We begin by looking at common skiing events that are often misunderstood. We look at all the events that are present in this coming games. We look at the different sledding events and how the level of danger compares. We spend time looking into the history of all these events and why they were staged in response to the popularity of the Summer Games. Students will explore everything a country needs to do in order to host the games and why in the world would they ever want to do so. We finish off looking at the less understood events and we explain the rules and culture behind them. The worksheets look at individual sports that not many people understand or are accustom to in the United States and Canada.
Print Winter Olympics Worksheets
Click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key.
Alpine, Cross-Country, Freestyle Reading Worksheet
If you have ever watched skiers in action, you probably never noticed or understood the different styles of skiing that they may be performing.
Skiing Quiz Free Response Worksheet
Why do you think that cross-country skiing has been part of life for those living in arctic zones for years?
What are the Events of the Winter Olympics?
In 2010, there will be 86 events included in the winter Olympics. These 86 events will be competitive in nature. In addition to this, there are numerous demonstration events which are done as performances and do not take home medals.
What are the Events of the Winter Olympics? Quiz
In each of the following, try to place the sport in it correct category based on the reading passage.
Winter Olympic Event Free Response Worksheet
Is it fair to athletes of lesser-known events that they do not get television exposure like the others? Why or why not?
Most Popular Winter Olympic Events Worksheet
In the 2010 Olympics there will be 86 different medal supporting sports. In addition to that, there are demonstrative performances where no medals are given and they are only for the enjoyment of viewers to add to the aura and appeal of the Olympics commercially.
Popular Winter Olympic Events Quiz
Which sport is probably not televised very much during the games?
Popular Winter Events Free Response Quiz
What are some ways Olympic organizers could make the Winter Olympics more popular among television viewers?
Luge, Skeleton and Bobsled Worksheet
The tracks used for these three events are normally 1,000 to 1,500 meters long and the riding area is only 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide, which makes for close quarters.
Luge, Skeleton and Bobsled Quiz
What is one major difference between the luge, skeleton and bobsled race?
Luge, Skeleton and Bobsled Free Response Quiz
The riders of the bobsled and luge races often wear spiked shoes. How would this help them?
Why are they held Every Four Years Worksheet
The Olympics are held every four years. A four-year period of time is called an Olympiad and has root to Ancient Greek times and the Grecian calendar. At the beginning of an Olympiad, festive games were held that included a racing competition as a kick off to the celebration.
Every Four Years Quiz
If only 50% of the amount of athletes show up for the winter games that do the summer games, and the summer games had 1,000 athletes, how many would show up for the winter Olympic games?
Four Years Free Response Worksheet
The International Olympic Committee has a lot of power to make decision about the Olympics including where they are held and what sports are played. Is this a fair way to do things or not?
Why Would a Country Want to Host the Olympics Worksheet
Hosting the Olympic Games is an honor that many countries across the world scramble for the opportunity to have. How is the decision made and what would make hosting an Olympic games such an honor? The answer is money and prestige!
Hosting the Olympics Worksheet
When considering millions of tourists visiting your town, what would not be a factor that a city would have to worry about?
Hosting the Olympics Free Response Quiz
Why would it make sense to host the Olympics in Rome every year? Why do you think the IOC does not do this?
Biathlon Worksheet
The biathlon is a winter Olympic sport that date backs to the Neolithic age (3000 BC). Ancient pictures depict warriors sliding around on timbers with weapons used for hunting.
What is the Biathlon Free Response Worksheet
Why would it take several years to build up enough competitors in the biathlon to include it in the Olympics?
What is Curling Worksheet
Until you witness curling, it can be a difficult game to understand. Essentially, players play on teams of four who try to strategically catapult a 42-pound granite ball down an ice alley into what is called a "house."
What is Curling? Quiz
Curling took a 56-year hiatus after 1932. How many Olympics did the sport of curling miss? (Consider the Olympics are held every 4 years?)
Curling Free Response Worksheet
What would hinder someone living in the United States from learning how to curl and competing?
Nordic Combined Worksheet
As the name suggests, the Nordic combined event at the winter Olympics is a competitive venue in which the athletes perform two sports. In this case, the event is an 18-kilometer cross-country skiing race followed by a ski jumping competition.
What is the Nordic Combined? Question Worksheet
If the relay race is four laps and each lap is 2.5 kilometers, what is the total distance that the team Nordic combined team will ski?
Nordic Combined Free Response Quiz
Why do you think that Norway and Finland have won the Nordic combined so many more times than other countries?
New Events to the Winter Olympics Worksheet
Every four years, the winter Olympics are held. Hosting the Olympics is a tedious procedure and can cost the hosting country billions of dollars in preparation.
What Possible Events Might be Added to the Winter Olympics? Quiz
In 2010, there are a minimal number of newly included games and sports in the Olympic schedule. In order for a game to be included, a vote has to be taken by members of the IOC and a sport has to be unanimously voted for in order to be included.
Events That May Be Added Free Response Worksheet
How many athletes do you think it takes to warrant introducing a new sport at the Olympics? Think of all the countries involved.
What Are the Events of the Winter Olympics?
The Summer Olympic games were such a success internationally that there was a great deal of pressure to hold a winter games. The first Winter Olympics took place in 1924 at Chamonix, France. It stands to reason that no country below the equator has ever hosted a Winter games, since for some reason the Olympic committee plans the games to be held in mid to late February. It's a bit warm in those countries at that time of year. 1992 was the last year that then Winter and Summer games were held the same exact year. Now the two alternate and are two years apart. Figure Skating and Ice Hockey are the oldest Winter Olympic sports because they were part of the first summer games before there was a Winter Games.
The Winter Olympics are a set of international athletic competitions featuring winter sports organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The most recent games were held in February 2022 in China, with the vision of "Joyful Rendezvous upon Pure Ice and Snow."
The events at the Winter Olympics include alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, and ice hockey, luge. Other events are the nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeletons, ski jumping, snowboarding, and speed skating.
1. Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing is a winter sport where participants slide down a snow-covered hill. Here, the athletes use skis with fixed bindings. It's a sporting competition with 11 events. There are five events for men, five events for women, and one event for the mixed team.
2. Biathlon
The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross country skiing and rifle shooting. Treated as a race, contestants ski through a cross-country trail where the distance is divided into shooting rounds. The biathlon competition also has 11 events, five for men and women and one for a mixed team event.
3. Bobsleigh
In the bobsleigh competition, the team drives a specially designed sled down an ice track. The team that completes the route with the fastest time wins the event. There are four bobsleigh events at the Winter Olympics:
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Two-man event
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Two-woman event
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Four-man for men
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Mono bob for women
4. Cross-Country Skiing
Athletes compete in long distance races for cross-country skiing across a flat terrain. It is one of the original sports included at the Winter Olympics. The events include six for men and six for women for the following:
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15 kilometer (9.32 mi.) classical
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30 km (18.64 mi.) skiathlon
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50 km (31.07 mi.) freestyle
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4x10 km (2.49x6.21 mi.) relay
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Sprint freestyle
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Team sprint classical
5. Curling
In the curling event, the goal is to get your stone as close to the center of the target house as possible. There are three curling events at the Winter Olympics.
These events include one for men, one for women, and one even for the mixed team.
6. Figure Skating
Figure skating is where athletes perform individually, in pairs, or groups on figure skates on ice. The three figure skating events are; one for men, one for women, and one for the mixed team. It is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics.
7. Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle skiing is a winter sport where the athletes undertake a snow-filled path as fast as possible while performing acrobatics and various freestyle jumps. The six freestyle skiing events are aerials, moguls, ski cross, ski halfpipe, ski slopestyle, and big air. Athletes are allowed three runs to qualify for the final round.
8. Ice Hockey
In the ice hockey event, the goal is to hit a small puck across the ice, then knock it into a goal with a hockey stick. There are two ice hockey events, one for men and one for women. It is considered the most popular winter sport in the world, and more people watch it than any other event.
9. Luge
In the luge event, athletes ride a fast sled through a course face up and feet first. The lugers have four events.
These events include:
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Men's singles
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Women's singles
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Doubles
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Team relay
10. Nordic Combined
The three events for nordic combined are the individual normal hill, individual target hill, and the team event. It is a popular sport in parts of Europe and Japan. In this sport, athletes compete in both ski jumping and cross country skiing.
11. Short Track Speed Skating
Short track speed skating at the Winter Olympics is held at a 400-meter track. In this event, athletes start in pairs on their own lanes and have to change lanes for every lap. There are nine short track events, including:
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500 m (546.81 yds) for men
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1,000 m (1,093.61 yds) for men
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1,500 m (1,640.42 yds) for men
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5,000 m (5,468.07 yds) for men
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500 m (546.81 yds) for women
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1,000 m (1,093.61 yds) for women
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1,500 m (1,640.42 yds) for women
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5,000 m (5,468.07 yds) for women
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2,000 m (2,187.23 yds) for the mixed relay
12. Skeleton
There are two skeleton events at the Beijing Winter Olympics, including one each for men and women. Here, the competitors run and jump into a sled, belly down. They can only use their legs and shoulders to control their direction, which makes it much more difficult than most people realize.
13. Ski Jumping
For ski jumping, there are a total of five events:
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Individual normal hill for men
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Individual normal hill for women
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Individual large hill
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Team event on the large hill for men
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Mixed team event
The sport is done by jumping from one hill to the next. It is considered as one of the wildest sports at the Winter Olympics. It is estimated that when ski jumpers launch into the air, they can travel a distance of more than 360 feet or 110 meters.
14. Snowboarding
In this sport, a snowboard is attached to the athlete's feet, standing upright and descending on a surface covered with snow. It was introduced at the Winter Olympics in 1998. The snowboarding events are the following:
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Giant Slalom for men
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Halfpipe for men
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Snowboard cross for men
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Slopestyle for men
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Parallel Slalom for men
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Giant Slalom for women
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Halfpipe for women
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Snowboard cross for women
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Slopestyle for women
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Parallel Slalom for women
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Snowboard cross for the mixed team
15. Speed Skating
For speed skating, men and women compete in the following events:
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500 meters (546.81 yds)
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1,000 meters (1,093.61 yds)
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1,500 meters (1,640.42 yds)
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5,000 meters (5,468.07 yds)
There is also the 3,000-meter (3,280.84-yd) competition for women and the 10,000-meter (10,936.13-yd) speed skating for men. Speed skating events have been included in the Winter Olympics since 1924.
When Did Winter Sports Become Part of the Olympics?
Held in Athens, Greece, the first modern Olympic games started in 1896. The appearance of the Winter Games in this international competition only happened in 1924 in Chamonix, France, when the International Olympic Committee accepted it as a celebration comparable to the Summer Games.
Final Thoughts
Organized to foster the Olympic movement, the Winter Olympics aims to help build a better world by educating young people through sport. The participants at the Winter Olympics are encouraged to practice sport in the spirit of mutual understanding. Friendship, solidarity, and fair play are more important than winning the games.