![OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANG-OPENING-RINGS View of the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-01.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
The 2018 Winter Olympics began in PyeongChang on Friday, as the opening ceremony kicked off the 23rd Winter Games.
Athletes from all 92 countries, including competitors from North and South Korea, were welcomed for the Olympics opening ceremony at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium.
Leading the United States was Erin Hamlin, the first U.S. athlete to win an Olympic medal for singles luge. Hamlin raised the flag during the Olympics opening ceremony ahead of 244 American athletes, the largest cohort ever fielded by the U.S.
Nearly 3,000 athletes entered the stadium during the opening ceremony. The last nation to enter was Korea, with athletes walking behind a unification flag.
Couldn’t get a ticket to the Games? See photos from the Olympics opening ceremony here.
![OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANG-OPENING-RINGS View of the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-01.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Opening Ceremony - PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games, Daegwallyeong-Myeon, Korea - 09 Feb 2018 Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-02.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Fireworks erupt during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-03.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Performers entertain the fans during the Dance of Peace section of the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-04.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANG-OPENING Participants form the South Korean flag during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-05.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-06.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-07.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-08.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Opening ceremony of Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea Delegations from North Korea and South Korea march under the Korean unification flag during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-09.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Olympics Opening Ceremony, Pyeongchang, South Korea - 09 Feb 2018 A team name bearer walks into the area during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-10.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Performers entertain the crowd during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-11.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-12.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANG-OPENING Former South Korean Olympians carry the South Korean flag during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-13.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony A general view as performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-14.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Performers entertain the crowd during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-15.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Flag bearer Erin Hamlin of the United States leads the team in the Parade of Athletes during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-16.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![2018 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony Torchbearer with the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/olympics-opening-ceremony-photos.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANG-OPENING Fireworks go off during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-17.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Kim Bubello at kim.bubello@time.com