Sochi 2014: What to Expect at the Closing Ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympics
The athletes of participating countries will once again march as Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics officially conclude on Feb 23. The closing ceremony will take place at the same venue where the opening ceremony was held, Fisht Olympic Stadium. The ceremony will start at 8:00 pm Russian time.
Date: Feb. 23, 2014
Start Time: Russia (MSK): 8:00 PM
Australia (EST): 3:00 AM
U.S. (ET): 11:00 AM
UK (GMT): 4:00PM
India (IST): 9:30 PM
After 16 days of great sport events, the 22nd Winter Olympic Games will come to a close. Exactly, what are the things to expect in the much-anticipated closing ceremony? Hopefully, the little technical glitch that happened during the opening ceremony when one of the Olympic Rings failed to light up has already been taken care of.
Billie Jean King
Former top-ranked and retired tennis athlete will be present at the closing ceremony, the New York Times reported. King is a lesbian after she came out in 1981. She has been an advocate for gay rights. She was supposed to attend the opening ceremony after President Barack Obama assigned her as one of the U.S. delegation. However, King wasn't able to make it because of her mother's ailing condition. King's mother, Betty Moffit, died at the age of 91 on Feb. 7.
Korean Musicians
A group of Korean musicians featuring soprano Jo Sumi, jazz vocalist Na Yoon Sun, musician Lee Seung Chul, and pianist Yang Bang Eon will perform and sing together at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, according to Yahoo Singapore. These performance is supposedly to celebrate the next Winter Olympics which will take place Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018.
Filipino Figure Skater in a Cultural Performance
Audrey Alcazar, a Filipino figure skater, has been invited by Korea to also perform at the closing ceremony. The Korean government will shoulder all the expenses of Alcaraz. Speaking to a local Philippine newspaper, she said that she will perform a cultural number. Alcaraz is hopeful to follow the footsteps of Michael Martinez, the Philippines' first-ever representative in the Winter Olympic Games.
Parade of Athletes
The athletes will line up and march in single file as opposed to the pattern that they originally marched in during the opening ceremony, Yahoo Sports reported. They will not be following their flag bearers. The athletes will then head on to their reserved seats in the audience. According to the Web site, this practice stared at the 1956 Olympics.
Relive the highlights Sochi 2014 opening ceremony below:
Video courtesy: YouTube/Olimpic Sochi