com