Category Archives: Winter Olympics

In Review: Sochi Winter Games

With the XXII Olympic Winter Games now officially in the books, it’s time to look back at some of the highlights that came out of Sochi, Russia, during these memorable two weeks of athletic contests.

The host country emerged from the games having won the greatest number of total medals (33), as well as the most gold medals (13). Norway followed with 11 golds and 26 overall, while Canada finished third with 10 golds and 25 total.

The U.S. did reasonably well, amassing nine golds, seven silvers, and 12 bronzes for a total of 28 medals across the 98 sporting events that comprised these Winter Olympics. There were some disappointments along the way — most notably the lack of any individual medals in men’s or women’s figure skating; the failure of the men’s hockey team to medal; and the crushing loss suffered by the women’s hockey team in the gold medal game — but there were some huge surprises as well, including 18-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin winning Team USA’s first gold in women’s slalom since 1972.sochi mikaela shiffrin gold

Along with Shiffrin, the following Americans left Sochi with a coveted gold medal and the title “Olympic Champion” in their respective disciplines:

  • Maddie Bowman (Women’s Ski Halfpipe)
  • Ted Ligety (Skiing — Men’s Giant Slalom)
  • David Wise (Men’s Ski Halfpipe)
  • Meryl Davis and Charlie White (Figure Skating — Ice Dancing)
  • Joss Christensen (Skiing — Men’s Slopestyle)
  • Jamie Anderson (Snowboarding — Women’s Slopestyle)
  • Sage Kostenburg (Snowboarding — Men’s Slopestyle)
  • Kaitlyn Farrington (Snowboarding — Women’s Halfpipe)

Congratulations to members of Team USA and all the other athletes around the world that competed on behalf of their home countries in the 2014 Sochi Games! The amazing display of sportsmanship and skill was appreciated by fans — both those that braved the elements in their heated jackets and gloves to watch in person and those that followed the action on television from the warmth and comfort of their living rooms.

Sochi Winter Games at a Glance

sochiHere at CozyWinters, we love any and all things winter — including the Olympics! So as you can imagine, we’re particularly excited about the upcoming Sochi Games and are counting down the days until we can cheer on our favorite American athletes as they represent our country in international competition.

Of course with any spectacle as big as the Olympics, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the information surrounding the event. That’s why we’ve spent some time sifting through the minutiae to pick out the more important details and organize them in this handy at-a-glance guide for you:

 

Dates: February 7 (Opening Ceremony) to February 23, 2014 (Closing Ceremony)

Host city: Sochi, Russia, with additional events taking place in Krasnaya Polyana

Estimated cost to host city: More than $50 billion

Official motto: “Hot. Cool. Yours.”

Official mascots: The Polar Bear, the Hare, and the Leopard

Time difference: 8 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.

Number of participating nations: 88

Number of participating athletes: More than 5,500

Number of sports: 15 (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skeleton, Bobsled, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, and Biathlon)

Number of Events: 98

Number of American athletes, coaches, and staff expected to attend: 375

Broadcast coverage: NBC and NBCOlympics.com

These fast facts should give you a basic feel for what to expect from the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Now all that’s left to do is fix a big bowl of popcorn, grab your comfy heated electric throw, settle into your favorite chair, and root for the red, white, and blue!