Pyeong Chang Special Olympics 2013

[l'etoile]

Is anyone following?
http://www.specialolympics.org/Games...hang_2013.aspx

It's been five days since the event started and Aung San Suu Kyi and Yuna Kim had speeches in the opening ceremony.

Their speeches

The slogan is "Together, we can!" Isn't it so apt and hopeful?


Of course, there's our own Michelle, too, who is among the board of directors of Special Olympics Committee. She's currently in Korea and it's officially announced that she and Yuna will perform a gala together to Hero by Mariah Carey in the closing ceremony.(For those who're familiar with it, they already performed to this song in 2010

c/o Scheherazade from YNKF

According to this article, Yuna and Michelle Kwan will perform “Hero” in the closing ceremony, and then they will do the flash mob dance (choreographed by David Wilson ) with Special Olympic figure skaters

Yuna will be a 'Twitter Jockey’on Feb. 3 (Thur. from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) She will tweet some news and info about Special Olympics. You may have a chance to talk with her on Twitter

And the photo that prompted me to create this thread is here. It's blurrr but it's so clear that she's Michelle and SHE IS ON ICE!


All the info here came from YNKF's Special Olympics thread http://yunaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4547

[l'etoile]

This thread does belong here, right?

[VIETgrlTerifa]

When you wrote "c/o Scheherazade", I had to do a double-take because for a moment, I thought you wrote they would be doing a duet to Scheherazade. Now, that would be more interesting than Hero, but Hero seems more appropriate for the Special Olympics.

[seabm7]

It's already posted in one of Kwan's threads, but here is her photo in Korea.

https://twitter.com/2013special/stat...963008/photo/1

[4rkidz]

I am loving the coverage from the former well known athletes like Catriona Le May Doen and Apollo Anton Ohno.. just wish there was more TV coverage, I would really enjoy watching this on TV.. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17937068263657

[seabm7]

The official flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soi-pho...7632547303646/

[l'etoile]

From All That Yuna: http://yunakimfan.com/yunaverse/topi...games/page/14/

Kwan at a ceremony of short track skating
(1) (2)

[l'etoile]

AND HERE IT IS! "Hero" by Michelle and Yuna!

[l'etoile]

Some pics. (from YNKF and MKF)

Final press conference
http://image.news1.kr/system/photos/...jpg?1360070029
http://imgnews.naver.net/image/003/2...0205181519.jpg
http://image.news1.kr/system/photos/...jpg?1360069923 (Michelle looks so sweet)
http://image.news1.kr/system/photos/...jpg?1360069879 (Two of the sweetest, most warm-hearted people in the world!)

Hero performance
http://imgnews.naver.net/image/001/2...0205212312.jpg (You can hear your and their heart pounding, even.)
http://image.news1.kr/system/photos/...jpg?1360067602
http://imgnews.naver.net/image/001/2...0205223407.jpg
http://image.news1.kr/system/photos/...jpg?1360066778 (Just exquisite )
http://img.sportsseoul.com/article/h...8800010431.jpg (Michelle's spiral. She ain't gone nowhere!)
(1) (2) (Yuna's so beautiful)
http://sccdn.chosun.com/news/html/20...6000024621.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.net/image/073/2...0205205313.jpg (Are they good friends?)
http://imgnews.naver.net/image/001/2...0205205802.jpg (I think so!)
http://i2.media.daumcdn.net/photo-me...5212310206.jpg (Okay, they're great but look at that ring)

Skaters dancing to Gangnam Style lol
http://i.imgur.com/KC708ES.jpg
http://imgnews.naver.net/image/001/2...0205214804.jpg
http://file.dailian.co.kr/news/20130...325446_1_m.jpg
http://i2.media.daumcdn.net/photo-me...5205316052.jpg (They're all having a great time!)
http://i2.media.daumcdn.net/photo-me...5210516332.jpg (Michelle sure knows the horse dance)
http://i2.media.daumcdn.net/photo-me...5210519181.jpg (Finale lap)

[l'etoile]

It's a bit of late news but there was a tragic death earlier this Special Olympics. 25-year-old hockey athlete Gareth Derek Cowin died of refractory septic shock with multi-organ failure which occurred at the time of his arrival in Seoul.

Gareth arrived to the Republic of Korea with his delegation on 26 January and attended the first day of his Host Town experience. It is during that time he fell ill and was admitted to a local hospital and then was transferred to Asan Hospital where he underwent treatment. Medical professionals confirmed his illness was not contagious and there have been no other illnesses with the delegation.

“He received the best treatment possible while he was here in Korea,” shared his father Kevin Cowin. “We are truly grateful for all that the staff of the hospital did to treat Gareth.”

He was with loved ones when he passed.

It is said that during closing ceremony, clip of his father's words was aired and then everyone attended paid their respect and condolence by a silence bow.
Just sad

Still, I'm glad this wonderful event had more than success here. This was indeed "special" olympics. Next up is LA in 2015!

[Garden Kitty]

Sorry for the event to have a tragedy like a death, but it looks like a really great event. Kudos to both Michelle and Yu Na for committing so much time and energy to this wonderful cause.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

AND HERE IT IS! "Hero" by Michelle and Yuna!

That was really cute to watch. I'm happy that the Special Olympics have such enthusiastic champions in Kim and Kwan.