Now Introducing… New Olympic Sports

The 2014 Winter Olympic Games

in Sochi, Russia will feature some new

events and quite a few gold medal hope-

fuls.

Ski Slopestyle: This longtime X Games staple is

making its Olympic debut in Sochi. Skiers must

navigate, flipping and leaping, over an adrenaline-

packed course of waist-high barriers and precarious

ramps. It should have at least three different features, including table-top jumps and quarter pipes. U.S. Olympian competing: Nick Goepper

Snowboard Slopestyle: As with skiing, snowboard-

ing will be adding this X Games staple as well. Much the

same as the skiing event, snowboarders will have the

chance to show their skill on ramps, barriers, and pipes,

but rather than skies, the course will be done on a

snowboard. U.S. Olympian competing: Sage Kotsen- burg

Ski Halfpipe: Though snowboarders have been

showing their halfpipe skills for over ten years,

skiers will finally have the chance to do the

same. In order to do complex tricks (leftside

1080, alley-oop double 900), skiers will

ride the momentum of a 16m wide and

120m deep canal of snow. U.S.

Olympian competing: Torin Yater-

Wallace

Women’s Ski Jump: Probably one of the

most extreme of the extreme winter sports is the

ski jump, where hurtling down a ramp at 60 mph

and flying through the air for 120 yards or more is

the norm. Before its addition, female contenders

were told the event was medically inappro-

priate for women, but women won by lobbying

for its addition for over a decade.

Figure Skating Team Event: Like its double

and single counterparts, this figure skating

event will have all their meticulous technique

and beautiful grace but with six people. Each

team is made up of one male skater, one female

skater, one ice dance couple, and one skating

pair. Judges will hand points to either each

skater or each couple. The team with the highest

number of points will win gold. U.S. Olympian(s)

competing: Gracie Gold, Max Aaron

Sources: Washington Post

Sports Illustrated