group of friends in snow

Winter Sports List To Keep You Active In Cold Days

Winter is some people’s favorite season. As a result, people opt to do different kinds of activities during winter. Some are always ready to head outside for an adventure. And that’s why we’re discussing the winter sports list in this article. However, others prefer to stay indoors and stay cozy. Do you prefer exercising at the comfort of your home? Don’t worry, because even in extreme weather in Alaska, you can still train for sports in your home gym.

 

 

Winter Sports List

As of this writing, there are 15 winter sports in the winter Olympics. So let us check them out one by one and see which one you think you’ll enjoy most.

Ice Hockey

ice hockey gameIce hockey is one of the favorite winter sports of all time. Because it’s quick-paced, the players and even the audience will always be thrilled about what will happen next. This winter Olympics sports require five players per team and one goalie situated on the rink. Each player’s job is to score goals and prevent the other team from getting a score. Thus, you can compare ice hockey to soccer or basketball. The only difference is that its players wear skates and glides.

Speed Skating

As if skating isn’t fun enough to do, the Dutch still made a way to make it more exciting. As a result, they are currently holding the most number of medals for speed skating. On a side note, the Netherlands was the first to use speed skating in sports competitions inside their country. Later on, the sport was acknowledged worldwide and made its way to the winter Olympics. The sports have different variations, and it can be done as an individual or team race.

Cross Country Skiing

Cross country skiing is first introduced in the winter Olympics in the year 1952. The 12-event winter sports also require 12 players, six men and six women—the event includes alternating several skiing styles while incorporating team relay and individual sprints. At the moment, Norway holds the most number of medals for cross country skiing.

Alpine Skiing

Alpine skiing is a winter sport consisting of 11 types of events. The events are combined team event giant slalom, slalom, Super-G, and downhill. Since its first introduction to the winter Olympics in 1936, Australia is the leading country with the most medals.

Biathlon

In a sense, biathlon combines features of cross country skiing with target-shooting events. This winter sport is perfect for both men and women athletes as it includes different relays. Some of its events are 10km sprint and 15km individual relays. Team biathlon events were introduced to the winter Olympics in 2014. 

Bobsledding

Bobsledding is also known as bobsleigh. The sport goes way back to 1924 and was initially made for men only. However, The Olympics added women’s events in 2002. It has four events which include four-person bobsledding, two-women sledding, two-person sledding, and a Monobob event designed for women.

  • Fun fact: The film Cool Runnings was inspired by the bobsleigh team of Jamaica in 1998.
Curling

This winter sports require two opposing teams to compete against each other. The sports conclude by pushing granite stones using a broom going to the target area, which was opposite the ice surface. Moreover, the team players wear curling shoes to allow them to grip the ice firmly and prevent slipping. Canada is one of the top countries with the most medals for curling.

Figure Skating

Our winter Olympic sports will not be complete without figure skating. It is considered one of the oldest winter sports in history. In the beginning, figure skating was also included in the Summer Olympics but was later on removed. Furthermore, figure skating includes men’s singles, pairs, women’s singles, ice dancing, and mixed team events. The United States is currently holding the most number of medals for this winter sport.

Luge

Luge is also one the oldest Olympic sports in the history of winter sports. It was first accepted in the Olympics in 1964. This sport holds four different events: women’s singles, men’s singles, mixed team relay, and mixed doubles. Luge is performed by lying down on a sled and while sliding down on an ice track. What makes it exciting is that the sleds do not have brakes, and they could go as fast as 140kph.

Nordic Combined

Nordic combined sports go way back to the first games of Olympic events in 1924. The sport is a combination of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. The events begin with individual races and were followed by team events.

Short Track

The short track can also be considered speed skating. The only difference is that this sport is performed on a shorter ice track. This has been in the winter Olympics since 1992 and includes five events for men and women athletes. Individual races are the most prominent, but team events are also included.

Skeleton

Skeleton was also introduced in the winter Olympics in the 1920s. The sport concludes by involving athletes riding on a small-sized led going down on an ice track headfirst. The United States is also the top holder of the most number of medals.

Ski Jumping

Ski jumping is also one of the oldest winter sports that started in the Olympics in the 1920s. It has events for both men and women as well as a mixed team race.

Snowboarding

snowboard athleteAlthough snowboarding is a popular winter sport, it has not been introduced to the Olympics until 1998. As of this writing, the sport has events such as snowboard cross, halfpipe, slopestyle, parallel giant slalom, and slopestyle. In addition, it is expected to add mixed race events in 2022.

 

 

Other Winter Sports

Not everyone is fond of athletic sports. So here are some of the winter sports and activities that you can try with your family.

  • snow polo
  • fat biking
  • iceboating
  • shovel racing
  • dog sledding
  • ice racing

 After a strenuous session, you can try having a sports massage to hasten up your recovery time.

 

 

 

 

References:

Winter Olympics Sports List (https://www.rookieroad.com/sports/winter-olympics-sports-list/#biathlon)

15 winter sports you need to try (that aren’t skiing) (https://www.contiki.com/six-two/best-winter-sports-try/)