OUTDOORS + RECREATION

Fun facts about the 2022 Bejing Olympics that you may not know

Feb 1, 2022, 7:26 PM | Updated: 9:09 pm

The logos for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are seen at an exhibit at a visitors center at the Winter Olympic venues in Yanqing on the outskirts of Beijing, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. The 2022 Beijing Olympics begin this week. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

BY MARK JONES

Digital Content Producer

SALT LAKE CITY — The 2022 Bejing Olympics begin later this week in China. In gearing up for the Games, here are some fun facts about the Olympics that either may or may not know.

A first for the Olympics

Did you know Beijing is the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Olympics? Beijing also hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics. The city is using a combination of new and existing venues to host the Games.

While the Olympics begin on Feb. 4, there are a handful of events that get underway before the opening ceremonies. Those events are freestyle skiing, figure skating, hockey and some curling all begin between Feb. 2-4.

Events for the 2022 Bejing Olympics

There are 15 winter sports that are considered to be Olympic events. Those events include: biathlon, bobsled, curling, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, luge, figure skating, speedskating, short track speedskating, Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, skeleton and snowboarding.

At the Beijing Olympics, there are 12 competition sites that are created into three zone. Beijing is where the majority of the ice sports will take place. Yanqing will host Alpine skiing and the sliding events. Zhangjiakou will be the site of other skiing events and snowboarding.

The three areas are connected by a recently built railway.

2022 Beijing Olympics has new events

Seven new events will debut at the 2022 Beijing Games. Those events include men’s and women’s big air freestyle skiing; mixed team aerials (freestyle skiing); women’s bobsled; mixed team relay (short track speedskating); mixed team (ski jumping) and mixed team snowboard cross.

Other tidbits about the Games

There will be roughly 3,000 athletes, coaches and team officials.
There are 109 medal events.
Athletes from roughly 100 countries will participate in the Beijing Games, including Russia.
The mascot is a panda bear named Bing Dwen Dwen. It will be wearing a full body “shell” out of ice, which looks like an astronaut suit.

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