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| The South Korean cheerleading squad holds an exhibition performance during a press conference at Gangwon Media Center in Gangneung, Monday. South Korea is among eight countries that are performing in Gangwon Province during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Yi Whan-woo
Over 200 cheerleaders from eight countries including South Korea are holding performances in PyeongChang and other parts of Gangwon Province during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, according to the provincial government, Monday.
The performances coincide with visits of the North Korean cheerleading troupe to the Olympics.
The eight countries include Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, the United States and Switzerland.
"We expect their performances, along with that of North Korean cheerleaders, will become a spectacle in the last week of the Olympics," the municipal government said in a press release.
It did not elaborate whether joint performances with North Korea may take place.
Each of the eight cheerleading squads is comprised of 23 to 30 members, including coaches and sports executives.
Canada and the Netherlands are all-girl teams, while the remaining six have both male and female participants.
The eight teams arrived in Gangwon Province, Sunday.
Germany and Canada performed twice, downtown and at the Olympic Park in Gagneung, the sub-host city of the Winter Games, Monday.
On Tuesday, the Americans will also perform in downtown Gangneung (3 p.m.) and at Gangneung Olympic Park (7 p.m.). The Norwegians will join America's first performance while the Dutch will join in the second performance.
South Korean cheerleaders will begin their performance at 6:05 p.m. at the Gangneung Hockey Center. This is where the South Korean and Finnish men's ice hockey teams will face off their qualification for the play-offs at 9:10 p.m.
The Norwegian cheerleaders will perform before spectators at the same venue at 8:50 p.m.
The Russians will perform at Kwandong Hockey Center, also an Olympic stadium, at 9:45 p.m.
On Wednesday, South Korea and Switzerland will perform in downtown Gangneung (3 p.m.), the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Russia at Medals Plaza in PyeongChang (6 p.m.), Canada and the U.S. at Gangneung Olympic Park (7 p.m.).
South Korea and the U.S. will perform again at Gangneung Oval (8:34 p.m.), the Olympic speed skating track.
On Thursday, Russia and the Netherlands will perform in downtown Gangneung (3 p.m.), South Korea, Canada, Switzerland and the U.S. at Medals Plaza in PyeongChang (6 p.m.).
Germany will perform with Norway at Gangneung Olympic Park (6:30 p.m.), after holding an independent event at the Gangneung Hockey Center at 1:40 p.m.
The eight teams will take a day off, Friday. They will gather in downtown Gangeung for a joint performance at 3 p.m., Saturday.
They are invited to pre-celebration programs for the Olympic closing ceremony scheduled at 8 p.m., Feb. 25.
They will move to Wonju, also in Gangwon Province, to participate in an international cheerleading friendly match on Feb. 26. The seven cheerleading troupes except for South Korea will return home on Feb. 28.
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