Athletes, Sports and Medals facts and figures

Sochi – Russia, Jan 14, 2014: The Olympic Winter Games run from February 7-23 in Sochi, Russian Federation, and here is a look at the sports and disciplines on the programme.

Alpine skiing

Medal events: 10. Athletes: 320. Dates: 9–22 February

Men and women will contest downhill, super combined, super-G, giant slalom and slalom.

Biathlon

Medal events: 11. Athletes: 220. Dates: 8–22 February

Sochi 2014 will see the mixed relay make its Olympic debut. Teams will comprise of two men and two women. Women will open the relay, completing the first two 6km legs. The men then complete the next two 7.5km legs.

Bobsleigh

Medal events: 3. Athletes: 170. Dates: 16–23 February

Cross-country skiing

Medal events: 12. Athletes: 310. Dates: 8–23 February

Sochi 2014 will feature 12 events (six for men and six for women) ranging from a 1.5km sprint to the 50km (men) and 30km (women) mass start races.

Curling

Medal events: 2. Athletes: 100. Dates: 10–21 February

Figure skating

Medal events: 5. Athletes: 148. Dates: 6–22 February

In addition to the singles, pairs and ice dance events, a figure skating mixed team contest will also be held in Sochi – marking the event’s debut on the Olympic programme. Teams will be made up of six skaters – one male, one female, one pair and one ice dance couple. Korea’s Kim Yuna is the defending champion in the women’s individual after her success at Vancouver 2010.

Freestyle skiing

Medal events: 10. Athletes: 282. Dates: 6–21 February

Sochi 2014 will see four new events join the freestyle skiing programme, with both a men’s and a women’s event in ski slopestyle and a men’s and a women’s event in ski halfpipe joining ski cross, aerials and moguls.

Ice hockey

Medal events: 2. Athletes: 468. Dates: 8–23 February

Luge

Medal events: 4. Athletes: 110. Dates: 8–13 February

Sochi 2014 will mark the debut of the mixed team relay event. Each country will field a men’s singles sled, a doubles sled and a women’s singles sled. All three will slide down the track, one after another, with the clock stopping only after the third sled has crossed the finish line.

Nordic combined

Medal events: 3. Athletes: 55. Dates: 12–20 February

Short track speed skating

Medal events: 8. Athletes: 120. Dates: 10–21 February

In Sochi, men and women will contest the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m, while there will also be a 3,000m relay for women and a 5,000m relay for men. China will be the team to beat, especially in the women’s races.

Skeleton

Medal events: 2. Athletes: 50. Dates: 13–15 February

Ski jumping

Medal events: 4. Athletes: 100. Dates: 8–17 February

Sochi 2014 will mark the first time that women will compete in the Olympic Winter Games. Watch out for Japan’s 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games champion Sara Takanashi, who took the women’s World Cup crown.

Snowboarding

Medal events: 10. Athletes: 252. Dates: 6-22 February

Sochi 2014 will see slopestyle (men and women) and parallel special slalom (men and women) events make their first appearances at the Games.

Speed skating

Medal events: 12. Athletes: 180. Dates: 8–22 February

Men and women will race over 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m and 5,000m. Men will also contest the 10,000m, while women will also race over 3,000m. Since 2006, men’s and women’s team pursuit events have also been held. Japan. Korea and China will be very competitive. —- OCA