Winter Olympics 2018 opening ceremony as it happened: news from Pyeongchang as the 23rd Games begin

All the highlights from the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium

Fireworks light up Winter Olympics 2018 opening ceremony

The 2018 Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang on Friday and the opening ceremony took centre stage to kick-off the 23rd Games.

The Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium welcomed all 92 countries boasting nearly 3,000 athletes, with all eyes on the sight of North and South Korean competitors uniting to walk into the stadium together for the first time.

There was also plenty of attention on the Russian athletes that will feature under the ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’ banner, with 169 Russians cleared to compete despite the Russian doping scandal resulting in the nation being banned by the International Olympic Committee. Korea will be the last nation to march into the stadium.

Leading out Great Britain was 2014 Winter Olympics gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold, with the skeleton athlete looking to retain her championship in Pyeongchang, and the British team were the 54th to arrive at the stadium – which cost nearly £80m to build and will only be used four times before it is torn down.

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Key Points

• Nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 nations
• North and South Korea to march together while 169 athletes will be represented as 'Olympic Athletes from Russia'
• 2014 gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold named flag bearer for Great Britain

[9 February 2018 11:44 · Liam Corless]

Athletes from Bermuda, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzogovina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Brazil, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden and Switzerland have all entered the stadium.

There are a lot of countries in the world, aren't there? We're going to be here for a while.

[9 February 2018 11:49 · Liam Corless]

Competitors from Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, Armenia, Argentina and Iceland are the next out. 

Slovenia have only ever won two gold medals at the Winter Olympics - both of which were claimed by retired skier Tina Maze at the 2014 Sochi Games.

[9 February 2018 11:50 · Liam Corless]

Next out are the athletes who will represent Ireland, Azerbaijan, Andorra and Albania.

Sounds like a really, really easy World Cup qualifying group.

[9 February 2018 11:52 · Liam Corless]

The moment the United States arrived to the party 

[9 February 2018 11:54 · Liam Corless]

Athletes from Eritrea, Estonia and Ecuador are followed by the mighty Team GB, headed by flag-bearer Lizzy Yarnold. 

The 29-year-old won a gold medal in the Skeleton in Sochi in 2014.

[9 February 2018 11:57 · Liam Corless]

Competitors from Australia, Austria, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Iran, Italy, Israel, India and the Olympic athletes from Russia have all now joined the party.

They just keep coming and coming. We must've reached the half-way point of this parade now! 

[9 February 2018 12:00 · Liam Corless]

Japan, Jamaica, Georgia, China and the Czech Republic are in the house.

When thinking about the Winter Olympics and the country of Jamaica, it's impossible not to think about Cool Runnings.

What a film, what a bloody film.

[9 February 2018 12:01 · Liam Corless]

A member of the Netherlands team takes a selfie 

[9 February 2018 12:03 · Liam Corless]

Athletes from Chile, Kazakhstan, Canada, Kenya and Kosovo have entered the stadium.

Canada, with 170 medals, is the sixth most-successful nation in the history of the Winter Olympics.

[9 February 2018 12:09 · Liam Corless]

Colombia, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Turkey, Togo, Tonga, Pakistan, Portugal, Poland and Puerto Rico are in the building.

The music on offer here is so questionable, as is the dancing we're currently being subjected to while the parade goes on. Just think La Macarena - but even worse and going on for nearly an hour.