You can’t help but get excited – it’s the Winter Olympics 2022! You only get the opportunity to see the Games once every four years, and they never disappoint. In 2022, the Winter Olympics journey to Beijing for what promises to be one of the most exciting ever.
The size and scale mean that you get more sports in 5 weeks than at almost any other time, a fact that also makes the Winter Olympics an unbelievably complicated experience for competitors, visitors, and hosts.
But that’s what makes them so special; the atmosphere is electric. In 2022, you’re going to see old favorites, as well as new sports, incredible arenas, and memorable moments. Buckle up…
‘Old’ Favorites
Perhaps the most iconic moment in Winter Olympics history, the ‘Miracle on Ice’ seems like a distant memory now, but it helped build the Winter Games as a serious contender to its summer relation. Here’s hoping that the 2022 Games deliver more transcendental moments that inspire a generation.
Spectators will have plenty of their heroes to cheer on.
- The American Women’s Hockey team. The American team won a historic victory in South Korea, defeating Canada 4-3 on penalties, as Jocelyne Lamoureux’s ‘Oops I Did It Again’ shootout move secured the win. They’ll be back to defend their title.
- Shaun White. The incredible American snowboarder secured the Half-Pipe win on his very final run last time. Will he come back to claim his crown in 2022?
- Mirai Nagasu. The US figure skater became an instant sensation when she became the first woman ever to land a triple axel. Expect her to draw huge crowds in Beijing.
The magic of the Olympics is in the stories that emerge, and every Games has stories both new and old. Expect to see some reputations deflated, and prepare to discover someone or something new.
New Sports
The Beijing Winter Olympics sees the addition of 7 new disciplines, all with their own flavor to bring to the Games. Some look like they could become firm favorites with Olympic audiences. Some of the most exciting are below.
- Skiing Big Air – After the successful inclusion of the Snowboarding version last time around in PyeongChang, skiers get the chance to huck enormous tricks for the judges in one of the most dramatic sports on show.
- MonoBob – The single person version of the Bobsleigh, MonoBob is a totally new version for 2022, after being trialed at the youth level. Although it caused some controversy after the more established 4-person category was abolished (for women only), it will offer a new aspect to a traditional classic.
- Snowboard Cross – This gets the nod for 2022 after the skiing version has become a serious favorite for its punishing courses and action-packed races.
- Several more events have also been added, including team events like the short track relay and skiing aerials.
We’re halfway through the Winter Olympic cycle, everyone is starting to find their form for 2022, and it’s getting really exciting. You can absolutely expect to see an incredible welcome from the Chinese hosts, who have recent experience of building incredible facilities for the Games.
But, what everyone expects is exactly the thing we can’t predict – unbelievable sporting memories to last a lifetime. Also, check out our article on Summer Olympics predictions!
