The 2022 Winter Olympics are planned to start February 4th in Beijing China, but there are many raising concerns about the locations of the events. This Olympic season has become significantly more political than in years prior. The U.S has been at odds with the Chinese government for some time now due to concerns over human rights issues.
Not only are the athletes worried about the political circumstances between their countries, but they must also be cautious of Covid-19. In attempts to curve the spread, the Chinese government has created new rules for the Olympians regarding the coronavirus. They include wearing masks all the time, no travelers are allowed into the arenas, and all participants must be vaccinated at least 14 days before entering the loop.
The Chinese government also instituted new protocols for the infected athletes. They are going to eat and sleep in separate areas from non-infected athletes. Infected athletes will also be transported in separate vehicles. The athletes that are sick may still be able to compete under some special conditions that have yet to be determined.
Some of the Marriotts Ridge student community believe that the Winter Olympics will be significantly less popular this year. “The summer Olympics generally is more popular amongst viewers, due to the number and variety of different events the athletes can participate in. The winter Olympics are more concentrated, consisting of events that are all fairly similar to each other. Because of this, there may be fewer audience members watching the acts because there is less variety and range in the events,” said sophomore Amulya Mandalika.
“There may be formatting differences and probably a greater disconnect between the athletes due to safety precautions. Since covid cases are at such a high and it’s winter, covid safety is going to be much more restrictive,” stated sophomore Daria Chatchri. She suggests that the different athletes may have a harder time connecting due to the concerns of getting infected as well as the new rules in place prohibiting them from specific activities.
Despite these challenges, multiple exciting new things are occurring within the Olympic teams. The U.S Olympic team is close to breaking the record number of female athletes competing in the games this year. The team is currently the second largest to compete in the Winter Games after Pyeongchang’s team.
An overwhelming number of students stated that they were excited to see the ice skating events this year. “I enjoy watching the ice skating and snowboarding events,” Amulya Mandalika said.
The Winter Olympics has been advertising ice skating as the main event, relying on it more in television commercials. Many fans are excited to see the two ice skaters Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu battle for gold. Currently, Nathan Chen is the most decorated U.S male skater and Yuzuru Hanyu has shown great promise in past Olympic games. Although, they are both record-breaking ice skaters.
Although the Olympic season will have many challenges, the Winter Games will be giving viewers a chance to cheer on their country and watch thrilling events. We also have two athletes from Maryland this year, Ashley Caldwell and Summer Britcher, so be sure to cheer them on.