The 2018 Winter Olympics: Closing Ceremony Pt.4

A continuation of Part 3; https://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/the-2018-winter-olympics-closing_23.html

Parade of Nations:

It is protocol that each ceremony must include a segment in which the flags of the competing nations are paraded around the arena and then raised.

Although it's not compulsory in the Opening Ceremony many competitors choose to join their flag in the parade. So you have the teams led out in orderly blocks behind their flags.

The Closing Ceremony is more relaxed. So the flags tend to be paraded together. Then the competitors enter the arena in one big, chaotic but happy mess.

This Closing Ceremony was no exception.

The only thing of note I noticed was that Ukraine's flag seemed to have a certain prominence amid the flags. This seemed a little protest against the US and the IOC. A reminder of what was done during the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Ukraine's almost direct neighbour Sochi, Russia.

Also the parade was accompanied by an impressive live band. They seem to play one continuous song that included all styles of music including rock, country, folk, jazz and polka.

The stewards in the arena were also impressive. I don't know if they had their own music on headphones but the certainly had a dance routine. They stuck to that dance routine regardless of what the music was doing. Giving proceedings the anarchic air of a silent disco.

The sequence ended with those bird-like 5G controlled drones. These were supposed to have featured in the Opening Ceremony but were cancelled amid talk of the; "Olympic Destroyer" cyberattack.

The drones formed the Olympic mascot Soohorang. However with the games ending he disappeared to become the shape of a love heart.

Crowdstrike - the US cybersecurity firm who remain the only source of claims Russia interfered with the US' 2016 election - went onto claim that Olympic Destroyer was also a Russian cyberattack.

I'm pretty sure I saw Soohorang flipping them the bird during this sequence. 

Dust in the Wind:

It is a tradition that at least one of the ceremonies include an moment of reflection. A period to reflect on those who lost their lives either during the games or since the previous games.

This is particularly important at the Winter Games because competitors in winter events do get killed with worrying regularity.

Famously Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed during the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Canada. He was the fourth winter Olympian killed during competition in the 21 games which had been held up to that point.

In 2012 Canadian Skier Sarah Burke was killed in a training accident in the US.

In 2014 Para-Olympic Snowboarder Matthew Robinson was killed just before the games. This took a huge toll on his Australian team literally leaving an empty bed and an empty chair at the dining room table during the games.

Just before these games in November 2017 French Skier David Poisson was killed during training in Canada.

This ceremony of remembrance also carries with it a special significance in 2018.

On November 11th 2018 (11/11/18) it will be the 100th Anniversary of the end of the First World War. The tremendous loss of life during that war really brought the notion of moments of silence and remembrance into the public's consciousness.

You don't have to use this time of your own personal thoughts to remember athletes who have been killed.

You could use it to remember the 71 Russians killed in a plane crash on February 12th (12/2/18), the 66 Iranians killed in a plane crash on  February 18th (18/2/18) or the 17 Americans killed in the Parkland shooting.

The Opening Ceremony focused on comparing Korea's traditional Animist religions with the Abrahamic religions. It also referenced a US TV Show called; "Firefly."

In discussing it I said that it was easier to explain Abrahamic religions then Animist ones. That's because the Abrahamic beliefs have been codified into a book, To learn about them you simply need to read the book.

In Firefly there was a character called; "Book." He'd been a army Chaplin in what every the main religion was during this fictional society's civil war.

He was played by the actor Ron Glass. He died in November 2016. Watching that unfold online was something of a cast reunion for Firefly.

The sequence took the form of a funeral procession for Black Turtle. One of the Four Guardians featured in the Opening Ceremony.

The procession entered a circle of light showing falling leaves. Rather like the Cherry Blossom leaves featured in that sequence of Firefly which explored gun control as an existential concept. Or the Poppy leaves that are synonymous with First World War remembrance.

As Black Turtle reached the centre of the circle his physical body was dismantled and a video projecting showed him embarking on a journey into the afterlife.

This was a little difficult for me to watch. In the Opening Ceremony Black Turtle was used to signify my longevity in the face of the Red Architects of the UK Labour Party.

There have been arguments in the actual UK High Court over why I'm in the situation I currently find myself in. However that situation is quite heavily dependent on my father. I live in his house rent free although he's paying rent. If my father were to die my financial situation would become considerably more challenging.

The Red Architects think they're playing the long game. Waiting for my father to die so victory will finally be theirs.

This sequences helps to remind them that everybody knows what their cunning plan is.

The sequence showed not the end of Black Turtle's longevity. Instead it celebrated the ultimate longevity of eternal life.

Medal Ceremonies:

It is protocol that the Closing Ceremony must include a medal ceremony. As a reminder of all the medal ceremonies that have taken place during the games.

The local organisers however retain a lot of choice over which particular medal ceremony they use.

Traditionally they go for the penultimate event.

The last event is traditionally the Men's Ice Hockey Final. Giving out medals to the 100 or so players who make up three Olympic Ice Hockey teams is a bit complicated for a Closing Ceremony.

Possibly in response to the US' National Hockey League's (NHL) boycott of the Olympics Men's Ice Hockey was stripped of the prestige of being the final event. Instead this year that honour went to the Men's Four Man Bobsleigh.

The men of Germany and the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) seemed to have something about that. The Ice Hockey final dragged on into overtime in what seemed to be a race with the Bobsleigh see who could finish last.

The South Korean organisers though went with the Women's and Men's Cross Country Skiing.

This is a sport which requires an extremely high level of cardiovascular fitness.

The women's medals were given out first. Gold went to Norway, Silver went to Finland and Bronze went to Sweden.

The men's medals were given out second. Gold went to Finland. Silver went to the OAR. Bronze also went to the OAR.

This was hugely embarrassing for IOC President Thomas Bach.

The man who was giving out the medals and the man who'd defied rulings by the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) to force Russians to compete as OAR over doping allegations.

The hypocrisy of the IOC's stance on Russian doping is laid bare in the case of Russian Tennis player Maria Sharapova. Who was actually born in Sochi.

It's well known that throughout her career Sharapova has used a drug called Meldonium to improve her cardiovascular performances. However with Meldonium not being a banned drug this has never been considered a problem.

Then at the start of 2016 the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suddenly banned Meldonium. Specifically so they could label Sharapova a drugs cheat and ban her from competition.

Meanwhile WADA continued to grant US Tennis player Serena Williams Theraputic Use Exemptions (TEU) to allow her to use asthma drugs like Prednisone and Prednisolone to improve her cardiovascular performance. This despite those drugs being long banned by WADA.

During the games the OAR protested this themselves. Their Curler Alexander Krushelnitsky tested positive for Meldonium. Curling is not a sport where you need even an average level of cardiovascular fitness.

In preparation for the games Norway announced that it was bringing 6,000 doses of asthma drugs including Prednisone and Prednisolone for their athletes to use. This was something like 10 times the amount of asthma drugs that any team has ever brought to any games.

When you make an announcement like that you are doing it to make a point. 

So in the women's ceremony we saw Gold going to IOC approved doping.

In the men's ceremony we saw what the result would have been if it wasn't for IOC approved doping. Followed by two athletes the IOC won't give approval to dope.

Needless to say Thomas Bach looked very embarrassed throughout not just the medal ceremony.

As I've been writing this today the IOC has ended Russia's suspension. 

17:35 on 28/2/18 (UK date).