Every four years the world comes together in order to compete in the Winter Olympics.

This year there will be 92 nations and nearly 3,000 athletes competing for gold medals in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The games will start on Feb. 8 and they will last until Feb. 25.

“I am excited for the Olympics,” Freshman Madison Dill said. “The Olympics can be very beneficial in promoting global unity.”

The best athletes from all over the world will compete in 15 sports including snowboarding, alpine skiing, bobsledding, ice hockey and figure skating.

“I’m so excited for the Olympics,” Freshman Seth Atkins said. “The sport I’m most looking forward to would have to be either speed skating or figure skating.”

The United States will be sending 244 athletes to South Korea to compete. Although there are no competitors from South Carolina, there will be three from North Carolina.  

Kimani Griffin is a Long Track Speed Skater from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Griffin has competed for World Cups since 2014, and he has won in Berlin, Heerenveen and Salt Lake City.  Griffin will be competing in the Winter Olympics for his first time this year.  

Bobby Sanguinetti is a hockey player from Wilmington, North Carolina, whose right arm was paralyzed at birth. Sanguinetti played hockey for the Carolina Hurricanes but later went on to play for the New York Islanders. Despite his disability, he will be competing in the Winter Olympics for the first time this year.

Long Track Speed Skater Heather Bergsma was born in High Point, North Carolina. Bergsma is no stranger to competition as she has been competing since 2006. Bergsma has already participated in the Winter Olympics twice before in 2010 and 2014.

Even though no one from our community will be playing in the winter games, Chapman students are definitely showing excitement to watch our nation compete.

“I love to see all the countries come together for a big event,” Atkins said. “My favorite part is the opening ceremony when all the teams come out and show their country’s flag.”

If you are interested in watching the Winter Olympics, NBC will be streaming 1,800 hours of the games on TV. Streaming will begin on February 8 at 8 p.m. You can also watch the games on the NBC Sports app.