An Array Of Winter Sports At The Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympic Games, held every 4 years, showcase a spectacular array of winter sports, wherein sportspersons from all over the world participate with much excitement and frenzy! This multi-sport gala event includes both individual and team-based games, played on ice or snow, including skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey and ice skating, to name just a few.

Winter Olympics Vs. Summer Olympics

Just like the Summer Olympics, the National Olympic Committee of each participating country enters its athletes for the grand event, who then compete against one another, for the gold, silver and bronze medals. Fewer nations participate in the Winter Olympics, as compared to the Summer Olympics, due to their unfavorable geographic locations. Countries along the Equator do not have access to adequate training facilities for winter sports.

United States has hosted this event maximum number of times so far, four, while France has hosted it three times till now. The most recent winter sports Olympics were organized in Turin, Italy in the year 2006. The next Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada, in 2010. This is going to be the second time that Canada is hosting the event. And for the year 2014, the Russian winter resort of Sochi has been elected for hosting this prestigious event.

Some Of The Most Popular Winter Sports Included In Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing - First included in 1936; features downhill, slalom, giant slalom, Super G and combined events, for men and women.
Biathlon - First included in 1960; features 5 events currently; participated by men and women.
Bobsleigh Been there since 1924; but wasnt included in 1960.
Cross-country One of the most popular winter sports, it has always been in the Winter Olympics.
Curling - Included in 1924, but then disappeared; demonstrated in 1932, 1988 and 1992; officially included in 1998.
Freestyle - First demonstrated in 1988; moguls event became official in 1992, but ballet and aerials remain demonstration only.
Ice hockey First held at the 1920 Summer Olympics; played in every Winter Sports Olympics; women's tournament first held in 1998.
Luge - First entered the program in 1964; the original three events remained unchanged.
Nordic-combined Combination of two winter sports, ski-jumping and cross-country skiing; included since 1924; team event added in 1988.
Short-track speed skating - Demonstrated in 1988; included four years later.
Skeleton - Included in both the events held in St. Moritz, the birthplace of the sport; but wasnt included till 2002 after that.
Ski jumping Been there since 1924.
Snowboarding - First contested in 1998.
Speed skating - Been on program since 1924; women's events included in 1960; team event made its debut in 2006.