Amelia Ciotola (9)| SPORTS REPORTER
This 2022 Olympics in Beijing was definitely the most dramatic event in sports history. By hosting this Olympics, Beijing became the first city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Months after the Olympics was held in Beijing, there is still major commotion within the community, reporters, and most importantly the athletes. Sure, it was expected that the 2022 Beijing Olympics would come with controversy since athletes and countries threatened to boycott the Beijing Olympics before the games even started. So, with the closing ceremonies in the record books, here is a timeline of the major controversies from this year’s Winter Olympics.
Feb. 7: Outfit issues cause disqualifications in the ski jump. Five skiers were eliminated in the mixed team ski jump event due to baggy outfits. Athletes, all women, from Austria, Japan, Norway and Germany were discovered to have worn loose-fitting attire that gives the jumpers an aerodynamic advantage as they soar through the air.
Feb. 9: Kamila Valieva tests positive for a banned substance. This controversy was the most memorable event of these Games. Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart drug, that is used as an oxygen booster. This announcement prevented the young skater from receiving her gold medal in the figure skating team event, where Russia won gold. Valieva quickly went from superstar to polarizing figure.
Feb.11-15: Canadian speed skater blasts Olympic schedule. Canadian superstar athlete, Ted-Jan Bloemen, felt disadvantaged because he thought the speed skating schedule was unorganized and posed a disadvantage to his capability. Bloemen was frustrated about having to race conservatively in this year’s men’s 10,000-metre event to save energy for the team pursuits to win any further competitions. “I don’t know who made the schedule, but it’s ridiculous,” said Bloemen. “You can’t recover in two days from digging deep on a 10k. The countries that don’t have skaters in the 10k have a huge advantage in the team pursuit.”
This year was definitely one of the most drama-filled Olympics in history. With politics to new-suit technology creating issues, and a new movie that’s sure to feature Kamila Valieva, fans did not have much time for a goods night’s rest to prepare for another event scandal. The next Olympics, 2024 Paris Games, will have to have a lot of drama to even compete with this year’s Olympic Games!
