Winter Olympics Teacher Worksheets (original) (raw)

Winter Olympics Printable Worksheets

The Winter Olympic Games are held every four years in various nations of the world. The first Winter Olympic games took place in Chamonix, France in 1924. Sixteen events were held in seven sports. Today the games have exploded into a worldwide phenomenom. You will find a number of great worksheets here to help your students better understand the Winter Games.

Adjective Worksheets

Winter Olympics Songs

Writing Worksheets

What Are the Main Events of the Winter Olympics?

The Winter Olympics, held every four years, is one of the biggest sports events where the best athletes from all over the world gather together in one host city to showcase their talents and represent their respective counties. The Winter Olympics was first held in 1924, and since then, five major events have appeared every year since the Winter Olympics began. These events are as follows:

- Ice hockey
- Cross-country skiing
- Ski jumping
- Figure skating
- Speed skating

If you are planning some Winter Olympics for your students, we have covered a list of sports events you should know about! Read on to find out.

What are the Main Events of the Winter Olympics?

Let us look at the major thrilling events of the Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympics sports can be categorized into three main categories, namely:

1. Ice Sports
2. Skiing, Alpine, and Snowboarding
3. Nordic Events

Ice Sports

Here are the Winter Olympics sports that fall under the Ice Sports category:

1. Ice Hockey

Ice hockey is one of the Winter Olympics Games' most popular and loved events. Some of the best hockey players from different parts compete at the highest level. Ice hockey tournaments started in 1920 and have only gained more popularity. In this sport, the players wear skates and play hockey on an ice skating rink marked with lines specific to ice hockey.

2. Speed Skating

Speed skating is one of the original Winter Olympics Games and is still very popular today. The speed skating events take place on two different size tracks. The large track is 400 meters, while the smaller one is 111.12 meters. The competition consists of the following:

- One-on-one races
- Group races
- Relays

3. Luge

Luge involves the players sliding down the mountain at a very high speed. The speed is sometimes even faster than 87 miles per hour, approximately 140 kilometers per hour. Luge consists of separate men's and women's races and doubles events in which two people use the same sled.

4. Figure Skating

Figures feature men and women who perform figure skates on an ice rink, ice dancing, theater on ice, and four skatings. Figure skating is mesmerizing to watch as the players perform perfectly in sync and have excellent balancing skills. Judging figure skating is often so intense and controversial, leading to a dramatic turn of events.

5. Curling

Curling was introduced in the Winter Olympics Games in 1998 and has remained a fan favorite. The sport involves the players moving heavy stones across the ice toward a specified target. Teams have to bring the moving object closest to the target to win. A round-robin tournament marks the beginning of a curling competition.

6. Skeleton

Skeleton is similar to the Luge Sports Events as it involves the players moving a frozen track at a very high speed. The major differentiating factor between the Skeleton and the Luge event is that the Skelton players headfirst down the track, starting the race with a run.

7. Bobsleigh or Bobsled

Bobsleigh is also termed as Bobsled. This sport was first introduced as a women's sport back in 2002. The game involves 2 to 4-person teams who have to hurl down a track. The players must make timely runs down complicated, narrow brakes and twisted icy tracks. They often use a strong start to reach extremely high speeds. Like all Winter Olympics Sports, Bobsleigh, too, requires a lot of speed, agility, and strength to win.

Skiing, Alpine, and Snowboarding

Let us now look at the main Winter Olympics sports events that fall under the category of Skiing, Alpine, and Snowboarding;

1. Alpine Skiing

Alpine Skiing is considered one of the most important events of the Winter Olympic Games. This sport is also referred to as downhill skiing and involves the players on skis sliding down snow-covered slopes using fixed bindings for the heels. The tracks are technical and consist of many permutations.

2. Freestyle Skiing

If you are a fan of aerial gymnastics, you will love freestyle skating. This sport involves the skiers performing somersaults and complex twists, making this one of the most challenging sports. It isn't easy to maintain balance and stay upright.

3. Snow Boarding

Snowboarding is also one of the Winter Olympics' most popular sports that was first included as an event in 1998 in Japan. It consists of the snowboard cross, the half-pipe, and the parallel giant slalom. The snowboard cross involves a four-person race with many twists, turns, and jumps, whereas the half pine is a tricks competition. The parallel giant slalom consists of identical slalom tracks where players compete one-on-one.

Nordic Events

The Winter Olympics sports events that fall under the Nordic category are as follows:

1. Ski Jumping

Ski jumping is one of the most thrilling sports in the Winter Olympics as it involves the players soaring on a ski at around 600 feet in the air. The higher the distance, the higher the points. The players also perform twists and other stunts to get style points.

2. Biathlon

The Biathlon is a unique sport in the Winter Olympics that combines rifle shooting with cross-country skiing. The players must aim at targets while finishing a race course in the fastest time possible. Poor aiming leads to penalties. Scandinavian countries often perform the best in Biathlon since this sport is rooted in Nordic.

3. Cross Country Skiing

Another Winter Olympics sport involving players going downhill is Cross Country Skiing. The player replies on their locomotion to cross the difficult snow-covered track or terrain. This sport takes many forms, which are:

- Individual start races
- Mass start races
- Pursuit (relay race)

Wrapping Up

The Winter Olympic Games is a major international sports event that occurs every four years in one host country. Over the past century, the Winter Olympic Games have gained much popularity worldwide. The top athletes from different parts of the world compete in some of the toughest sports.

We hope that by now you have a fair idea about the main events of the Winter Olympic Games.