Skeleton

Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sports in which a person needs a small sled and a frozen ground to slide on. It was added to the Olympic events in 2002, but was previously on used in Switzerland. During the event the person on the sled can reach up to 80 mph. This sport requires insane skills to know how to steer and stop the sled. It is performed in a small circular rink that they sled around, gradually gaining speed. This event requires a helmet, a chin-guard, skin tight race suit, spiked shoes, goggles, and elbow pads.
There are many things that could go awry with this sport, which is why it demands for extreme skill. The amount of concentration it takes is very excessive as well. Although this isn't the most known sport, it is definitely becoming more and more popular around the world. People are becoming attached to watching it just because of how it is performed. By the next 2018 winter olympics, this sport will be one of the more popular sports to watch on television. With the winter olympics now being over, the competitors will now continue training for the upcoming 2018 olympics, with hopes of winning their country a gold medal.

WORKS CITED
-http://thewhistle.com/news/action/winter-olympic-luge/1284/

Freestyle Skiing

At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, freestyle skiing was held at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park in Russia. Freestyle skiing has become a very popular sport over the past couple winter olympics and really grabs the attention of its viewers. It requires extreme training and dedication to handle the slopes and obstacles. The amount of concentration it requires is also so intense which is why you have to being extremely skilled in order to compete in this sport. This event encompasses three different disciplines: aerials, moguls, and ski cross, ski half-pipe, and slope-style. The half-pipe and slope-style require the same amount of skill as all the other types but in a different way. 

Overall freestyle skiing calls for extreme conditioning and training and is something one has to work for. Aerial skiing consists of flips and jumps in the air, mogul skiing are a series of bumps in a trail that skiers have to weave in and out of, ski cross is a skiing race down a mountain, and half-pipe skiing is performed on a ramp. All of these types of freestyle skiing demand for extreme skill and practice and is now declared one of the most popular winter sports and one of the most watched events.

WORKS CITED:

-http://www.ultimatesnowsports.com/valdisere_freestyle_ski_lessons.htm

Gracie Gold: Reaching for the Gold

The future still remains extremely bright for figure skater, Gracie Gold. She skated in the womens free program and came in second out of five skaters. Now that she already has one medal, it "makes her hungry for another one." She won silver in the 2012 World Junior Championships which was followed by a silver in last years US championships. There is a lot of concern surrounding the olympic athletes and how they will cope with all the pressure in the upcoming events. It is a lot to put on one athlete just the training aspect but the pressure aspect is a whole different thing and a whole different level.

Learning to deal with all that pressure is something that Olympic athletes have to learn to deal with as they venture down that path, considering it will be coming up a lot. Gracie will learn to deal with all the extras that come with being an olympic athlete, but for now her main priority is bringing home the gold for the 2018 winter olympics for the USA.

WORKS CITED:
-http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1965702-gracie-gold-fails-to-medal-in-womens-figure-skating-individual-program
-http://www.eonline.com/news/504119/olympic-figure-skater-gracie-gold-reveals-her-celebrity-crush-watch-now

Ashley Wagner

Wagner finished seventh at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Although that isnt exactly where she would like to be, she believes that she still has so much more to learn and accomplish in her years to come. There are no promises that skaters like Ashley will grow into Olympic Champions, but she believes that with the correct coaching and training, she will one day achieve her goal.
These games were mostly for Ashley to prove to herself that she can compete under the immense pressure of the Olympics, that way preparing herself for the next olympic games. She knew that the only thing she could do was skate to her best ability and go from there, being that the judges havent seen her skate in a long time. She is determined to blow them away next Olympic Games and prove to them how far she is willing to go to prove that she is the best and can take home the gold for the USA.

works cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Wagner 

Maia and Alex Shibutani

Maia and Alex's career started in 2005 with a silver medal in the juvenile ice dance at the US Junior Olympics during their first year competing in the sport. They have won many important titles since then and have made a name for themselves to the outside world. They have been 3-time champions in the US Championships, and made a historic debut, becoming the first ice dance team to medal at both their Grand Prix events and their first US Ice Dance team.
Maia and Alex have a sibling youtube channel entitled "ShibSibs Productions." Through their channel they show their fans and viewers their daily activities and how Maia and Alex deal with each other throughout all their intense training day in and day out. Their videos also include footage of them ice skating and demonstrating their different routines to show their viewers. These siblings do it all, and want their fans to be with them along their ice journey every step of the way. Their ice skating career has so far taken them to many championships that they have won and will continue to do so for awhile longer. The dynamic duo is just getting started and doesn't plan on stopping their dream anytime soon.

WORKS CITED:

http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2014/02/14/meet-team-usa-maia-and-alex-shibutani/ 

Alex Ovechkin: Mens Hockey

The Russian phenomenon, Alex Ovechkin, is one of the main suspects that people look forward to watching throughout the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He has been the NHL'S MVP with the Washington Capitals on three occasions. He led his team to their second consecutive division title and is the only player to win all four awards since the Rocket Richard Trophy in 1999. He was also named First All-Star Team for five consecutive seasons. He is ignited with much pressure to help lead his country to their first gold medal in hockey since 1992. Alex carries the team on his back and his country is dependent on him to bring home the gold medal.
By Ovechkin competing in the this years Olympics, he is not only representing Russia but also the Washington Capitals. He takes pride in what he does and wants to put pride to his name. Throughout his entire life, Ovechkin has been playing hockey and although 28, does not plan on stopping anytime soon. His overall goal is to take home the gold for not only his friends and family, but also for his country. Alex is an outstanding player and will continue to achieve his hopes and dreams of taking home a medal for his country.

WORKS CITED:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nhl/news/20130218/alex-ovechkin-washed-up/ 

Mark McMorris: Slopestyle

Mark McMorris, a Canadian slopestyle snowboarder, took home the bronze during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Although he didn't take home the gold, his family and friends were just as happy with the bronze. Mark started training at a young age and since then has been declared the first slopestyle snowboarder even to complete a backside triple cork 1440 and won back-to-back gold medals in the 2012 and 2013 Winter X Games. During his third and final run McMorris crashed and fractured a rib, but despite the injury he still competed in the Winter Olympics.
Mark declared that "To get on the podium is just a dream come true. I can't explain this. I've just been through a roller coaster over these last few weeks."Even with his injuries he still made it a point to give everything he had to offer and perform the best he possibly could during the Olympics. McMorris will continue to follow his dreams of returning to the Winter Olympics and winning the gold. He comes from a family of professional snowboarders, so winning is in his blood. He will not let this minor injury get in the way of his dreams and believes that aspiration is key during this process. He has never given up and even with an injury such as this, he does not plan to.

WORKS CITED
-http://www.markmcmorris.com/ 
-http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1869537-mark-mcmorris-olympic-profile-of-canadian-snowboarding-hopeful-for-sochi-2014 

Julia Lipnitskaia Soars to Stardom

Julia Lipnitskaia, a 15 year old Russian figure skater, is blowing away her competition at this years 2014 winter olympics. Although she has spent little time actually performing on the ice, Julia is becoming one of the most talked about athletes so far throughout the competition. Julia is being  referred to as a "prodigy" and "a genius". She won the 2011-2012 world junior championships, was second at this seasons Grand Prix Final, and won the European title last month. Although only 5"2, Julia's confidence and experience will allow her to compete to the best of her abilities, resulting in making her way to the top. 
Julia is Russia's youngest winter olympic athlete to ever win a gold medal. She has emerged as one of the biggest threats to her fellow opponents from Canada, Italy, Japan, and America. "Her nearly inhuman flexibility, combined with brilliant rotation on her spins and deft soaring jumps, left the audience amazed and impressed the judges." It is only the first week of the winter olympics and Julia is blowing her opponents out of the "ice". She will only continue to get better from here on out, leaving her competitors very nervous.

WORKS CITED:
- http://rt.com/news/lipnitskaya-youngest-olympic-champion-305/ 

Gay Rights Surrounding the Sochi Olympics part 3

Many relatives and friends of people competing in the Olympics fear for their safety due to the threats surrounding gay people at the olympics. Some relatives have decided to stay home because they don't know what the upcoming olympics bring. Of course everyone wants to have a safe, harm-free Olympics but with the Russian laws, that makes it more difficult to promise. Russia doesn't want confrontation but if it comes down to it, then so be it.
In my opinion, if there are threats surrounding gays towards the Olympics, then that issue should be addressed because it could cause serious danger for not only the athletes, but friends and family as well. People come from all over the world to see these athletes compete, and it would be a shame for something to go awry. Hopefully prior to the events, these issues will be addressed and put to rest once and for all. Homophobic views towards the athletes will only cause more ruckus and problems for the Olympic Organization.

works cited:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.540620

Gay Rights Surrounding the Sochi Winter Olympics part 2

The Russian government addressed the issue of violation of human rights during the 2014 Olympics, and their laws intention is not meant to discriminate against the "LGBT(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. There will most likely be an offense against how Russia's LGBT community is being treated. Some people feel that the Russian government is trying to encourage discrimination while others feel the complete opposite. "It has been emphasized that Russia at large has a socially conservative outlook on the LGBT subject." Due to Russia's strictly enforced laws, people are having a hard time looking past their discrimination and it is making the olympics a less popular place from the local people living there.

In my opinion everyone should have a right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to. No one should be discriminated against based on their sexuality. Everyone is a unique person and has a right to however they desire to live their life. Just because their sexuality makes them different from someone else does not mean that they should be victimized by the general public.

WORKS CITED:

• http://www.globalresearch.ca/lgbt-concerns-nbc-msnbc-and-the-2014-sochi-winter-olympics/5350101 
• http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/aug/28/sochi-winter-olympics-anti-gay-law 

Gay Rights Surronding The Sochi Olympics

               "Russia is instituting fines for the "propagation" of homosexuality." Multiple gay rights groups have raised concerns about how these new laws could effect fans and gay olympic athletes. The US Olympic Committee is discussing how they can confirm the safety of the athletes. "In a letter to Olympic constituents, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun wrote that because the Russian law is new "we do not know how and to what extent (it) will be enforced" during the Olympics. But he said the safety and security of American athletes is always a primary concern." The Olympic Charter is very against discrimination and they're working on a way to pass along the information to as many people as they can. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signed a law forbidding "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" and imposing fines on those holding gay pride rallies."It was said that all athletes rights will be respected but also that all athletes must respect the laws of the country. They stated that if "an athlete of nontraditional sexual orientation isn't banned from coming to Sochi, but if he goes out into the streets and starts to propagandize, then of course he will be held accountable."
             The USOC supports equal rights for all and understand the oppressive nature of this issue, they are still trying to cope with how these laws could effect visitors to the games. The USOC is all for respecting the desires of the athletes and visitors, but at the same time they don't see how they can oblige to the strictly enforced Russian laws. As of right now their main concern is bringing a "well-prepared, competitive team to the 2014 Sochi Olympics."

WORKS CITED

• http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russias-new-anti-gay-laws-bring-mounting-scrutiny-ahead-of-sochi-olympics/ 
• http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/other/rogge-russias-anti-gay-law-has-to-be-respected-603110.html 

Political Aspects of the 2014 Sochi Olympics

The major disputes during the time of the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, are with the Circassians. They demanded that the events be cancelled or moved unless Russia apologizes for the 19th century deaths that the Circassians refer to as genocide. This includes: environmental and economic issues, lack of political stability and governance and the safety and human rights of lesbians, gay, bisexual, and transgender athletes. Many politicians have announced that they plan to boycott the Olympics in protest of Russia's human rights.