It seems like an Olympic games only recently wrapped up because, well, one did.
In just a year from now though, another one will already be underway in Sochi, Russia.
The 22nd Winter Olympics will kick off on Feb. 7, 2014 and run through Feb. 23, 2014, and will be the first ever to be held in Russia.
I have come to enjoy the Winter games much more than its Summer counterpart, partly because of its openness to new events.
The Winter Olympics has adopted snowboarding and some of the styles associated with it into other events, such as the newly accepted ski half-pipe competition that will be held for the first time at Sochi. Meanwhile, the Summer games have dropped baseball and softball, while table tennis and something called handball, still remain.
There should be a moment where you get a sense of gratification after watching a sporting event, and the Winter games offer more of these opportunities. The feeling needs to be built up as the event is going on, which means there needs to be some length to them too.
In the Summer games, the 100 meter dash is a thrill.
Eight guys line up, the gun fires and they dash down the track at amazing speeds. But it’s over almost just as quickly as it starts. Synchronized diving caught on early during the 2012 Olympics as a tense watch because of the precision involved. But again, it’s over like that.
The drama in many of the best Summer events come before they even begin, mainly from the anticipation that surrounds them. The Winter games rarely have something that is completed in 10 seconds, allowing for the competition to unfold in front of us and create its own theater.
Two- and four-person bobsleigh teams race down the track at 80 miles per hour for over three minutes at a time. Downhill alpine skiers have nearly no way to stop other than crashing while attempting to stay on course at speeds nearing 60 mph.
Figure skaters have to be a perfect as possible in their maneuvers for over two minutes as they skate around the ice. Heck, the Winter games even one up Summer by also having a marathon of sorts on skis in the biathlon, which adds a rifle to the equation and makes you fire at targets before advancing onward.
Of course, there’s also fun sports such as hockey and the always exciting speed skating, especially on the short track. But frankly speaking, what would a Winter Olympics be without the greatness that is curling.
After catching my attention at the 2002 games at Salt Lake City, Utah, curling has become my must-watch sport during the games and I cannot believe I have not played the sport myself yet.
The Olympics contain some of the most exciting sporting moments of the year every time it comes around in both of its forms. Just last summer, Usain Bolt defended his 100 meter dash title and the newest version of the Dream Team took gold again.
In a year from now, new memories will be available after the games return. Only this time, they’ll be covered in snow.
