Fun fact about me: I suck at sports. I really do. However, what I lack in athletic ability I make up for with my enthusiasm and appreciation of sports. February is setting up to be a good month for sports. To start, we have the Six Nations, which is basically a rugby tournament that unleashes my Welsh pride. However, we also have The Winter Olympics to look forward to this month. The Winter Olympics are always a highlight for me, and truth be told I prefer the Winter Olympics to the Summer one. So, with the 2018 Winter Olympics just around the corner and no signs of this book slump leaving me anytime soon, I thought I’d take the time to share with you my top five must-watch events at the Winter Olympics.

Snowboarding / Freestyle Skiing

Okay, so I know these are two separate events, but I like them for the same reason. These two events are like the high flying spectacle of the Olympics. I marvel at some of the tricks and flips these guys perform. It’s exhilarating. These events always give me a huge adrenaline kick. If I wasn’t sure I’d break some bones just by trying, I’d love to learn how to snowboard. Feel free to disagree with me on this, but I feel like snowboarding is like winter surfing. Anyway, these two events are guaranteed to get my heart pumping with their death-defying tricks.

Bobsleigh

I must admit every time someone mentions Bobsleighing I start quoting Cool Runnings, which is such a fun film. If you’ve not seen it I highly recommend you watch it. What I love about Bobsleighing is the skill that goes into it. It doesn’t look like much, essentially it’s four guys hopping into a sleigh and praying they make it to the finish line with the fastest time. However, once you understand the intricacies of the sport, specifically the importance of timing and control, it’s a thing to marvel at. This year is also the first year that the Jamaican womens team will compete at the Olympics which makes it historic in its own right.

Figure Skating

I think it’s safe to say this sport is the most artistic. There’s a lot of skill that goes into any sport, but with Figure Skating you get a story. It’s an emotive sport and one that perfectly captures the beauty of movement. The elegance of the sport is something that continuously captivates me. The figure skating competition is always a highlight for me.

Also, if you’re fans of Yuri on Ice, but have yet to watch a Figure Skating events, I’d highly recommend you do so just so you can see just how well the animation captures the movements of these athletes.

Skeleton

This sport is so tense. With the Bobsleigh at least you have the sleigh to cover them when they’re going downhill. With the skeleton (and luge) you don’t get that. I get so nervous when I watch these athletes just fly at rapid speeds and somehow steady themselves on their sleds. It’s incredible. The pure strength needed to sustain that balance and control is remarkable. I just pray no one crashes when they go down.

Ice Hockey

You knew this was coming. Ice Hockey is one of my favourite sports to watch and read about, so naturally, this event is the one I wait for when the Winter Olympics rolls around. It’s a shame that NHL players are prohibited from taking part, but it’ll be interesting to see how the games match up without them. Regardless of those playing, Ice Hockey is a must-watch event. It’s exciting, it’s unpredictable, and a whole lot of fun. You simply cannot go wrong with this sport.

Those are my top 5 must-watch events of the Winter Olympics?
Which is your favourite event?
Do you prefer the Winter or Summer Olympics?
If you could choose one event to take part in, which would it be?