New Events for the 2022 Beijing Olympics
GFG is always amazed by the wide range of events that are deemed Olympics-worthy. There are numerous new winter sports joining the 2022 Beijing Olympic games.
The International Olympic Committee introduced skateboarding to attract young audiences at the 2020 Tokyo games. Since 1995, the International Surfing Association has been lobbying for the Olympics to include surfing and it was finally added at the 2020 games. Karate debuted in Tokyo — joining judo, taekwondo, and wrestling as official Olympic sports.
The trend of adding speed sports to the Olympics continues in 2022 with the introduction of monobob (and a few others listed below). Rather than adding the four-person sled as an event for women, the International Olympic Committee has chosen monobob.
New Olympic Events: 2022 Beijing Games
- Bobsled: Women's monobob
- Freestyle skiing: Mixed team aerials
- Freestyle skiing: Men's big air
- Freestyle skiing: Women's big air
- Short track speedskating: Mixed team relay
- Ski jumping: Mixed team event
- Snowboarding: Mixed team snowboard cross
What is Monobob?
Monobob is a crazy fast mixture of technique and raw power. The sport aims to make it easier for individuals to get involved in bobsled, which requires one or more teammates. With a small, sleek sleigh and a single rider, monobob is a unique winter sport.
Like the two-women version, monobob riders race against the clock down a waterslide-like iced track. Instead of two in the sled, monobob puts a single athlete in the role of pilot and brakeman. The IBSF has standardized the new event by giving each athlete the same sled and the same runners.
The sleigh can reach up to 120km per hour. During the ride, the rider will experience gravitational forces of 3 to 4 Gs. The sleigh weighs around 130kg — perfectly sized for a lone winter athlete. “The introduction of monobob allows a whole bunch of new athletes to make first steps in this sport,” stated Nick Hayek.
How to Watch the Beijing Olympics?
The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place on Friday, February 4 through Sunday, February 20 — just six months after the Tokyo Games.
NBC is home to the Olympics, so you can watch on your local NBC station for primetime coverage 5 p.m. PDT. You can also watch the games on the streaming service Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and NBC Sports. The Olympics will also be offered on Sling TV, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV with subscriptions.
