The Winter Olympics have given the world chills with their jaw-dropping events and rigorous competition since 1924 in Chamonix, France. Now even more competitive, the 23rd Winter Olympics will be hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea February 9-25, 2018. There will be thousands of athletes competing from roughly 92 countries in 102 events, such as bobsledding, ice hockey, biathlon and alpine skiing. America should tune into NBC for their 2018 Olympic coverage.
Among the world-famous athletes competing, some are returning favorites. Jamie Anderson, a female snowboarder who won the gold medal in the slope-style event in 2014, is coming back hungry for another gold medal. The renowned snowboarder Shaun White, who made his debut at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy where he won the gold in the half-pipe event, is attempting to return again this cycle for his signature event.
The 2018 Winter Olympics will also be the first international appearance for numerous young athletes. Moreover, it marks a milestone for the breaking of world geographical barriers. It will feature three women representing Nigeria who will compete as the first-ever bobsledding team from the entire continent of Africa. The U.S. is sending the first openly gay male American competitor, Adam Rippon, to the Winter Olympics; he will compete in the figure skating event.
North Korea, perhaps the most talked about country in the news and in this Olympic cycle, has negotiated with the International Olympic committee in an attempt to participate in this year’s Olympics. Despite a volatile history of world relations and increased tensions with foreign countries in recent years, North Korea will send 22 athletes to compete under an unprecedented, neutral and unified Korean flag. A number of their athletes will compete in ice hockey alongside South Koreans as a combined team. We will watch in hopes that this could promise a peaceful future for the North and South, defusing the warlike tensions that have existed for decades.
Collectively, the 2018 Winter Olympics will be a great source of entertainment for the whole world. Hopefully, this global event will serve as even a momentary unification of the world in the hopes of a more peaceful future.
