A cold, cold start
When many athletes and officials woke Wednesday, the temperature at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium was minus 3 degree Fahrenheit.
PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA — When many athletes and officials woke up Wednesday, the temperature at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium was minus 3 Fahrenheit. Sidewalks in the nearby mountain cluster were sparsely populated all day, save for some athletes, officials and media scurrying from building to building.
Those who did venture outside layered clothing under bulky jackets and stepped over icy mounds of old snow in sturdy boots. Olympic volunteers stationed at bus stops crowded around patio heaters, and few tourists appeared willing to brave the elements.
Competitors and spectators can’t stay inside through the entire Pyeongchang Games, though, and with the wind chill at the Olympic Stadium projected at 14 degrees for the opening ceremony Friday night, there’s concern about their well-being.
In November, at least six people were treated for hypothermia after a pop concert at the openair Olympic Stadium, and organizers are taking steps to avoid further health issues related to the cold. Attendees will be given kits with a poncho, a blanket, a beanie hat and heat packs for their seat, hands and feet, and Korea Meteorological Administration official Yoo Hee-Dong suggested via translator that “spectators need to wear their warm clothes.”
Japan pulled athletes from a team welcome ceremony Wednesday in the coastal town of Gangneung because of the cold, but most athletes don’t seem concerned with temperatures for Friday night. Americans have been told they will have a warm waiting area before marching, and many plan to leave shortly after the U.S. delegation walks — not uncommon at the Olympics.