February started with α very important and multi-sport institution of the WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES known as the 24th winter olympics. Similar to the Summer olympic games, the winter olympics take place every four years in a different city. This year they are held in BEIJING the capital of China and the next winter olympics, in 4 years time, in 2026, are going to be held in the Italian cities of cities of Milan and Cortina d Ampezzo. The main purpose of this insitution is the union of the countries from all over the world. The slogan of winter olympics is love and passion for ice and snow. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Olympic Games, were held in Chamonix, France. Unfortunately, the number of the countries, which are taking place, is quite smaller than the number of the countries of the summer olympics. In fact, there are just 90 countries which are competing this year. Only 12 countries have participated in every winter olympics and these are Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Six of these countries have won medals at every Winter Olympic Games – Austria, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. The only country which has won a gold medal in every Winter Olympic Games is the United States. The sports are alpine skiing, biathlon, bobleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hokey, luge, nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboard, speed skating.
If you ask me my favourite sport in Winter Olympics it is curling. Curling first originated in the 16th century in Scotland, which makes it one of the oldest team sports in the world. Those early games were played on frozen ponds and lochs, using curling stones from the regions of Perth and Stirling. In the 1600s, stones with handles were introduced, and in 1838 the Grand Caledonian Curling Club (renamed the Royal Caledonian Curling Club in 1843) drew up the first official rules of the sport. Throughout the 20th century, key developments were made in the sport, including the standardisation of the stone, the development of the slide delivery, and the use of indoor, refrigerated ice facilities. Men’s curling was a part of the inaugural Winter Olympics in 1924, but was later dropped before being re-introduced as a demonstration sport in 1932 in Lake Placid. Curling remained a demonstration sport at the Games between 1936 and 1992, until it finally re-joined the Olympic programme in Nagano in 1998 with both men’s and women’s competitions. The mixed doubles competition was added to the programme at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Canada is the most successful curling nation in Winter Olympic history with 11 medals, including six golds. Sweden is second in the table with eight medals. No athlete has won more than two medals competing in curling at the Games, which isn’t suprising given that the sport has only featured at eight editions of the Winter Olympics.
Don’t waste your time!! Go and watch the Winter Olympic Games. I think you will enjoy it.
