What are the Winter Olympics?

The Winter Olympics is an

international sporting event that
occurs every four years. It usually
happens two years after each summer
Olympics but in the winter months.

At the winter games, hundreds of

athletes compete in a range of Just like in the summer games, the
sporting events that are held on ice top three athletes in each event win
and snow. medals:

• gold for first place

• silver for second place

• bronze for third place.

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 History of the Winter Olympics
The modern summer Olympics were
first held in 1896. Five years later,
the Nordic Games were held
featuring athletes mainly from
Norway and Sweden.

Events such as figure skating first

appeared at the Olympics in 1908.
However, a winter Olympics
competition was not supported as it
would rival the Nordic Games. Despite
this, figure skating and ice hockey
would later be featured as events in the
1920 Olympic Games.

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 History of the Winter Olympics
The first Winter Olympics were held in
1924 in Chamonix, France and was
known as the ‘International Winter
Sports Week’. Because the event was a
huge success, the International Olympic
Committee agreed to make it a
permanent event and created the official
Winter Olympic Games.

From 1928, the winter games were held

in the same year as the summer games.
However, this caused huge
organisational problems and so they
were moved to happen every two years France
after the summer games.

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 Beijing 2022
In 2022, the Winter Olympics is being
held in Beijing, China. It is the first time
that the city has hosted the winter
games, though it hosted the Summer
Olympics in 2008.

It is the first time that a city that hosted

the summer games will also host the
winter games.
The opening ceremony of the games
will happen on the 4th February in a
lavish ceremony. More than 100 events
will then take place over 16 days, Beijing
before the closing ceremony on the 20th
February.

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 Beijing 2022
The events will take place in 26 venues,
all of which will be running on
renewable energy sources.

Most events will be held in the city of

Beijing, although the luge, bobsleigh
and alpine skiing events will be held in
Xiaohaituo Mountain, Yanqing District
and all other skiing events will be held
in Chongli District, Zhangjiakou.

Beijing

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 Torch Relay
Each Winter Olympic Games has its
own special torch which goes on a relay
around the world.

The torch for the 2022 Winter

Olympics was lit in Olympia, Greece –
the site of the ancient Olympic Games
– on 18th October 2021 and arrived in
Beijing two days later.

The torch will light the flame for the

games during the opening ceremony.

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 Mascot
The mascot for Beijing 2022 is Bing
Dwen Dwen and is a giant panda -
China’s national animal.

‘Bing’ means ‘ice’ and symbolises

purity and strength.

‘Dwen Dwen’ means ‘robust and

lively’, but also represents children.

The mascot is designed to represent

the strength and determination of the
athletes as well as the Olympic
spirit.

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 Events
The 26 events are part of 15 different disciplines at the Winter Olympic Games:

Biathlon Cross-country
(cross-country skiing and rifle
Alpine Skiing Bobsleigh shooting) Skiing

Curling Freestyle Skiing Figure Skating Ice Hockey

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 Events
The 26 events are part of 15 different disciplines at the Winter Olympic Games:

Nordic Combined
(cross-country skiing and ski
Luge Snowboard jumping) Ski Jumping

Short Track Speed

Skeleton Skating Speed Skating

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 Fun Winter Olympics Facts
Three continents, Africa, South America and Antarctica have never hosted a Winter
Olympics.

Norway holds the most medals (368) at the Winter Games.

2022 will be the first time Haiti has taken part in the Winter Olympic Games.

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 Fun Winter Olympics Facts
Only five athletes have ever won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympics:

• Eddie Eagan (USA) – boxing (1920) and bobsleigh (1932)

• Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway) – ski jumping (1924) and sailing (1936)

• Christa Luding-Rotherburger (Germany) – speed skating (1984, 1988) and cycling

(1988)

• Clara Hughes (Canada) – cycling (1996) and speed skating (2002, 2006, 2010)

• Lauryn Williams (USA) – athletics (2004, 2012) and bobsleigh (2014)

Nobody has ever won more Winter Olympic medals than cross-country skier Marit
Bjorgen, who has won 15!
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