Every four years, athletes from all over the world travel to compete in the Winter Olympics. This year, the Winter Olympics were held in Milan, Italy, hosting around 2,900 athletes from over 90 nations.
These athletes compete in one of sixteen sports — or disciplines. In contrast to the Summer Olympics, which host a majority of the popular sports, the Winter Olympics also features more lesser-known sports, such as biathlon, luge, and ski mountaineering. While many students enjoy the classics, some found interest in the less popular sports.
“I really like women’s monobob, because they’re insane and it doesn’t look like they’re doing that much but they are,” said Sloan Hagler (‘29). “I don’t know how someone came up with that sport.”
On the other hand, many consider the most popular sports from the Winter Olympics to be figure skating and hockey; some students turn on the Olympics specifically to watch these events.
“I watch figure skating and hockey the most because I’m a big fan of hockey; it’s fun to watch,” said Aspen Heimer (‘26). “I think figure skating is fun because it’s not really a sport we see hyped up in the US, but it’s definitely one we still have a presence in.”
Team USA concluded the Olympics with 33 medals in total, 12 of them being gold, breaking their record of most gold medals won. Many believe that the talent that the American athletes display at the Winter Olympics brings pride to America.
“Even if you have no idea what the sport is or you don’t know the names of the players, you’re cheering for them because they’re part of your country,” said Hagler.
In contrast, some students are interested in athletics, or specific athletes from different countries.
“Kaori Sakamoto is a figure skater from Japan, and it was her last competitive skate ever. I really liked watching her compete,” said Kyle Jackowski (‘26). “She got two silver medals, one for the team event and one for the individual event.”
Out of the 232 athletes on Team USA, a few stood out amongst the rest. Alysa Liu, a figure skater who won two gold medals, one in a singles event and the other in a team event, has received much attention on social media. Many students admire her carefree personality and graceful skill.
“I love Alysa Liu. She’s an icon, and she cooked on that skate,” said Heimer.
Traditionally, the Summer Olympics follow the Winter Olympics two years after, meaning the next Summer Olympics will occur in 2028. The Summer Olympics feature twice the number of sports that the Winter Olympics do and almost triple the number of events. Despite this, some students prefer the Winter Olympics over the Summer Olympics.
“The Winter Olympics are so much cooler,” said Sadie Strohl (‘27). “Why would you want to watch basketball or soccer when you can watch speed skating or cross-country skiing?”
Many believe that this year’s Olympics were very successful for America, leaving anticipation for the upcoming Summer Olympics in 2028, as well as Team USA’s next champions.
