The 2018 Winter Para-Olympics: Closing Ceremony Pt. 2

A continuation of Part 1; https://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/the-2018-winter-para-olympics-closing.html

The ceremony completed its deconstruction of the Video Countdown tradition with a short video. Something which would traditionally appear at the start of the sequence.

I am far from an expert but this video seemed to use a technique known as; "Digital Rotoscopory."

Essentially footage is shot using a digital camera. Rather like the one on your cellphone. Computer animation is then added to the footage frame-by-frame to give it a distinctive, other worldly feel. Famous movies using this technique include; "A Scanner Darkly," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," "Sin City" and "Avatar."

Things that stood out for me in the video included;

A shot of the suspension system on a Sit Ski sledge used by skiers with lower limb impairments. This seemed to serve as a metaphor for the work of US Snowboarder Mike Schultz which has been a big talking point at the games.

Mike Schultz was a big extreme sports competitor. Including in sports such as Motocross riding. In 2008 he lost his leg below the knee after his Snowmobile crashed during a Snocross race - the winter version of Motocross.

Schultz then turned his attention to Para-Olympic Snowboarding.

Alongside competing Schultz has also used his engineering experience to develop new prosthetics. In 2010 he invented a new type of knee joint called the; "Moto Knee." In 2013 he invented a new type of ankle joint called the; "Versa Foot."

Particularly in the Snowboarding events it has been extremely easy to identify the competitors using Schultz's patented designs. They're the ones winning all the medals.

Obviously though Schultz's designs are hidden beneath the competitors clothes. Making it hard to get a clear action shot of them.

A shot of British fans cheering and waving a British flag. Britain of course feels it deserves an out-sized role in the Para-Olympics. At these games they've certainly not been afraid of making a lot of noise. Even if they can't stick to their own script.

A Japanese Ski-Jumper wearing a Japanese flag on his helmet. He was the first competitor whose nationality was clearly stated.

Japan is of course the RoK's big regional rival. They will be hosting the 2020 Summer games. I think people would like me to hurry up and cover their segment in the 2016 Closing Ceremony.

The shot of the Japanese competitor was immediately followed by a South Korean competitor. He was wearing a South Korean flag on his headband/helmet.

After these games you're never again going to mistake the Taoist Ying Yang symbol at the centre of the South Korean flag with the Rising Sun at the centre of the Japanese flag.

A Ukrainian biathlete posing with her rifle. In full sniper mode.

The 2018 Winter games of course pick up the baton from the 2014 Winter games. These were marred by the US overthrowing the Ukrainian government and plunging the nation into civil war. In the short gap between the Olympics and the Para-Olympics.

Throughout its aggression against Ukraine the US - particularly under former President Obama - held up Nadiya Savchenko as a hero of the revolution.

During the games - on, I think, March 12th (12/3/18) - Savchenko came clean about the 2014 "Revolution."

Savchenko admitted that the current Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Andriy Parubiy had transported weapons to the protesters. He had then directed some of those armed men to open fire onto the crowds from the Hotel Ukraine. Something which the US has repeatedly blamed on Ukraine's Russian backed government.

This comes after Ukraine formally expelled Mikhail Saakashvili from their country during the Olympics.

The former President of Georgia Saakashvili famously launched an attack on Russia during the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2010 he famously faked an entire Russian land invasion of Georgia in an effort to rig an election. Something the Cauldron is dedicated to.

So Britain's bizarre decision to start ranting and raving about Russia on March 13th (13/3/18) was totally out of step with the politics of eastern Europe.

The German Wheelchair Curling team. I recognised them because I watched them play against the British team.

Although I like to make fun of it Curling by far the most strategic sports at the winter games. So I secretly quite enjoy it.

The objective is to slide stones into a target area known as the; "House." The team whose stone is closest to the bullseye wins the round known as the; "End." They get a point for each stone within the house.

Getting a 20kg (44lb) granite stone to stop precisely on ice requires a great deal of skill on its own.

You can't though just try and get each of your eight stones into the bullseye. Instead you have to carefully position the early stones as guards to prevent your opponent getting into the house. This requires a lot of strategic thinking and mind games.

What I find frustrating about Curling is that in many ways the entire Olympics or Para-Olympics is like that. Nations may concede in one sport to position themselves to win in another.

For example at the 2018 Olympics the US Men's Curling victory against Sweden was really the result of the Canada Women's Ice Hockey conceding Gold to the US.

So in order to properly understand what is going on you have to keep an eye on all the events at the same time.

In order to do this I find my mind running at such a speed I end up finding Ice Hockey to be frustratingly slow. I simply haven't got the time for Curling.

The South Korean Sledge Ice Hockey team. One of the big events at the Olympics was the combined North and South Korean Ice Hockey team. This was not repeated at the Para-Olympics. North Korea simply didn't have any Sledge Hockey players.

Introductions & Handshakes:

It is IPC protocol that each Opening Ceremony features a short sequence in which VIP's are welcomed into the arena.

This normally includes the Head of Government/State of the host nation. In this case South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It also includes the Head of the IPC. In this case Andrew Parsons who was appointed in September 2016.

The only thing I can think to say about this sequence is about the coat President Moon was wearing.

Throughout all the previous ceremonies President Moon has worn a big arctic parka of the South Korean national team. On this occasion he was wearing a more normal wool dress coat.

This reflected how much the weather has warmed up during the games. Although officially the Winter games those familiar with the Taoist Wu Xing would describe these as the Earth games. That inbetween season where it's not quite winter but not quite yet spring.

I think after the UK v Germany Curling I caught a glimpse of the skiing events. These took place on artificial snow. I noticed some of the event staff were standing there in T-shirts.

Flag & Anthem:

It is a matter of Para-Olympic protocol that each ceremony must include a sequence in which the flag of the host nation is raised and its national anthem is performed. In closing ceremonies this is simply so the flag can be taken down again later.

Here six flagbearers carried a large, unfurled flag into arena. They arose for a recessed area in the central circular platform of the stage.

I think that these flagbearers were South Korean athletes who'd competed in these games. However I cannot be sure. I certainly can't name them.

Their names were given by the stadium announcer. However that was largely drowned out by the Channel 4 commentator who didn't give the names. The names were not included in an on-screen graphic.

I find this particularly annoying because the commentators get to watch a dress rehearsal of the ceremony the day before. They are also given a press pack including details such as the names of the performers. This is to help them prepare their commentary to convey those facts to viewers like me who don't have that luxury.

You would think that particularly at a Para-Olympics broadcasters should go to the effort of making sure performers names are included on the subtitles.

The actual flag raising was given to a military flag detail. As it had been during the Opening Ceremony.

The signing of the national anthem was sung by a choir including members who were wheelchair users.

Again though I did not catch the name of the choir. I think it may have been a military veterans association. Possibly of widows and their children.

21:05 on 19/3/18 (UK date).