Every two years the world gathers around their televisions to celebrate our best athletes. The Olympics are a spectacular show of solidarity for every human regardless of where they come from across the globe, uniting us all through sport. But it can get confusing remembering the names of all of the events, particularly in the Winter Olympics. You may not sound so sporty if you refer to the luge as “feet-first-slidey-tea-tray-slope”, but unless you know the name that’s pretty much as close as you can get to explaining it. So here’s a list of a few Olympics sports so you know the difference between the pentathlon and the steeplechase.
Winter
Biathlon: Created in Norway, the biathlon is skiing broken up by shooting with a rifle. This event is split into two different events depending on distance and gender; 10km and 20Km for men, and 7.5km and 15km for women. Athletes must shoot targets the size of golf balls from 100m metres twice in the smaller distance and four times in the larger one. Athletes must shoot five targets either prone or standing. Bobsleigh: Athletes compete with either 2 or 4 team members in the sleigh and must complete the intricate icy track with the best time. If you’ve ever seen Cool Runnings then it’s the thing in that. Luge: This event is very similar to skeleton, however competitors lie on their backs facing feet-first. This event takes place in both single and double events and athletes manoeuvre the course using just their calf muscles and shoulders. Skeleton: This is an event similar to luge where individuals lie on their stomachs, face forward, using their heads to steer. Curling: Although the infographic describes curling as “chess on ice”, it’s actually more like bowling. Teams must sweep granite stones and aim to get them as close to the centre of a target as possible.
Summer
Modern Pentathlon: This event has five parts and is meant to re-enact the experience of 19th Century cavalry soldiers. It involves fencing, swimming, show jumping and combined running and shooting. Dressage: Although particularly fancier than most other events, dressage takes a lot of training and skill. Horses and their riders must perform accurately gaits, transitions between gaits and pirouettes. 3000M Steeplechase: This is a lot like an obstacle course where there is 4 obstacles that athletes can jump over by any means possible and 1 water barrier around a track. Trampolining: It may look like simply bouncing up and down on a trampoline but it’s actually very complicated. Trampoliners (trampolinists? trampolinerists?) must make contact between the trampoline and their feet, seat, front and back whilst remaining as close to the centre as possible. What’s That Olympic Sport Called Again? | Sports Management Degrees
