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Photo: [M] Chris Cole/Allsport/Getty Images
1. Ephemeral disciplines
Mixed team competitions in snowboard cross, biathlon, short track, ski freestyle and ski jumping, as well as freeski big air and women's monobob.
Those were the new competitions in Beijing 2022. However, the disciplines that did not make it into the official Olympic program, the so-called demonstration sports, are far less well known.
They were held as part of the Olympic Games until 1992.
In addition to two ski competitions for people with disabilities, these were still well-known sports such as speed skiing, curling and sled dog racing.
The lesser known today were:
Bandy
(ice hockey with ball)
Military patrol
(predecessor to biathlon)
Skijoring
(horse-drawn sleds)
Ski ballet
(mixture of skiing, gymnastics and figure skating on flat slopes)
Winter pentathlon
(pentathlon of cross-country skiing, pistol shooting, downhill skiing, epee fencing and cross-country riding in the snow)
Only one of the demonstration sports made it into the official program once, it was also part of the Olympic Games most often as a demonstration sport.
Can you guess?
2. Speeds achieved
A widespread misconception is that "taking part is everything" is the Olympic motto.
Although this sentence actually goes back to the initiator of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, via a few detours and somewhat modified, it could hardly be further from the actual motto.
This is namely: "Faster, higher, stronger" - "Citius, altius, fortius".
So it's absolutely in the spirit of the Olympic spirit to ask the question of which winter sport has the fastest speeds.
What's your tip?
3. Denied Medals
Germany clearly leads the official all-time medal count of the Winter Games with well over 400 medals.
However, there is another, much less prestigious medal table: that of the disallowed medals.
There are many reasons for a medal being withdrawn.
This includes unfair behavior or violations of the Olympic spirit, but in many cases the reason is simply: doping.
One nation in particular stands out in Olympic history.
Do you know which one?
4. German athletes
Last but not least, a quick look at Beijing and the German athletes.
Germany is and was in all 15 disciplines – except for curling.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) sent a total of 148 Olympians to Beijing, 25 of whom are ice hockey players.
Do you know which sport is also represented the most in terms of personnel?
