As many people already know, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will be beginning this Friday, Feb. 7. The wait for this Olympics has been rather tense, with controversies surrounding Russian homosexual intolerance and dangerous shootings, particularly some advances in completely boycotting the games this year. Despite some issues, the games will proudly continue on.
After the Olympic torch finishes its journey to Sochi, including its slight detour underwater and into space, the 2014 Winter Games will begin! The Opening Ceremony’s performances have been kept mostly quiet this time around, but there has been word that Mariinsky Theater ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina, violinist Yuri Bashmet, conductor Valery Gergiev, and pianist Denis Matsuev will be part of the program. So far, it seems an emphasis has been put on the classical element; tune in online or on TV to watch.
This year, a few new games will be introduced to the Olympic grounds. These include the biathlon mixed relay, men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle, men’s and women’s snowboard parallel slalom, luge team relay, ski halfpipe, men’s and women’s ski slopestyle, figure skating team event, and women’s ski jumping. These 12 debut events will contribute to a total of 98 gold medals that will be awarded in the games this year. In addition, keep a look out for the Russian Paralympic mascots and the Olympic mascot trio, the Polar Bear, the Leopard, and the Hare!
Sochi 2014 marks a year that a record of 88 countries in attendance, including 221 Canadian athletes that will compete in the games. This year, Canada’s men’s hockey team will strive to defend a gold medal; this has not been done since the old Soviet Union in the 1984 and 1988 Games. Projected by the Associated Press, Canadians are predicted to win 32 medals, 13 of which being gold medals. Out of the 12 new games, it has been predicted likely for our athletes to medal in 9 of them. Good luck to all of our hard working athletes!
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