UK cheerleaders arrive in South Korea to cheer for the USA in the Winter Olympics

The University of Kentucky cheerleading team arrived in South Korea on Saturday and immediately began representing the USA as part of their Winter Olympics duties.

The Blue squad, fresh off UK’s 23rd national championship last month, traded in their blue and whites for the red, white and blue of USA Cheer and made one of its first performances at the U.S. military base in Seoul on Sunday for the USOC Winterfest.

The Kentucky team’s Twitter account and Facebook page offered a glimpse of the performance, and some cheerleaders have been posting about their arrival on Twitter and Instagram.

The team’s duties will include performances and appearances at Olympic sites in Pyeongchang and elsewhere, including medal ceremonies, Coach Jomo Thompson said late last year after the trip was announced. They will also compete in an exhibition event with other cheerleading nations.

Cheerleading recently earned provisional status as an Olympic sport. USA Cheer selected UK to represent the United States for these games as it and the 110 other nations make their case to be included as a sport in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

A number of UK cheerleaders on this squad are part of the regular USA Cheer team that will compete in an annual international competition later this year.

While UK’s Blue squad is in South Korea, its White squad takes over lead duties at University of Kentucky sporting events. Members of that squad also competed last week at the Cheersports Nationals, a cheer club competition. They won their division.

This story was originally published February 19, 2018 at 11:36 AM with the headline "UK cheerleaders arrive in South Korea to cheer for the USA in the Winter Olympics."