Olympic Opening Ceremonies 2014: Buzz, Speculation, Live Stream for Sochi
It's time to see what Sochi has in store for the rest of the world.
As we saw two summers ago in London, Olympic opening ceremonies only seem to get more and more extravagant with each new Games, and with one of the biggest countries in the world—both in land mass and population—ready to put on a show, that trend figures to continue.
Although the opening ceremony in Russia actually takes place a day after certain qualifications begin and will be aired (skiing, snowboarding and figure skating, per NBCOlympics.com), the spectacle will give a proper introduction to the athletes who will captivate the world over the following two weeks.
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BBC's David Bond gives a look at Fisht Stadium, where the ceremony will be held:
From the Jamaican bobsled team to Mexico's one participant—55-year-old German prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe, who will wear a mariachi-themed uniform in the men's slalom—to Team USA's 230-athlete roster to everything in between, you'll get to see everything the 22nd Winter Olympiad has to offer.
Date: Friday, Feb. 7, 2014
Time: 8:14 p.m. MST (local); 11:14 a.m. ET; 4:14 p.m. GMT
Broadcast Date: Friday, Feb. 7, 2014
Broadcast Time (US): 7:30 p.m. local time
Television Info (US): NBC (schedule)
Broadcast Time (UK): 3:30 p.m. GMT
Television Info (UK): BBC Two (schedule)
Live Stream: There will be no live stream of the opening ceremony in the United States, but BBC subscribers will be able to stream it live at BBC.co.uk.
The Americans' Threads
It has already been revealed what the United States participants will be wearing during the opening ceremony, and let's just say the outfits are patriotic.
NBC Sports' Twitter feed gives us a look:
Though the Ralph Lauren uniforms may look like they were knitted by your grandma, and they are sure to be the butt of several jokes, there won't be any doubt about what country these athletes are representing. The sweaters are covered in red, white and blue, and they were created out of fabric all from the United States.
And that's a bigger deal than you might think.
In 2012, there was controversy when the Americans' opening ceremony threads were made in China, and David Lauren, the company's executive vice president of global advertising, marketing and communications, noted that fixing that was a focal point in 2014, per USA Today's Olivia Barker:
"We've learned a lot. This is an important issue for many Americans and one we have fully embraced, and we want to continue to lead the way and find all kinds of vendors who can produce amazing products made in America.
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The Olympics are all about representing your country, and the Americans will certainly have the visual aspect of that down during the opening ceremony.
Notable Flag Bearers
Carrying your nation's flag during the opening ceremony has always been a prestigious honor, and that will be no different in Sochi.
Alexandr Zubkov will hoist the flag for host-nation Russia. The veteran bobsledder has seven career gold medals at the World Cup Championships, but Olympic gold has eluded him. In 2006, he won silver in the four-man event at Turin, and in 2010, he won bronze in the two-man.
Competing in his fourth Olympic Games, the 39-year-old will participate in both the four-man and two-man events in front of his home country.
For the United States, 37-year-old Todd Lodwick, who will become the first American to compete at six Winter Games, will carry the red, white and blue flag.
He talked about the honor, via TeamUSA.org:
"Being nominated to carry the flag at the Opening Ceremony is one of the greatest honors that has ever been bestowed upon me. I couldn't be more humbled and excited to be selected among all of the great athletes who were vying for this representation. Going into my sixth Olympic Games, it feels like I have already won a medal, and to cap off my career by representing the United States of America and Team USA is truly a privilege.
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When Lodwick competed in his first Games in 1994 at Lillehammer, Mikaela Shiffrin—who now is on the U.S. Olympic ski team with him at Sochi—wasn't even born yet.
So, consider this a lifetime achievement award for the deserving recipient.
Speedskater Jon Eley will serve as Great Britain's flag bearer. He talked about his excitement for the opening ceremony on Twitter:
Other notable flag bearers include Hayley Wickenheiser (hockey) of Canada, Alex Pullin (snowboarding) of Australia, Mario Stecher (skiing) of Austria, Maria Hofl-Riesch (skiing) of Germany and Aksel Lund Svindal (skiing) of Norway.
Who Will Light the Torch?
A key element to the opening ceremony is the lighting of the torch, and while it's still unknown who from Russia will receive the honor, there is one rumor flying around prior to the event.
According to the Daily Telegraph, there is speculation that Alina Kabayeva, who is rumored to have a relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, will light the final flame at Fisht Stadium.
However, Putin made it clear he is not involved in the selection process:
"I'm aware of this (the speculation), I was told of this by (Kremlin spokesman) Dmitry Peskov. These are the usual red herrings. We have many outstanding sportspeople who are significant and known in the whole world and I am not going to interfere in this process.
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None of this is to say Kabayeva isn't deserving.
The 30-year-old won the all-around gold in rhythmic gymnastics at the 2004 Athens Olympics and has a whopping nine golds at the World Championships.
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