Beijing is the home to the 2022 Winter Olympics. The games kicked off on Friday,  Feb. 4 and will end on Sunday Feb. 20. 

The athletes that participate in these games seem to be  stronger athletes due to the fact that they train in the cold.

The Winter Olympics highlight the idea of a completely different lifestyle. These athletes thrive in the cold, something that I know I definitely do not like. They cannot simply train wherever they would like or on any given day unless they live where there are cold temperatures – or access to snow and ice. . 

The skeleton event for example, is a sport where the athlete lays face down on a winter sled and goes down a winding and narrow frozen track. 

This is not me saying that I like the Winter Olympics more than the Summer Olympics, or that the summer olympians are less by any means. 

The winter Olympics are underrated in the United States. Less and less Americans are watching the events. 

The opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympics only drew out 16 million viewers in the United States on television and streaming platforms. According to the Wall Street Journal, this  is a 43% drop since the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The Winter Olympics showcase sports that many did not know existed such as curling which was popular in the 2018 games.

An advantage of watching the winter games is the idea that anyone can win since they are more unpredictable. 

These games give off a level of excitement that is borderline dangerous and keeps us at the edge of our seats. For example, watching Nordic Combined gives me anxiety due to the level of speed and jump without holding on to anything.

The Winter Olympics of 1994 involved one of the biggest rivalries in sports and pop culture. The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan scandal brought figure skating into the homes of many Americans. 

Regardless of if you watch these sports or do not watch them at all, these athletes should be celebrated. They have worked hard to get to where they are at- to represent their names and their countries.

They share inspiring stories that may bring out a tear or two. I encourage you to watch at least one of the  events in the Winter 2022 Olympics that you have not heard of, it may surprise you.