The Winter Olympics are coming so let’s get ready! My next 3 posts are intended to help get you in the spirit for the Winter Olympic Games. This first post will be about the games themselves; then we will look at the sports that are featured in the Winter Olympic; and finally we will look at some athletes to watch out for during the upcoming games. So, get ready, it is almost time to start rooting for your favorite country (probably your own) and see some of the best athletes in the world!

About the games:
The Winter Olympic Games are an international sporting event that occurs every four years (just like the Summer Olympic Games). This year we are celebrating the 22nd (XXII) Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in Sochi, Russia.  The games will take place from February 6th-23rd.

The very first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. There were only 7 winter sports represented in the first Winter Games: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, figure skating, ice hokey, speed skating, and Nordic combined. Over the years more sports have been added, with the current number of different sports in the games at 15 (we’ll talk more about these in my next post).

The Winter Olympic Games were held every four years from 1924 until 1936, until they were interrupted by World War II. The Winter Games then began again in 1948. The Winter and Summer Olympics Games were held in the same year until 1992, but after this year the Winter and Summer Olympics began to be held two years apart (on alternating even-numbered years). Both games still run on a 4-year cycle, just not the same 4-year cycle.

Like Olympic Games in past years this year’s Winter Games have their very own mascots. Other than the athletes, it seems like the mascots are some of the biggest celebrities at the games! For these Winter Games there are 3 mascots: a polar bear, a European hare (a hare is a type of rabbit), and an amur leopard.  All of these mascots represent animals that are found in the country that is hosting the games, Russia.

I hope you get the chance to watch some of these upcoming games and route for your favorite team and athletes. While you are watching, you might keep an eye out for the mascots, you are sure to see them pop up now and then.