Winter Olympic Games is one of the top sporting events that take place internationally. It is a platform that promote sports played on snow and ice. Countries from around the world take part in this interesting and fun filled event. Due to the immense popularity of these games, people belonging to different regions eagerly follow them. Different types of sports are organized in Winter Olympics; a few of them are played indoors while the others are played outdoors.
While going through the history and other interesting information about these games, we have come across some exciting facts and we would like to share with you. As you will continue reading the article you would come across the history, participations and achievements made by the people who remained a part of the Winter Olympic games.
Unfolding the Past
1924 was the year when the first-ever event of Winter Olympics took place and it was held in Chamonix, France. Another amazing fact that we have come across about Olympic is that the games that are played in this global event are inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, that were organized in Olympia, Greece, during the time period from 8th century to 4th century.
From the very day of its inception. Winter Games have evolved, gained popularity and are going bigger with each passing year. Since then, a lot of new rules, sports and disciplines not only have been added but they have evolved with Winter Olympics overtime and you would be amazed to know that most of these aspects and games. These include Alpine skiing, luge, short track speed skating, freestyle skiing, skeleton, and snowboarding.
The happening of the World War II in the year 1940 caused the authorities to delay Winter Olympic games. However, in the following years owing to the German Invasion in Poland, the IOC (International Olympics Committee) took a decision of halting the Winter Olympics for some years by keeping in view the regional situation of that time. The 1944 Winter Games in Italy were also called off and it was this announcement that made a lot of Olympic fans sad.
The end of the World War II years, marked the revival of regional peace and the IOC chose to proceed with the festival of the Winter Olympics. The Norwegian capital Oslo was chosen by IOC to have the 1952 Winter Games organized. The lighting of the ‘Winter Olympic Flame’ for this event was initially planned by Sondre Nordheim who was a renowned home skiing proficient.
Participants of the Winter Olympics
Ever since the Winter Olympic games have started in Chamonix France in the year 1924, over 40 nations have won no less than one Winter Olympic award. It is undoubtedly Norway, the one nation that is taking the lead in terms of getting Olympics medals.
It has to be kept in to consideration that a staggering number of more than 2,800 Winter Olympic gold, silver and bronze decorations have been given to different athletes belonging to numerous nations, and being at the first spot, Norway has gotten the most out of them, as per the data that has been accumulated by Sports Reference. Surprisingly the athlete who has been awarded with the most Olympic medals also belong to Norway.
Champion of Biathlon is a winter sport, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has scored numerous and most of them are made of gold, and it is because of this fact that he has become the most enlivened competitors of Olympic games and his achievements are well recognized by the International Olympics Committee. So, let’s have a look at the name of the 10 countries that have made the most wins in terms of Winter Olympic medals:
- Norway
- United States
- Germany
- Austria
- Soviet Union
- Canada
- Finland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Russia
Popular Sports Played During the Event
Over the years, Winter Olympic games have evolved, they have just got bigger and better. It is the now in the modern era where we get all the updates on our smartphones through our subscribed social channels.
We see that with each passing year, the number of fans for Winter Olympic games are increasing and this has also made the organizers to increase the number of sports being played in the event to make it more enjoyable while appropriately fulfilling the expectations of the athletes and fans. Amazingly we bring you the names and some details about the all the popular sports that are a part of Winter Olympics.
Alpine skiing: played since 1924, Alpine skiing also know as downhill skiing is a winter sports that involves skiers to slide-down the mountain blanketed by snow.
Biathlon: played since 1960, it is a very unusual kind of sport that is a combination of entirely two different games, one is cross-country skiing and the other is rifle. Strapped with the guns on their backs, after skiing for some distance, Athletes are required to shoot at the assigned target.
Bobsleigh: aka bobsled is an interesting winter sport involving two or four teammates running down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled during the assigned time.
Cross-country skiing: played since 1924, in this form of skiing, skiers have to rely on their own locomotion while moving across snow-covered terrain, instead of using ski lifts.
Curling: a sport in which stones are slid towards a specified target by players on a sheet made with ice segmented into four concentric circles.
Figure skating: dancing on ice to be more specific, it is a sport in which individuals, duos, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It is a part of Winter Olympics since 1924.
Freestyle skiing: a kind of sport which involves different style of skiing where players can also use different kind of skiing equipment.
Ice Hockey: it is a quick and physically challenging sport, with teams usually consisting of five players and a goaltender.
Luge: it is a physical activity where luge riders sled down at a high speed on slippery ice track, using reflexes to steer.
Nordic combined: played since 1924, it is a sport requiring athletes to battle each other for cross-country skiing and ski jumping.
Short track speed skating: a form of ice speed skating carried out on an oval ice track.
Skeleton: a sport in which athletes go head-first down on an ice track using just a tiny sled.
Ski jumping: an activity in which skiers are expected to land as far as they could while they jump off the ramp. It is a part of Winter Olympics since 1924.
Snowboarding: a recreational sport that requires a rider to descend a snow-covered slope with a snowboard attached to their feet.
Speed skating: played since 1924, it is a form of ice skating where participants race each other while skating on ice for some distance.
