As figure skaters glide along the ice, hockey players race down the rink and skiers down snowy mountains, millions of viewers tune in to watch the Olympics every year. Here at Ocean Lakes, students were asked to pick their winter favorites that spark conversation and excitement.
From a recently conducted survey, it was found that 70.9% of Ocean Lakes students regularly watch the Winter Olympics, which is in line with the national average of 72% of people.
“I watch the Olympics because it is a fantastic feature of the best athletes in the world pushing as hard as they can to bring honor to their country,” freshman Landon Emdadi said. “It is a tradition that dates back thousands of years, and I think it is also very meaningful.”
The survey also revealed students’ favorite winter sports; the top three are listed below.
Figure Skating
The first place option of figure skating was chosen by 76.3% of students, making it the most popular sport among the survey respondents. Figure skating is known for its precision and skill, with many students saying its artistry and performance make it fun to watch. It is scored through technical elements and program components.
Many other variants of skating are popular as well. In speed skating, for example, skaters race each other on a 400-meter oval ice rink.
“I believe that the hardest sport to play would be speed skating,” freshman Anthony Petty said. “The guys and girls that do speed skating are true athletes who train day after day for extreme lengths.”
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey came as a close second, with 56.5% of students saying the high intensity, fast-paced nature of the sport makes it entertaining to watch.
The United States took home two gold medals for their team, with Hilary Knight captaining the women’s team and Auston Matthews leading the men’s team. Both captains led their teams to a gold medal.
Skiing
In third place, with 48.7% of students reporting interest, skiing brings a risky but entertaining sport to the Olympics. It scores through speed, airtime and turns. Alpine skiing involves racing down a snowy mountain, while freestyle skiing is conducted over snow covered courses.
One of the final questions in the survey was the question of “what’s a winter sport you think should be added to the Olympics and why?” Many creative and fun responses were given. Although most students had a favorite, 20% of students thought a snowball fight would be a great winter sport to add. Most likely played in teams, it would be somewhat like dodgeball. Players would form and throw snowballs at each other, the last person standing equals that team winning.
“If I was good enough at a sport to compete at that level, I would absolutely take the chance to participate in the Olympics,” Landon said. “No matter what country. I think it would be an incredible experience and be tons of fun.”
