18 days of competition at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opens with curling event

NewsBharati    09-Feb-2018
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Gangneung, February 9: The long-awaited grand event, winter Olympics, finally kicks off with side curling event. South Korea's Jang Hye Ji launched 18 days of competition at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Thursday (Feb 8) by sliding the first mixed doubles curling stone. The South Korean mixed doubles curling team picked up the first victory.

Though this is not the official opening of the Olympics, it has definitely given the audience the thrill of the event; the official opening ceremonies are not until Friday night. The 18 days competition will conclude on 25th February.

The mixed doubles curling is being contested for the first time at these Olympic Games. Jang Hye-ji and Lee Ki-jeong from South Korea recorded the very first win in the event. "At first I was really nervous and felt burdened," Lee said after the match. "But I was also encouraged by the spectators' cheering."

Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR), but the husband-and-wife team of Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Anastasia Bryzgalova were beaten 9-3 by American siblings Matt and Becca Hamilton. The Russians entered under the Olympic flag as the doping scandal of Sochi 2014 games led to a ban of Russian flag and national anthem in the Games.

Winter Olympics Peyongchang games Games 2018 South Korea curling