SPAIN is hoping to bring home a medal in the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, having failed to do so in the last 26 years.
Figure-skater Javier Fernández narrowly missed it in Sochi 2014, coming fourth and leaving with an Olympic diploma, but the bar has been set high for the Madrid-born talent: probably Spain's best ice-skater in history, Fernández won his sixth European Championship on the trot last month in Moscow and, with two world championships under his belt, only needs an Olympic gold to complete his collection.
Javier (first picture) is Spain's most-likely contender for a medal, so the pressure is on – but fellow Spanish figure-skaters Felipe Montoya, Sara Hurtado and Kirilla Jalyavin and skeleton skater Ander Mirambell are also hoping for good results.
Snow-boarder Queralt Castellet (second picture) joined this morning's parade for the fourth time in her career – although she has been trying since 2006 to net an Olympic medal, she is in with a chance thanks to her successes since Sochi, which include world reserve champion in 'halfpipe' in Kreischberg in 2016 and a recent World Cup win in the USA.
Something of a child prodigy, taking part in her fourth Olympics at age 28 is a huge achievement and means she first represented her country when she was just 16.
Fellow Spanish snow-boarders are Regino Hernández and Laro Herrero in 'boardercross' – and Lucas Eguibar, the flag-bearer for Spain at the ceremony this morning.
Eguibar is, along with Javier and Queralt, the competitor upon whose shoulders the responsibility of netting Spain its first Winter Olympic medal in over a quarter of a century rests – he took home a diploma from Sochi, given to those who come fourth and fifth, and recently took home an individual silver medal from the boardercross World Championships in the Sierra Nevada (Granada province).
Juan del Campo and Quim Salarich are Spain's Alpine ski competitors, in slalom, whilst Imanol Rojo and Martí Vigo represent their country in speed-skiing.
Peace and togetherness were the overriding themes of the opening ceremony, with a lit-up smiley 'emoticon' face signifying that new technology was for everyone, and light-bearing crowds standing in the shape of a dove whilst live singers performed John Lennon's haunting Imagine marked what is not only the biggest winter sports event on earth – with over 6,500 athletes taking part – but also a truce between North and South Korea, with the former having been allowed to enter a team in the games hosted by its neighbour over the border.
