XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver

The Olympic Countdown is on...
And it all begins February 12 with Ski Jumping!

Whistler-Blackcomb will be hosting the event this year, which has all of us here on the Northern Hemisphere pretty excited. We WILL have some special contests and events made exclusively for our SkiDazzle.com Members! So make sure you stay tuned for more information...

In case you haven't had an overview of the games in awhile, here is a list of sports featured at the Winter Olympics:

Alpine skiing • Biathlon • Bobsled
Cross‑country skiing • Curling • Figure skating
Freestyle skiing • Ice hockey • Luge
Nordic combined • Short track speed skating
Skeleton • Ski jumping • Snowboarding
Speed skating

WANT AIR, CAR OR HOTEL TO SEE THE OLYMPICS IN CANADA? Click here!!

Basically explained, the Winter Olympic Games are a winter multi-sport event held every four years. They feature winter sports held on snow or ice, such as Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, bobsledding and ice hockey. Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been competed at every Winter Olympics since 1924. Other athletic events have been added as the Games have progressed. Some of these events, such as luge, short track speed skating, and freestyle skiing have earned a permanent spot on the Olympic programme. Others, like speed skiing, bandy, and skijöring have been demonstration sports but never incorporated officially as an Olympic sport.

Fewer countries participate in the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics. The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France. Figure skating and ice hockey had been events at the Summer Olympics prior to 1924. The Games were held every four years from 1924 until 1940 when they were interrupted by World War II. The Winter and Summer Games resumed in 1948 and were celebrated on the same year until 1992. At that time the Winter Games split from the Summer Games. The Summer and Winter Olympics are currently celebrated on alternating even years. The first Winter Olympic Games to be held on this new schedule was in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway.

The Winter Games have undergone significant changes since their inception. The rise of television as a global medium for communication has greatly enhanced the profile of the Games. It has also created an income stream, in the form of the sale of broadcast rights, and advertising, which has become very lucrative. This has also allowed outside interests, such as television companies and corporate sponsors, to influence the various aspects of the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has had to address several internal scandals, and the use of performance enhancing drugs by Winter Olympic athletes. The Winter Games have also been used by countries to demonstrate the superiority of their political systems.

Many countries have played home to the Winter Olympics. France has been host to the Games three times. The United States has hosted the Games four times, more than any other country. Several countries including Italy, Japan, Austria and Norway have hosted the Games twice. The next host city will be Vancouver, Canada in 2010. This will be the second time the Games will be held in Canada.The Games will then be hosted by Sochi, Russia in 2014. This will be the first time that Russia has hosted a Winter Olympic Games.

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