2008 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations designations by the IOC, and the Chinese names follow their official designations by the BOCOG. Main reference: 2008 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations During the Parade of Nations portion of the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena, preceded by their flag. The flag was borne by a sportsperson from that country chosen either by the National Olympic Committee or by the athletes themselves to represent their country. Per tradition, the national team of Greece, which hosted the previous Summer Olympics, in Athens, entered first as the progenitor of the
2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony Olympic rings. The Shooting Star drones carried on the symbol of unity and progress from lighting of the torch. While there is no protocol requiring guests to stand for the host country's arrival, United States Vice President Mike Pence was criticized for not standing, as North and South Korean athletes entered during the Parade of Athletes. Pence was accused of hypocrisy, with critics drawing parallels to national anthem protests by NFL athletes. On 24 February, the "Washington Post" reported that U.S. intelligence uncovered Russian spies hacked computers during the Opening Ceremony, an act that was previously speculated to be the