Women's Hockey Olympics
Approval: 1992
Olympic Debut: 1998
Most Golds: Canada
The Big Three: Canada, USA, Switzerland/Sweden
Women's ice hockey has been around in the Olympics since 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Even though the United States and Canada have dominated the gold medal game, playing in every gold medal match except one, with Canada winning four gold medals to the U.S.'s one gold medal, the competition in women's ice hockey continues to grow. Switzerland was a formidable opponent in Sochi, winning bronze and losing to Canada 3-1 after stellar goaltending. Most of the women played college ice hockey in the U.S. and matriculated to various pro leagues including the CWHL (Canadian Women's Hockey League with the Boston Blades being the only U.S. team) and men's pro leagues in Europe.
Hockey players in general are athletic. Balance, flexibility, strength, power, agility, aerobic fitness, anaerobic fitness, and speed are all vital components used in ice hockey. Core strength and power are part of the game, but so is lower body power and lower body strength.
Curling
Invented: 1541 in Scotland, currently most popular in Canada
Olympic History: Became an official Olympic event in 2002 after many years as a demo sport; Its debut was in 1924 in Chamonix; Great Britain and Sweden are the only countries that have appeared in every Olympic Curling event since 1924 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
Most Medals: Canada (10). The U.S. has one medal (bronze), which was won in Turin, Italy in 2006 by the men.
The Big Three: Canada, Sweden, Great Britain
Main Equipment Used: granite stone, curling broom, slider shoes (Teflon sole), non-sliding shoe (for the thrower)
Curling, "chess on ice", is similar to shuffleboard, billiards, and bowls but played on ice. You may think that this sport is boring, but it is not. It's fun, strategic, and challenging. In short, the object is to be king of the ice. Your curling stones need to be closer to the center dot, "the button" at the other end of the ice sheet inside "the house", which is the part that resembles a bullseye. The closer to the button, the more points garnered for your team. Each team of four players receives eight stones to throw. The thrower typically uses the curling broom for balance while sliding the stone down the ice. The two sweepers serve to guide the stone down the ice, helping it curve and increase speed. Picture sweeping to decrease friction. But, do not touch a moving stone since that is a penalty. Confessing to touching a stone is the sportsmanship way to go in curling.It is possible to have a curling game end up as unwinnable. In the delivery of the curling stone, the captain of the team known as, the skip, will call out the velocity, line, and turn of the stone. So, if you watched curling this Olympics, then you probably saw someone talking as they threw the stone. Let's affectionately call him or her, "Skipper". The vice skip takes over the instructions when the skip is throwing.
A curling athlete needs balance and flexibility to effectively operate on the ice. You cannot be stiff when throwing a stone down the line.
Bobsled/Bobsleigh
Most Dominant Team: Germany for 4-man and 2-man bobsled; Germany and USA for 2-woman bobsled.
Most Medals: Germany (40 combined)
Olympic Debut: 1924 Chamonix Olympic Games (no country has been in all of the games)
The Big Three: Germany, Swiss, USA (back in the day, this event was USA dominant)
No, this event is not Santa's extreme sport. Bobsled has its roots in the 1870's in St. Moritz, Switzerland where the first tracks were built. Get these stats: tracks are made of concrete and coated with ice, stand 1,200 to 1,300 meters long (that's three to three and quarter times around a track and field), speeds amass 150km (93 mph), athletes experience 5g forces with high degree bank turns and directional turns (270 and 180 degrees respectively). Wow! Would anyone like to try it? Lake Placid and Salt Lake City offer rides.
The bobsleigh (love that word) athlete needs power at the start. Starting off well is crucial in addition to steering the bobsleigh around the turns.
Biathlon
Olympic Debut: 1924 Chamonix
Most Medals: Germany (43)
The Big Three: Germany, Norway, Russia
Norway might have coined the term around 1861. But, Germany dominates the medals. Cross country skiing is a large part of Norwegian exercise, and this sport, which combines shooting, used to be referred to as "military patrol" in the Olympics. Biathletes compete at the Individual (men = 20km, women = 15km), Sprint (10km, 7.5km), Mass Start (15km, 12.5km), Relay (7.5km, 6km), Mixed Relay (7.5km, 6km), and Team events. Shots are fired with a bore rifle and are attempted in prone position (targets are 45mm wide) or in standing (targets are 115mm wide). The biathlete needs to be in tremendous shape to execute this sport effectively. As cross-country skiers, they amass some of the largest VO2 max capacities out of any sport. If you want to go aerobic, then cross-country ski. Balance, aerobic fitness, flexibility, muscle endurance are huge characteristics of...the biathlon.
With heart,
Derek
Derek Arledge, CSCS www.tee,pt.com TEEM Performance Training
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