Botterill, who won a silver medal with Team Canada in 1998 before coming to Harvard, said the Olympics might be even more special the second time around.

“The first time you’re there you’re just in awe,” Botterill said. “But this time the crowd was incredible, and the setup was beautiful. You know what to expect, and you can focus more on your performance.”

Short-track speed-skater Dan Weinstein ’03-’04, a member of the U.S. 5,000-meter relay team, is also a Nagano veteran on leave from Harvard.

Some two and a half hours after the ceremony started, Mike Eruzione and the rest of the 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team lighted the Olympic cauldron to cries of “USA! USA!” as the games officially began.

The television ratings for NBC’s broadcast of the opening ceremonies were the highest in the history of the Olympics, Winter or Summer, with a 25.5 national rating and a 42 share.

Nielsen Media Research reported that 72 million people watched at least part of the show. Friday’s rating was 57 percent higher than NBC had for Sydney’s opening ceremony, and 49 percent higher than CBS got for the last Winter Games.

—Material from the Associated Press was used in the compilation of this story.

—Staff writer David R. De Remer can be reached at remer@fas.harvard.edu.