The summer Olympics are an event every four years that gets the whole world talking. Whether it be Usain Bolt sprinting along the 100M track faster than any other human has traveled, or Michael Phelps convincing everyone he must be part-fish as he collects another Gold Medal, they have been stacked full of moments that will forever be cemented in sporting history. However, there is another Olympic game that, unfortunately, doesn’t seem as well versed in the mainstream as its summer counterpart, and that’s the Winter Olympics. They feature many countries from around the world, competing against each other in a whole range of winter-based sports.
They take place every four years, usually in February, and this year the games are in Beijing, China. You might be thinking that the colder a country is, the more successful they are at these games, and you’d be generally right, with the Scandinavian countries always doing well. However, a cold climate doesn’t always equate to medals, as a country like Ireland doesn’t tend to do well. It is a great place to live though, so make sure to read up on our things to know before moving there.
We’re here, then, to shine a spotlight on some of the most exhilarating sports that make up the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
Bobsleigh
This is, perhaps, the most fearsome of all sports at the Winter Games. Either four or two people have to ride inside a gravity-powered sled that winds its way down a specially designed inclining ice track. If that sounds terrifying, that’s because it is. Bobsleds at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics were clocked at traveling as fast as 95 mph.
Hurtling down an ice tunnel at that kind of speeds takes an immense amount of bravery and skill, and that’s what makes bobsleigh so captivating; watching a highly-tuned team working in tandem to try and capture glory for their country.
Whilst bobsleigh might be a fringe sport, it actually had its moment in the sun in the 1990s; when Disney released the movie Cool Runnings. This feel-good film became a firm favorite for many kids and was based on the incredible story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team that competed at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Interestingly, Jamaica’s bobsleigh team is returning for 2022, and Cool Runnings fans will be hoping they place high.
Snowboarding Big-Air
Definitely, one to catch for those who want to see athletes flying through the air; Snowboarding Big-air has only been an event at the Winter Olympics since 2018. Though in its infancy, the sport has many interested fans as it makes for fantastic viewing; watching supreme snowboarders hurl themselves down a giant slope and then launch into the air; contorting themselves gymnastically into as many tricks as possible, before hopefully landing clean and riding away smooth.
The biggest talking point at this time has been the course that has been constructed for the event in Beijing. The site is named Big Air Shougang and is situated right on top of a former steel mill. It sure makes for a picturesque setting to pull off some massive stunts; as the urban scenery of the cooling towers looks great as a backdrop to the snow.
Ice Hockey
This high-speed sport is always one of the biggest draws, due to its brutally fun entertainment. Two teams of five heavily-padded players compete on an ice rink, trying to shoot the puck into the opponent’s small-sized goal; which is guarded by an even heavier padded goaltender. The players have to be exceedingly high-skilled at ice-skating as they twist and turn on the ice; weaving in and out of harm’s way. It’s a full contact sport as well; so the players take great pleasure in speeding into each other as fast as possible to cause huge hits.
Unfortunately, the best ice-hockey players in the world, who play in the NHL, won’t be taking part in Beijing 2022. This is due to the NHL season occurring at the same time as these games; the NHL owners not wanting to give a break due to fixture congestion. However, that just means that the competition will be wide-open as the rest battle it out for the Gold medal.
The USA are outsiders for the top spot, with them being priced at 15/1, at the best betting sites for 2022. SBO.net bring its visitors every bookmaker that is worth knowing about; grouping together the companies with the best odds and the most generous bonus offers. Plus, you can bet on all kinds of winter sport, or nearly any other kind of sporting activity; as they have the biggest betting markets.