Posted by
sf-admin onLast Updated 2nd October 2018 at 3:23 pm
With the 2018 Winter Olympics drawing near here’s a run-down of everything you need to know including when, where and the team GB medal hopefuls.
When is it being held?
The 2018 Winter Olympics will take place between February 8th 2018 and February 25th 2018. The opening ceremony will take place on Friday February 9th, with the first competitive events happening on Saturday the 8th.
Where is it being held?
After beating bids from various cities including Munich, Germany and Annecy, France, the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang in South Korea.
What sports are included?
The Winter Olympics will feature 15 different sports, comprising both individual and team events. The sports included are:
- Alpine skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Cross-country skiing
- Curling
- Figure skating
- Freestyle skiing
- Ice hockey
- Luge
- Nordic combined
- Short track speed skating
- Skeleton
- Ski jumping
- Snowboarding
- Speed skating
Who are the Team GB medal hopefuls?
Great Britain are sending their biggest ever number of athletes to Pyeongchang and have several medal opportunities across various sports.
GB Park and Pipe – Snowboard
Name: Katie Ormerod
From: Brighouse
Age: 20
Realistically our strongest medal contender for Pyeongchang 2018. Last season she had three World Cup podiums and an X Games Bronze.
Name: Billy Morgan
From: Southampton
Age: 28
A strong medal contender for Big Air and the first man to land a triple cork. Last season he placed third in the Monchengladbach World Cup for Big Air.
GB Park and Pipe – Ski
Name: James Woodsy Woods
From: Sheffield
Age: 25
Right at the top of his game, he recently won the Ski Slopestyle World Cup in New Zealand. Last season he also won two X Games medals and a World Championships Bronze.
Name: Isabel Atkin
From: Park City
Age: 19
Although born in the USA, Izzy’s dad is from England and she has been with the GB Park and Pipe team since 2014. Last season she took Gold at a Ski Slopestyle World Cup and Bronze at the World Championships in Sierra Nevada.
Name: Katie Summerhayes
From: Sheffield
Age: 21
Katie is on the GB Park and Pipe team alongside her younger sister Molly Summerhayes. Recent achievements include finishing 7th in Ski Slopestyle in Sochi.
Alpine
Name: Dave Ryding
From: Preston
Age: 30
Dave became the first British Alpine skier to claim a World Cup podium in 35 years following a Silver medal in the Slalom World Cup in Kitzbuhel, Austria. Dave also finished 8th in the World Cup Finals (Aspen) and is ranked 9th in the world for Slalom.
Nordic
Name: Andrew Musgrave
From: Oyne, North-East Scotland
Age: 27
Andrew originally learnt his trade at Huntly Nordic Ski Club in Scotland. He finished 4th in the 15km Free Mass Start at the Nordic World Championships in Lahti – the best ever World Championships finish for a British Cross Country skier.
What’s the official Pyeongchang 2018 Mascot?
The tradition of having a Winter Olympic mascot originates from the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble with “Schuss,” a skier. Mascots now generally take the form of an animal, and “Soohorang,” an animated white tiger, is the symbol for the upcoming Olympics. “Bandabi”, a black bear, is the mascot for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.
If you want to get your family on the slopes this winter, Ski Famille offers ski lessons with wrap-around childcare for children from age 3 upwards.
Still making your own plans to head for the hills this winter? We have some fantastic family offers available on early season ski holidays. Please see our Offers page for details.