Chào mừng Thế vận hội mùa đông 2022!

Welcome Winter Olympics 2022!

Image from Pixabay

As you already knew, Trung Quốc (China) is hosting the Thế vận hội mùa đông (Winter Olympics) this year in Bắc Kinh (Beijing) and nearby districts in tỉnh Hà Bắc (Hebei province) from 4-20 February. Các huy chương (medals) will be awarded in the following sport categories:

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

• Bi đá trên băng – Curling
• Hai môn phối hợp – Biathlon
• Khúc côn cầu trên băng – Ice hockey
• Trượt băng – Skating
• Trượt tuyết – Skiing
• Trượt ván trên tuyết – Snowboarding
• Trượt băng lòng máng – Sledding

Cùng nhau hướng tới tương lai chung (Together for a Shared Future) was the slogan chosen for the 2022 Thế vận hội mùa đông.

Because Vietnam has tropical weather, these winter sports obviously are almost non-existent there. It’s easy to understand why Vietnam has never participated in the Olympic Winter Games. Regardless, Vietnam did try to join the 2022 Winter Games in the sport of Trượt băng lòng máng for the first time in its history. Unfortunately, it did not make it on the list of participants.

I don’t foresee any development of winter sports becoming popular in Vietnam. It’s simply too costly and impractical. Vietnam doesn’t have a really cold winter like Korea, Japan, or China. To practice, I guess the athletes have to frequently travel to other countries. Who knows, in the future there may be Vietnamese living overseas who represent Vietnam at Thế vận hội mùa đông.

What do you think of “Băng Đôn Đôn” (Bing Dwen Dwen) panda, the 2022 Winter Olympics mascot? It’s cute, right? Yeah, until you hear Băng Đôn Đôn’s voice on some Chinese clips. Uhm… it’s not cute at all. Well, not just me, lots of people were disappointed as well. Fortunately, I read somewhere on the internet that the Art Director of the Games confirmed that Băng Đôn Đôn will not have a voice and will be gender neutral.

Of all the winter sports, I always love watching trượt băng nghệ thuật (Figure skating). It’s fun, artistic, and so beautiful. To me, the performers are like birds gracefully dancing on ice in gorgeous costumes. Kristine Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, and now Nathan Chen; these Asian American figure skaters have inspired many generations. I know a few Vietnamese friends whose daughters are seriously training in this sport. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day we hear a Vietnamese name called at the Olympic skating rink. Let’s hope for the best!

Enjoy watching Thế vận hội mùa đông 2022.  If you wonder who will host the next games in 2026. It’s in Ý (Italy), in the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, or Milano Cortina for short.

Image from Pixabay