‌‌❄️‌🥇‌‌🥈‌‌🥉❄️‌ 2022 Winter Olympics‌‌ ❄️‌🥉‌‌🥈‌‌🥇‌‌❄️‌

[RafaC]

Hey everyone!

Today the 2022 Winter Olympic games start is Beijing!!

Photo source: https://unsplash.com/photos/hT9srFlXPGE

Yes I know: haven't the previous Olympic games just ended? They did, but we have to remember that initially they were planned to happen in 2020 and had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But for sports fans such as myself, that's far from being a problem. Also, because of the Omicron variant, China chose to not sell tickets to the general public for  both the Olympics and Paralympics. Strict “closed loop” safety measures will also take place: daily testing for participants and requiring all athletes and staff to be fully vaccinated (or face a 21-day quarantine).

In this Winter edition, we'll be lucky to see no more no less than 109 events over 7 sports. Seven new events were added, them being:

• Bobsled: Women's monobob.
• Freestyle skiing: Mixed team aerials. ⛷
• Freestyle skiing: Men's big air. ⛷
• Freestyle skiing: Women's big air. ⛷
• Short-track speedskating: Mixed team relay.
• Ski jumping: Mixed team event. 
• Snowboarding: Mixed team snowboard cross. 🏂

Those additions have made this edition of the Winter Olympics the one with the greatest number of events so far.

The tournament is currently scheduled to take place for February 4 up until February 20, when the closing ceremony takes place. After that, the Paralympics are scheduled for March 4 to 13.

One curious point about this year's edition is that it doesn't snow that much in Beijing, so two cities close to the capital will host the outdoor skiing events, them being Yanqing and Zhandjiakou. But even on those cities usually there isn't an amount of snow necessary to support ski practice, so there'll be artificially created snow as well.

Adding to that, Beijing will be the the inaugural dual Olympic city, being the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, as it has hosted the Summer Games in 2008.

The mascots for this year's Olympics and Paralympics games are Bing Dwen Dwen (a panda who wears a suit made of ice) and Shuey Rhon Rhon, an anthropomorphic lantern, respectively. 

By the way you can watch  the opening ceremony live on BBC One, with coverage starting from 11:30am today

Are you excited for any particular sport? Does any of the new events get your attention? Do you prefer the "Summer" Olympics or the Winter version? Let us know in the comments below

[lewys-gp]

Love a bit of the Olympics, so will look forward to seeing the highlights over the next two weeks. Cheers, Rafa 😁.

[Cleoriff]

@RafaC 

I love the Olympics but admit I prefer the Summer Games. So I shall drop in and out here to watch the events which interest me.

The curling has already started and my husband likes that (I Don't!) but will enjoy parts of it.

I think there was general shock when Beijing was picked as they don't have snow!

It's cost an obscene amount of money to generate the artificial snow.

I'll look forward to the opening ceremony as Beijing always puts on a magnificent show.

[RafaC]

@lewys-gp let us know what you're going to watch! Any tips on events are welcomed

@Cleoriff I do prefer the Summer edition too, and I'll do the same as you, will focus only on the events which interest me (I'm not a fan of curling either, so didn't even know that it has already started). I won't be able to watch the Opening Ceremony live, but I will catch up the highlights later in the day

[Mi-Amigo]

Not a huge fan of Winter Olympics, but do like watching bobsled [probably because I love the movie Cool Runnings] and also like curling - something which I wish I`d had a go at when I was younger but my poor balance on ice hit that idea on the head 😂. 

[RafaC]

@Mi-Amigo I do enjoy bobsled too and for the same reason as you! That movie introduced me to the sport and since then I watch a little bit of it every Winter Olympics edition  🛷

[RunrigForever]

I particularly like the figure skating, but enjoy the Winter Olympics probably more than the Summer ones. I will be watching on BBC iPlayer because I have naffed up my TV settings ... Just no good with tech stuff.

[RafaC]

The Winter Olympics are great indeed @RunrigForever,  glad you'll be able to watch it on BBC iPlayer!

@Mi-Amigo speaking of BBC, I think you'll like these news the've published on their website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-60271068

[lewys-gp]

"While the athletes are undoubtedly impressive, the real star of the Olympics thus far is the remarkable setting of the freestyle skiing big air event. The structure was constructed on the site of the now-closed Shougang Group steel mill, China's first state-owned plant that propelled it to world dominance in steel production" AP⬅️more photos via the link.

[Mi-Amigo]

Well that`s it. The 2022 Winter Olympics are over.

Team GB got two medals - GOLD in Women`s curling and SILVER in Men`s curling.

Maybe I was the only member of the Community who love the curling [and no I didn`t stay up to the wee small hours to watch the final] but surely everyone must agree the teams put on a brilliant performance throughout aganst very strong competition.