OlymPicks: Biathlon Union Takes Aim at Beijing; Anticipation Builds for Unveiling of 2022's Mascots
In OlymPicks, we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.
Biathlon Union Takes Aim at Beijing
What could be more exciting than skiing on an Olympic-level cross county trail at top speed? How about doing it with a loaded rifle.
While the thought of seeing new-to-winter-sports Chinese athletes out and about with a gun might send a chill down your spine, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) is determined to bring the biathlon to China. So far, the Nordic skiing event (officially defined as an "event in which the competitors combine cross-country skiing and rifle shooting") has only really gained traction in European skiing hubs, but IBU president Olle Dahlin plans to change that. To reach a broader audience – i.e. those of us who've only associated skiing and target practice with James Bond flicks – Dahlin is taking aim at the 2022 Olympics.
"The Olympics are in China and we need to look at how we can take advantage of this," Dahlin told Inside the Games. "We are already discussing with the Chinese biathlon federation how to have long-term development in China. We need to look at development across Asia and North America.”
While it may seem like a stretch for such a niche sport to catch on in China, stranger things have happened. For proof, look no further than the enthusiasm elicited by this month's Curling Cup.
An Olympian's Setbacks and Triumphs
Speaking of skiing, here's a rising star to keep your eye on ahead of 2022: American freestyle and slopestyle skier Maggie Voisin, who has contended with the kinds of highs and lows usually reserved for the silver screen. Voisin was heralded as a prodigy at the age of 15 as she prepared to be one of the youngest US Olympians to partake at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Sadly, Voisin broke her ankle on a practice run a mere day before the Games began, dashing her dreams of competing.
She got back on track in Pyeongchang, finishing just shy of the podium, with fourth-place at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Voisin's momentum continued to build in 2018 at the Winter X Games in Aspen, where she triumphed with a gold medal. But just as things were looking up, she retore a long-beleaguered ligament earlier this year. Her ensuing dilemma: get extensive surgery now, and be barred from the season's remaining prestigious skiing competitions or risk further damaging the ligament and missing out on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Voisin decided to play it safe and begin her treatment immediately, as reported by Montana Sports in her home state. In that interview, she said the injury "mentally, was really, really hard for me," before pluckily pointing out: “any great athlete has gone through so many ups and downs in their career, and it’s the downs that really make or break people." No matter what happens, her determination ahead of the 2022 Games is certainly inspiring.
Give us our Mascot, already!
Lastly, a little a tease for Olympic nerds anticipating updates: the official mascot for the Games will be... announced in the latter half of 2019. According to CGTN, officials received a whopping 5,816 submissions in their mascot design contest, and the organizers have stated that "the mascot will be unveiled in the second half of this year after brand registration and IP protection work."
This uninspiring statement does little to satisfy fans of the famed 2008 Summer Olympic mascots, who are surely curious to know what will succeed the zany furry Fuwas. Regardless, you can’t deny that Beijing Olympic officials know how to ramp up, and stretch out, anticipation with their fits-and-starts style promotion.
READ: China Vows to Become a Winter Sports Leader by 2022
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Photos: Red Bull, GQ, The Import
