What sports are there in the winter olympics

The Games were instead held in Innsbruck, Austria. Walt Disney oversaw the opening and closing ceremonies, taking those events to new heights. The opening ceremony featured 3, musicians, the release of 2, doves and 30, balloons, fireworks, a speech from vice president Richard Nixon and a prayer by actor Karl Malden. The Winter Games in Lillehammer were held two years after the Olympics, putting the event on a two-year alternating schedule with the Summer Olympics.

It was also the year the former Soviet Union's republics participated as separate teams and South Africa returned to the competition after a year ban because of apartheid.

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With icy conditions, slick surfaces and freezing temperatures, technological innovation is especially important for the athletes and organizers of the Winter Olympics. From an all-weather torch to a souped-up bobsled, check out some of the many inventions the Games have The snow-covered Alps sparkled in the sunlight that bathed the winter resort of Chamonix, France, on January 25, When the Olympic Committee announced that Squaw Valley would be the Denver won—then rejected—the Winter Olympics.

As the projected costs and environmental From the 8th century B. Modern Olympic history is full of heart-thumping victories and painful defeats.

From Athens to Rio, in the Skiing has been a method of transportation since prehistoric times and a competitive sport for more than a century. The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year.

In the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place between December 20 and 23, depending on the year. The reverse is true in the Southern Hemisphere, where the shortest day of the year occurs in June.

There are one-on-one races, group races, and relays. The only sporting event to combine cross-country skiing with target shooting, the biathlon is a truly unique sport. Competitors must complete a race course in as fast a time as possible, while also performing feats of marksmanship along the way. Poor aim results in penalties to one's race time. Biathlon has Nordic roots, so it's no surprise that Scandinavian countries tend to dominate the medal count.

Freestyle skiing is a gymnastic, aerial show. Skiers go off jumps to perform stunts like somersaults and twists, or take on mogul courses where it's a challenge just to stay upright, let alone do tricks. A recent addition in the freestyle category is the "cross," a race that incorporates lots of jumps and turns, inspired by the snowboard cross event.

The luge is a sled that racers ride down the mountain at breakneck speed, sometimes as fast as 87 miles per hour kilometers per hour. Besides men's and women's races, there are also doubles events, with two people lying on the same sled. As its name implies, the Nordic combined is a hybrid event, with a ski jump followed by a cross-country race.

The results of the jump form the basis for the race seeding. Bobsleigh, also referred to as Bobsledding, has been around since the first Winter Olympics in Initially, Bobsleigh was just a sport for men to compete in, but in , women's events were added.

The four events on tap include two-man sledding, two-women sledding, four-man sledding, and a monobob sledding event for women. Switzerland currently holds the most medals for this sport. A fun fact is that the film, Cool Runnings, was inspired by Jamaica's bobsledding team. The event itself, however, consists of 12 separate events: 6 for men and 6 for women introduced in The events include a team relay, individual sprints, and different events alternating between the types of skiing styles just as there are four strokes in swimming.

Wooden skis were used up until Norway currently holds the most medals for this sport. Curling is a team sport played by two teams competing against one another on a sheet of ice. The goal is for players to push granite stones with a broom or brush onto a target similar to the target used in archery at the opposite end of the meter long surface.

The two most common types of brooms used include a push broom or a straw broom similar to the typical broom used to sweep. Competitors wear special curling shoes that allow a player to grip the ice to not slip. Canada currently holds the most medals for this sport. Figure skating is the oldest winter sport in Olympic history, initially being added to the Summer Olympic Games in until its transition to the inaugural Winter Olympics In Figure skating Winter Olympic events include men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, mixed team event and ice dancing.

In , the figure skating team event was added. Today, figure skating features five events in each Winter Olympics. The United States currently holds the most medals for this sport. Freestyle skiing was first brought to the Winter Olympics in Freestyle skiing continues to evolve as a Winter Olympic sport.

The six freestyle skiing events include aerials, moguls, ski cross, ski halfpipe, ski slopestyle, and big air. Ski cross was added in , ski halfpipe and ski slopestyle were added in , and big air is set to be added in Rugby union. Sport Years Alpine skiing. Cross-country skiing. Sport Years Ice hockey. United States USA.

Great Britain GBR. France FRA. China CHN. Itali ITA.