Bobsledding By: Ava

1. Bobsledding By: Ava Everyone is anxious to watch the winter Olympic Games! We all love to watch skiing, and snowboarding, and figure skating! But have you ever watched bobsledding? Bobsledding is an Olympic sport played through almost all countries in the world! It is interesting sport that I enjoy watching, and you might too! Bobsledding was first played in about the 1870’s. The sport is played for both female and male. The bobsleigh started out with five to six people in it. The four-man bobsled was first played in the Olympic Games in 1924. Addition to that, the two-man bobsled was first played in the Olympic Games in 1932. And just about one-hundred years later in the 2002 Olympic Games the woman’s bobsled was introduced. The rules of this game are very astounding! The racers start out by pushing as fast as they can for about 164 feet. Then, the racers jump into a seated position in order to race down the track. But not all of the athletes jump into the sled at the same time. The driver must jump in first in order to steer it. The brakeman jumps into the bobsled last, so he can stop the bobsled at the end of the race. In each event, medals are awarded to the team with the lowest combined time, calculated to one-hundredth of a second. Skiing, snowboarding, and figure skating look boring after watching a round of bobsledding. Be sure to watch it at the 2014 Sochi Olympics! Go USA!!

2. Cross Country Skiing By Cole Cross Country Skiing By Cole Cross Country Skiing is running on snow. It is one of the first sports in the Olympic Games. Women's cross-country skiing made its debut at the 1952 Games. There are six different events for men and women, including sprints, relays and freestyle races. It started in Europe. Cross country skiers wear heavy clothes and thick coats. Also they can chose to use long skies or short skies. The same thing goes for the poles. Cross country skiing is a really great workout.

3. Speed Skating the Roller Derby on Ice What is Speed Skating – Short track? It is a sport that started in Holland in the late 1600s.It first appeared in the Winter Olympic Games in 1924.Women’s speed skating was added in 1960s. The long track speed skating track is more than three times the length of the short track event. You can do the 500 meters,1,000 meters,1,500 meters, and the 5,000 meters. A pair of skaters race around the 1,312-foot oval track at the same time. The winner is the skater who has the fastest time after all the pairs have skated the speed skating track. Speed Skating-Short Track By:Ryan

4. Ski Jumping by Fernando Ski jumping was started in Norway. It was in the Olympics since 1924-Present. Ski jumps is 80 meters on a small hill, 120 from a large hill. Ski jumping is the original sport for extremists. Jumps can go up to 150 yards on a normal hill. In Longest world record 20 meters in 1878 in Norway. The women are competing for the first time at Sochi.

5. Shaun White by Tori Shaun White is more than a flying tomato. Back in the days Shaun White was a skier and soon at age 6 he wanted to be a Snowboarder. By age 7, he won his first sponsorship. Growing up he was also a pro at skate boarding. In 2006, Shaun White participated in the men’s halfpipe snowboarding in the Olympics and won the gold. Also in 2010 Shaun White also went to the Olympic snowboarding halfpipe and he won gold. Shaun White has 18 medals total in the winter X games since 2002. He has his own band called bad things where he plays guitar. He is also in movies and TV show. And he also has his own gum…….. he’s is the big thing. Shaun White is at the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi Russia trying to win his 3rd metal (gold).

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7. Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux by: Dominic Jocelyn and Monique aren’t just sisters and aren’t just twins – they are Olympic Ice Hockey players. They were born on July 3, 1989 and they grew up in North Dakota. They learned their moves from their four older brothers. Both have been a dynamic-duo for a decade maybe even more! During the last Olympics they both won a gold medal and two silver medals. Their parents told the reporters that they weren’t forcing them to play, they just did it. Fascinating as it makes their father proud to see his children pursuing their dreams. The twin sisters always had a passion for hockey! They became the first twin sister to play women’s ice hockey together. In the Olympics, they both won gold and a silver medal! They are both silver winning medalists in 2010 and had a tournament against three other countries which are Canada with Sweden and Finland in the 2010 winter Olympics and both play forward! The twins hope that they can come on top at the 2014 winter Olympics!

8. Ice Hockey By: Riley And he scores!!! Ice Hockey is a very dangerous sport. Men’s Ice Hockey started in 1875. It became a summer sport in 1920 in Belgium. It became a winter sport in 1924. It is known as hockey. The name ice hockey is used in countries where hockey generally refers to field hockey. Women’s Ice Hockey came in 74 years after men’s. It came a winter Olympic in 1998 at Nagano, Japan. You want to know what the rules of the games are? Well teams cannot have more than 6 players on the ice. So that means only 5 players on ice and 1 goalie. The games include 3 to 20 minute periods. With 15 minute breaks after the first and second periods. They are scored by the goals that they score. The equipment that they use is jerseys, helmets, pads, sticks and shin guards, shoulder pads.

9. SNOWBOARDING BY: JOHN H Snowboarding was one of the new events in 1992 AND 2002, and was the only one not to have a previous medal or demonstration event. Snowboarding was invented only 35 years ago. In 1963, a man named Tom Sims made Snowboarding out of plywood. He was in eighth grade and he did this in his shop class. He called it a ski board. He later formed a company that makes many snowboards. Another Snowboard inventor is Sherman Poppen. In 1965, Poppen designed a Snowboard called a snurfer. To make it Sherman bolted two skis together. In 1979, Jake Burton Carpenter started to make Snowboard out of fiberglass. Snowboarding entered the Olympics in 1998. It was one of the fast growing sports around then. The events are half pipe, Parallel Giant Slalom, Cross, Slope style, Parallel Slalom. Watch the Olympics to find out who will win.

10. By:Madilyn • Skeleton Skeleton – more than bones, it’s an Olympic event! Skeleton came back after a 54 year absence. Skeleton got its name when someone commented that a new metal sled, first used in 1892 resembled a skeleton. Women’s skeleton appeared in 2002 in Salt Lake City. The sled can only be used by going head first on your stomach to start you have to run as fast as you can and jump onto the sled. To steer the contestants have to move their body. It debuted at the 1928 St. Moritz Winter Games, and did not reappear until 1948. Skeleton this year is the sport to watch

11. Heather Richardson by Mackenzie K. HEATHER RICHARDSON: Going for the Gold Heather Richardson, a speed skater who was born on March 20, 1989 in High point, North Carolina, is destined for gold in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Both of Heather’s parents competed on skates, so she practically grew up on the ice. Around the age of nine, she wanted to try skating too and eventually switched to speed skating on ice. Heather competed in the 2010 Olympics and had placed 6th in 500 meters, 9th in the 1000 meters, and 16th in the 1500 meters. Her favorite part of the sport “would be that all of the long track races are against the clock so the fastest person on that day is always the winner.” Her proudest moment as a speed skater was when she won the gold medal at the 2013 World Sprint Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah.

12. Ashley Wagner by Taylor Is Ashley Wagner going for gold? Will she bring her country good scores so the USA wins? All about Ashley Wagner!!! Ashley Wagner was born on May 16, 1991 in Heidelberg, Germany where her father was stationed at a Military base. Wagner moved 7 times from California, Alaska, Washington State, and more. She is currently living in Southern California. This angel on ice was in 7 Grand Prix and has won 2 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze. Ashley trains at Aliso Viejo, California with her trainer John Nicks. Ashley has made 4th place for the USA team. It all started when Ashley was 5 years old in Eagle River Lake Alaska. Ashley started and loved ice skating. She has not traveled to the Olympics before. She hopes she can win a gold medal for team USA. Ashley wants to be a broadcasting journalist when she is done figure skating! Do you think Ashley Wagner can win a gold medal? Is she good enough to beat the 15 year old Russian skater? Watch the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia.

13. 17 TO SKI!?!? MIKAELA SHIFFRIN IS SHE THE RIGHT SKIER TO TAKE HOME THE OLYMPIC GOLD?!?! By: Mackenzie M. Mikaela Shiffrin was born March 13, 1995. In Vail, Colorado, U.S. Her height is 5 ft 7 inches. She is the winning world cup and world champion in slalom at the age 15! She had 7 wins. Mikaela had started skiing at 2 years of age! Her parents Eileen and Jeff Shiffren had supported her. Mikaela didn’t race much when she was little. Other little skiers were racing while she was training at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont to master her sport. Mikaela had grown up and been practicing her whole life. Once she had grown up old enough she got to compete in FIS sanctioned races. December 14, 2010 she was at the meeting for the age of 15 and up. Shiffrin won a Nor-Am cup a combined race at Panorama, British Columbia. It was an eight FIS level race when she had played. She went up getting 2nd, 3rd, and 1st in the three Nor-Am races. After weeks she won the Nor-Am slalom races at Sunday River, Maine. She got a bronze medal at the FIS junior world ski championships at Crans Montana, Switzerland, even though she had gotten the stomach flu the day before the competion. Now Mikaela Shiffrin takes the place of Lindsey Vonn who had taken a tumble and injured he right knee. Mikaela now holds the Olympics in her own hands!!!! Will she win? We’ll find out in the winter Olympics! Mikaela Shiffrin by: Mackenzie M.

14. Curling By Jacob Is curling fashion or a sport? It was famous in Scotland between the 16th and 19th centuries. In the 19th century they used house brooms. Curling was played with rocks on ice. It was started in 1807 in the United States. Curling was played in the Olympics in 1924, but never played again in the Olympics until 1998. It was an official sport in 1998. Men and women were rejected from being on the same team in 2010. A curling stone’s minimum height is 4.5 inches tall. A stone is 42 pounds each. Each stone is made of Blue Horn granite. One stone is 600 Canadian dollars. Curling’s nickname is Chess on ice the roaring game. They score it by seeing the closest stone to the middle dot. In this year’s Olympics, Sweden and Canada are two of the best teams - no one stands a chance.

15. Max Aaron By nick • MaxAaron. This Figure Skater was born on February 25, 1992, in Scottsville, Arizona and is now 21. He played ice hockey for 14 years and led his league in goals and penalties, then he switched to Figure Skating. In the 09-10 season, he won bronze in the National Junior Championships right after his back injury. He also won gold at the US Classic and finished 1st in the World Team Trophy. Most people said he was destined for gold, but he is not even getting a medal because he is not going to the 2014 Winter Olympics. He finished 3rd behind Jeremy Abbot and Jason Brown and didn’t qualify for the Olympics. We don’tknow ifhe’llever get to the Olympics, but for now this is Nick, Kirby’s Mill News.

16. Meryl Davis and Charlie White Ice Dancing By: Evan Davis and White. Not the moms. Meryl Davis was born on January 1, 1987 and raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Meryl started skating at age five because she lived just off a lake and wanted to be able to skate on it in the winter. She started out as a single skater, but began doing ice dancing at age eight. Meryl received the Phi Beta Kappa award at her high school graduation and was also a member of the National Honor Society. Charlie White was born on October 24, 1987. With partner Meryl Davis, he is a two time (2011, 2013) World Champion. Davis and White teamed up in 1997 and they are currently the longest-lasting dance team in the United States. They are the first American ice dancers to win the world title. Davis and White are the current world record holders in the short dance, free dance, and the total combined score. Theyare destined for the Gold at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi and their moms couldn’t be any prouder!

17. Elana Meyers by Lauren Elana Meyers. She is not just a good softball player; she is great on the ice, too. She was born on October 10, 1984 in Douglasville, Georgia. She knew she wanted to be an Olympian at age 9. She thought that softball might take her there. She tried out for the U.S. National softball team. The tryouts didn’t go too well, though. Her parents suggested she try bobsledding because they saw it on the 2002 winter Olympics. She contacted the coach and asked about the tryout process. He then invited her to Lake Placid in September 2007 and she made the team. She played for the Mid Michigan Ice softball team. She got bronze in the 2010 winter Olympics and this year she is going for the gold.

18. Hey, have you heard of the sport alpine skiing before? Did you hear that Lindsey Vonn is not participating this year due to her injuries? Alpine skiing is not just a leisure sport – it’s a sport for Olympians. Alpine skiing began as a club sport in 1861. It was first introduced into the Olympics in 1936 as a men and women’s sport. There are 5 events in alpine skiing. They are: Downhill –The course is the speediest and longest Slalom-The shortest curse with the quickest turns and two different course on the same slope Giant Slalom-Almost the same as slalom but longer and fewer and wider turns Super G-The events combines the speed of downhill with the precise turns of the giant slalom Super Combined-the super combined features a shortened downhill run followed by one slalom run. Alpine Skiers must be going 70 miles per hours. I hoped you liked my presentation so make sure you get a quick glimpse of Alpine skiing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics Alpine Skiing By: Billy

19. Biathlon BIATHALON, it’s not just skiing and shooting. Biathlon was not always a sport. Biathlon began as a hunting method in northern Europe and then was later used as alternative training for Norwegian soldiers called military patrol. Biathlon means two tests in Greek. They called it two tests because it’s two tests, cross country skiing and shooting a target. It started to be in the Olympics in 1924 but was contested. Men’s biathlon was brought back in 1960 as an official Olympic sport. But it’s different for women. Women’s biathlon began in 1992. This year (2014) combined biathlon is being introduced into the Olympics. Twomen and two women per team. The rules: athletes ski more than 12 miles of snow, when they reach a shooting range they must stop, put down there ski poles and shoot at a metal target, they alternate from shooting on the ground and shooting standing up are penalized if they miss a target. Do you think you could be a biathlon participant? By: Gabe

20. Ryan Suter by Angelina Ryan Suter plays for the Minnesota wild. Sochi Russia Ryan Suter was on the ice four years ago in Vancouver when Sidney Crosby scored one of the most famous goals in Canada’s rich history.”Yea” Suter said “thanks for reminding me.”Crosby’s goal in overtime gave Canada a 3-2 victory over Team USA in the Gold medal game. For the Americans, who had gained confidence throughout the tournament, second place never felt so hollow? Now, the Americans are looking for Gold – meeting their destiny once more going against the Canadians. Can’t wait to see who wins!

21. Sarah Hendrickson by Ella Sarah Hendrickson-Will She Make It To Sochi? Sarah Hendrickson is an Olympic ski jumper that is still a teen. She was born on August 1, 1994 in Salt Lake City Utah. Her father and brother were ski jumpers also. Her first time on skis was at age two. She started to take ski jumping lessons at age four. She began competing in World Cup Competitions in 2011. Then, Sarah moved to The Winter Sports School in Park City. She graduated in November 2012. She got first place in the World Championships in 2013, she came in sixth place in 2011, and in 2012 she won 9 out of 13 events. Miss. Hendrickson hopes to win the gold in Sochi this Olympics. But, due to a severe knee injury on August 21, 2013, she may not be able to compete this year. With plenty of rest and careful training, Sarah may be able to compete.

22. What is Nordic-combined, you ask? Well, it’s more than skiing and jumping it’s both. Nordic-Combined was first in the Olympics in 1924 where it was only an individual sport. The team event was added in 1998. The normal hill individual is a 6 mile cross-country race. The large hill individual is a larger hill jump followed by 6 mile race also. The team event includes 4 skiers and each athlete jumps the large hill. In the relay race each skier skis a little more than a mile. Does that answer your question? Nordic Combine by: Joe T

23. Luge By: Maya What is the fastest and most dangerous sport in the winter Olympics? Luge! It is done on a small two person sled feet first. Lugers can reach speeds of 140 km per hour. Racing sleds weigh about 21-25 kilograms. Luge became an Olympics sport in 1964 in the winter games in Austria. There are three events: men’s singles, women’s singles and doubles. The doubles is two racers in one day. The lugers combine their times over the two races and whoever has the lowest combined time wins! Women’s and doubles start further down the track. The racer with the fastest combined time over the four racers wins! Men’s and women’s singles have four races over two days. Lugers steer with their shoulders and their legs. Athletes must keep their bodies relaxed to maintain speed and direction. Singles are scored over two races. They combine their time and the person with lowest combined time wins! The first international was held in Davos in 1883 with competitors racing along an icy 4km road between Davos and the village of Klosters. So, what do you think of luge? Would you want to try it?

24. Freestyle Skiing By: Brigid Now remember, this is skiing NOT swimming. Freestyle skiing was first played in the 1930’s. It was first contested in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. It was often known as “hot-dogging”. It was finally recognized as a sport in 1979. In the 1990’s, pioneer skiers took skiing to the snowboard park. There are 2 main branches of freestyle skiing. Competitors are judged on the quality of their takeoff and the form of their landing.