Author: Bian Liqun
The XXIV Winter Olympics will open in Beijing on February 4, 2022. The Sports Department of China News Network launched a series of columns "100 Questions about the Winter Olympics", which aims to popularize the knowledge of the Winter Olympics, answer hot questions, and talk about ice and snow anecdotes, so as to help everyone have a better viewing experience during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
No. 6 Winter Olympics 100 Questions | At the Beijing Winter Olympics, what competitions have been added?
At the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, 109 gold medals will be decided, creating the highest in the history of the Winter Olympics. So, what small events have been added to this Winter Olympics?
At the meeting of the IOC Executive Committee held on July 18, 2018, the plan for the beijing Winter Olympic Games was approved. The seven new sub-events are women's singles, short track speed skating mixed group relay, ski jumping mixed group, freestyle ski jump (men's and women's), freestyle ski aerial skills mixed group and snowboard obstacle chase mixed group.
On February 16, 2002, In Salt Lake City, USA, Yang Yang won the championship in the women's 500m short track speed skating final at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. For the Chinese delegation to achieve a "breakthrough of zero" for the gold medal of the Winter Olympic Games. Image source: Visual China
Li Lingwei, a member of the IOC's project committee, said in an interview with the media that the IOC chose these 7 events mainly based on four considerations.
First, the addition of these 7 competition items will not conflict with the overall planning of the established venues for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and there is no need to increase the number of competition venues; second, tv broadcasters have the need to increase the content of the TV broadcast programs of the Winter Olympic Games; third, these projects are more popular projects among young people in recent years; and fourth, they will help further increase the proportion of women among the athletes participating in the Winter Olympic Games.
Of the 7 new events, 2 are women's, 4 are mixed team events, and only one is men's. The proportion of women among athletes participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics will reach 45.44%, surpassing the 41% of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. As a result, the Beijing Winter Olympics will have the highest proportion of female athletes and the largest number of women's events in the history of the Winter Olympic Games.
Zhu Chengyi, former deputy director of the Winter Sports Management Center of the State General Administration of Sport, once analyzed that some of the new small events are very beneficial for Chinese athletes to strive for good results at the Beijing Winter Olympics, "Among the new small events, the short-track speed skating mixed team relay and the freestyle ski aerial skill mixed team are our advantages, and will also be a new gold point for Chinese athletes." ”
Source: China News Service