The Summer Olympics is believed to be the most significant sporting event in the world, as it is where the most famous sports are played. But is the Winter Olympics any less captivating, engaging, and entertaining?
The answer to this question is an obvious ‘no.’ A wide array of intriguing sports is played in the winter Olympics, and sports lovers around the globe simply wait eagerly for this great sporting event to take place. The games that are played in the Winter Olympics include Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross-country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Nordic Combined, Short Track Speed Skating, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, Ski Mountaineering, Snowboard, and Speed Skating.
Playing on snow or ice surfaces makes learning and adapting to a sport even more challenging. The number of countries participating in these sports is comparatively less due to unsupportive climatic countries. But that can not take away the thrill out of the winter games. Athletes giving their best in their respective sports is a delight to watch and worth waiting for four years for the Winter Olympics.
It is not that only sports lovers are eager to follow these sports, but it also engages sports bettors and gamblers. They love to bet on their favorite ice-born sports and their most valued players on trusted gambling sites, especially in https://casinoudendansklicens.org/.
What Are Those Best Winter Olympic Sports?
This article will talk about the top Winter Olympics sports, based on their popularity. So, here is our list of 10 that follows:
Ice Hockey
Undoubtedly, ice hockey immediately comes to mind whenever we talk about winter sports and the Olympics. It engages sports lovers and betters around the globe. Ice Hockey is one of the few team sports played at the world event. It is played on the surface of an ice skate with markings and lines relevant to the sport.
Canada, Russia, and the USA are the strongest nations to beat in Ice Hockey. However, the current champions are Finland defeating Russia in the men’s event. The Canadian women’s team beat the United States 3-2 to win gold.
Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle Skiing is another great event in the Winter Olympics. The freestyle includes great aerials, halfpipe, moguls, ski cross, and slopestyle. The ski cross is similar to a motocross race and is done with skis on ice. Watching players knock each other to reach the finish line as quickly as possible is fun.
Snowboard
Snowboarding gained massive popularity after the Shaun White exhibition, where he landed the 1440s perfectly in the pipeline. But, there is much more than that in this sport. Snowboarding events are hosted in groups, and the Olympics introduced a new ‘Big Air’ event in their 2018 edition. It is one of the newest sports that are included in the grand event. Austria and the USA are the leading nations in this sport at current times, bagging 3 golds and 1 silver each.
Alpine Skiing
Apart from the freestyle skiing we mentioned above, Alpine Skiing is another red hot event at the Winter Olympics. This sport comprises slalom and downhill skiing events at which skiers must challenge the gravitational laws at speed comparable to a sports car. The part where they need to get down a hill is enthralling and breath-taking at the same time.
Figure Skating
Figure skating can be called an incredible combination of gymnastics and skating. The performers spin themselves in the air and land beautifully on just one blade on the snow. The final scores depend entirely on the performer’s action in the air while spinning and a smooth landing. Five events of figure skating were contested at the Winter Olympics. Three of the five events are mixed events, one for women, and one for men.
Luge
Luge is a French term for “sledge.” In this game, sled riders slide down an exceedingly slippery ice path at an immense speed, banking on their steering reflexes. It is more interesting as the riders have minimum protection, unlike the Bobsleigh event. The ice track on which the sport is played enables gravity to accelerate the speed of the sled.
Skeleton
Skeleton is quite similar to Luge, and in various instances, it can be even more intense and terrifying. In Skeleton, the rules say to go ‘face first.’ Players must run at a tremendous pace from the starting line for the first 40 meters and jump on a sled with their heads first. Then they have to navigate their course through the surface of the ice at more than 80 MPH.
Curling
A version of this game is played occasionally in the Summer Olympics too, but not on the surface of the ice, of course. The game requires precision more than skills, and that’s what makes it so unique. The players must slide spherical stones on the ice toward a marked area. The target is noted by four concentric circles. The game is often termed “the roaring game” because of the distinctive sound that the heavy stones make while travelling across the ice path.
Speed Skating
Speed skating can be termed the marathon of the Winter Olympics. This game takes time to complete, and players have to strive hard to be leading at the finish line. The Netherlands outclassed other opponents in the recent 2022 Winter Olympics bagging 12 medals in total with 6 golds in this event. However, short-track racing has gained more popularity recently as it takes less time than speed skating.
Bobsled
Bobsled, also known as Bobsleigh, is a trendy winter sport where a player has to run through a narrow, banked, and twisted iced track as quickly as possible. It is also one of the oldest winter games that came into existence in 1870, and it was introduced in the Winter Olympics in 1924. The winning team is the one which completes the challenging ice route at the best possible time. Germany is the current bobsleigh champion in the recent 2022 Winter Olympics, pocketing 3 golds, 3 silvers, and 1 bronze medal.
Conclusion: Why Is the Winter Olympics Entertaining?
So, these were some of the sports that always top the list of the most famous and entertaining, not only in the Winter Olympics but also in winter sports in general. Due to unfavorable climatic conditions, many countries may not be able to participate in these events, but sports lovers from non-participating countries also follow and love these sports. Other winter games too, apart from the list, are also entertaining in their own way.