Opening Ceremony

I took these quotes from athletes at the Opening Ceremony for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, but they never got used.

So here they are. Try to imagine the accents when you read them.

James Lelliot (Great Britain), bobsled, 18

“It’s absolutely amazing. I can’t believe how many people have turned up for it. It’s an honor. It’s going to be absolutely amazing. I think for anyone who hasn’t realized how big this thing is, they’ll realize after this.”

Linus Birkendahl (Germany) snowboard slopestyle, 16

“Super stoked to be here, it’s awesome. The crowd, all the people, it’s just an awesome feeling. I’ve never been to anything like this. There’s 70 countries here. It’s so good.”

David Panyik (Hungary) biathlon, 16

“Really exciting. The show was beautiful. Amazing performance, everything. Nations come together and celebrate together this event. So I think it’s amazing.”

Anne Michiels (Belgium) speed skating, 15

“It’s amazing. It’s just a big experience to be here and I like it very much. It’s so nice you can meet other people. It’s beautiful.”

Georgi Mihaylov (Bulgaria) snowboard slopestyle, 16

“It’s amazing, the atmosphere and everything is perfect. The whole country’s coming. We exchange some pins. It was cool. The feeling is good.”

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