The world is watching the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Here are some Winter Olympics facts & figures, and some outstanding competitors to watch out for:
Where was the first ever Winter Olympics held?
1924 in Chamonix, in the French Alps.
Where is Sochi?
Sochi is in southern Russia, on the Black Sea coast, near the Caucus mountains. The temperature at Sochi in February averages around 8 degrees C, the warmest ever venue for the Winter Olympics.
How many sports at Sochi?
15
How many days of competition?
17
Look out for these sports stars over the next two weeks:
Ice Hockey – Alex Ovechkin
Russia’s Alex Ovechkin is the star-player of this sport. Ice hockey is highly rated in Russia, so all eyes will be on Alex to take his team to victory at Sochi 2014.
Snowboarding – Shaun White
American Shaun White is a rising star of this popular sport in the States. Expect some dramatic performances.
Cross-Country Skiing – Marit Bjoergen
This Norwegian won more Gold medals than anyone else at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010, and he’s tipped to win more at Sochi 2014.
Figure Skating – Kim Yu-Na
Kim Yu-Na of South Korea is regarded by most commentators as the greatest female figure-skater of all time. Look forward to some elegant performances from this highly dedicated sportswoman.
Skiing (slalom) – Mikaela Shiffrin
This young American from Colorado is tipped for Gold at the tender age of 18, but she will face stiff competition from Slovenia’s Tina Maze (who is also a YouTube sensation with her song My Way is My Decision).
Dominic Londesborough is a personal trainer in London. Look out for more blog posts on the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics over the next few days.