Graphic Courtesy of co-Health and Sports editor Sonia McSwain.
Every four years, San Luis Obispo High School students look forward to watching the Summer or Winter Olympic games. Athletes from all over the world come to compete in the ultimate test of athletic ability and to bring honor to their country. On February 20, 2022, the Beijing Winter Olympics came to an end after two weeks of intense competition.
“My favorite event was figure skating because I loved watching all the different routines and how different each skater’s aura is. I really enjoy the Winter Olympics in general because all the events are so unique, but it seems less popular because it doesn’t have as many events as the Summer Olympics,” said senior Nivashini Saravanakumar.
Although the Olympics are meant to focus on the feats of athleticism, this year’s games were riddled with controversy, as The United States of America, Canada, India, Australia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Belgium, Denmark, and Estonia all declared diplomatic boycotts of the games due to China’s involvement with the suppression of Muslim citizens in the Xinjijang region.
In addition, the women’s figure skating competition dealt with a doping scandal after fifteen year old Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine, a heart-related medication possibly used to enhance performance. The allowance of Valieva to continue to compete in figure skating events was met with backlash as Olympians and renowned figure skaters Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir, and Adam Rippon openly expressed their disapproval.
“I feel like there is always some sort of controversy during the Olympics whether it’s drug related or something to do with cheating. This year, I feel like tensions were high across the board and it was hard to watch the events without thinking about what was going on in the world,” said senior Makenna Osterfeld.
Overall, Norway earned the most medals overall with sixteen gold, eight silver, and thirteen bronze. Germany followed in second place with twenty-seven overall medals, and The United States earned a respectable twenty-five medals to round out the top three.
The next Winter Olympics will be held in Italy in 2026 beginning on Friday, February 6 and ending on Sunday, February 22.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com
