Sochi 2014: The Countdown Series: Final Thoughts & Parade of Nations Flag Bearer Updates

 

With the first day of competition on Thursday (in about less than eight hours) and the Opening ceremonies on Friday, some final thoughts for Sochi 2014:

• Women's ice hockey begins Saturday, while the men begin at midweek next week.
• Elena Isinbaeva, the Olympic and world champion pole vaulter, is the Mayor of the Olympic Village, despite all the shit the LGBT crowd gave to her after her press conference at Moscow 2013. It is reported that she is--after bragging about having a child in an interview at the Moscow World Championships--will finally meet that goal (source: various news reports).
• Plenty of protests in that city regarding LGBT treatment, even boycotts as well.
• The first day will feature three events, including the debut of the slopestyle.
• First Olympic games for new IOC President Thomas Bach.

And now...the updated flag bearer list. Nine countries have now confirmed flag bearers for the Parade of Nations on Friday night:

 

Yohan Goutt Goncalves (Timor Leste) Alpine

Conor Lyne (Ireland) Alpine

Tong Jian (China) figure skating

Hubertus von Hohenlohe (Mexico) Alpine

Shane Dobbin (New Zealand) speed skating

Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway) Alpine

Todd Lodwick (United States) Nordic combined

Anders Sodergren (Sweden) cross country

Alexandr Zubkov (Russia) bobsleigh

 

And some projected flag bearers, since these are the lone athletes from their respective countries competing at Sochi:

 

Tucker Murphy (Bermuda) cross country

Jasmine Campbell (United States Virgin Islands) Alpine

Luke Steyn (Zimbabwe) Alpine

Dow Travers (Cayman Islands) Alpine

Dimtry Trelevski (Kyrgyzstan) Alpine

Kari Peters (Luxembourg) cross country

Dachhiri Sherpa (Nepal) cross country

Muhammad Karim (Pakistan) Alpine

Andrei Drygin (Tajikistan) Alpine

Bruno Bonani (Tonga) luge

Michael Christian Martinez (Philippines) figure skating

 

Which leaves about 23 nations without a flag bearer for Friday night, including the following: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Independent Olympic Athletes, Netherlands, Portugal, Ukraine, and Turkey. In the next 24 hours we will learn who will those countries choose as opening ceremony flag bearers.

 

So there you have it. The countdown is over. Let the games begin!