The Flame Is Lit!

Meet the athletes, check the pricetag, and other great Olympics coverage.

The flame is lit! As the 2018 Winter Olympics officially get underway with Friday’s opening ceremony, NPR is there. Our temporary bureau in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is open, and our team – Melissa Block, Tom Goldman, Bill Chappell, Elise Hu and Russell Lewis – has hit the ground running. Over the coming weeks, they’ll be covering the events, the athletes, the challenges presented by Pyeongchang’s chilly temperatures – and by North Korea, just 40 miles away. Listen To Our Special Preview Your Guide to USA Olympians The 242 athletes who will represent the U.S. in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics come from Alaska to Florida, 32 states in all. It’s the biggest team the U.S. has ever sent to the Winter Games. A clickable guide helps you find your local Olympians. Meet Team USA Olympic Dreams… And Nightmares Everyone has anxiety dreams. For Winter Olympics athletes, whose sports defy gravity or send them flying at breakneck speed over ice and snow, those dreams are a little more intense. Dream On How cold is it in Pyeongchang? Each of the last two Winter Olympics set records as the warmest Winter Games. But in Pyeongchang, temperatures are hovering around the teens and below, and there are reports of athletes’ skis being ruined by the unique qualities of very cold snow. Freezing Time Skeleton: sledding head-first at 90 miles per hour “Are you crazy?” That’s what skeleton athlete Savannah Graybill’s parents exclaimed after watching her compete for the first time. The 50-second head-first runs put sledders through forces five times stronger than Earth’s gravity. Life At 90 MPH Not everyone’s happy North Korea’s team is coming At a demonstration in January, South Korean protesters complained the Pyeongchang Olympics were turning into the "Pyongyang Olympics." They used a blowtorch to set fire to a photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Skepticism And Suspicion South Korea’s Olympic pricetag: $13 billion Some cities have found themselves stuck later with vacant, decaying sports complexes – and mountains of debt. Organizers of this year’s Pyeongchang Olympics plan to demolish some of the new buildings after the games. Costly Demolition Follow Along You can follow NPR's Olympic coverage all month long, online and on radio stations around the country. You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002