We have been the viewers of one of the most entertaining sporting events in 2022. The Winter Olympic Games of Beijing were a part of our daily life till February 20.
The main target of this sports competition was a human being, an athlete that has come to show his/her talents and skills in order to reach the desired medal.
Beijing 2022 Olympic Medal Table – Gold, Silver & Bronze
The competitions were full of joy, happiness, and pain of loss. Victories, new records, and even weird occasions can lead to unbelievable moments, and Beijing 2022 was not an exception. Here are some of the best moments from the Beijing Olympics of 2022!
The top 10 moments at the Beijing Olympics
1. From shattered skull to Olympic silver
Colby Stevenson's story is a piece of inspiration as he won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in the first-ever men’s freeski big air competition, six years after fighting for his life.
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The USA freestyle skier escaped death after a car accident that saw him shatter his skull in 30 places. The accident also caused traumatic brain injuries, with the athlete also breaking his eye-socket and ribs which forced him into a medically-induced coma for three days.
2. Kamila Valieva: 15-year-old figure skater at the center of doping scandal
Kamila Valieva's superb start in the Beijing Olympics was interrupted by an incident that changed the whole story. The 15-year-old figure skater got suspension after leading the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to gold in the figure skating team event. It was discovered that she had tested positive for the banned heart medication back in December 2021.
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The Russian athlete then cleared to compete in the individual figure skating event, however, the latest pressure visibly had an impact on her performance. Multiple falls resulted in a fourth-place finish in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
As decided by International Olympic Committee (IOC), the competing participants will not receive their medals until Valieva's case had been resolved. It could take weeks or even months.
3. Francesco Friedrich doubles again after 2018 Pyeongchang's success
Germany's Francesco Friedrich led his country to a 4-man bobsled win in the Beijing Olympics 2022 following their success in Pyeongchang back in 2018. This is the first double-double in Olympic bobsled history.
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After winning two golds in the Winter Olympics, Friedrich admitted that they had done an "amazing job" in the previous four years in order to achieve their goal.
4. Mikaela Shiffrin Winter Olympic struggles: criticism and support towards her
Mikaela Shiffrin third Olympic Winter Games turned out to be not as successful as expected. The American skier struggled to show herself at full form and missed out on medals both in individual and US team events.
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Amid the huge criticism towards the athlete, American artistic gymnast Simone Biles and 2022 downhill silver medalist Goggie Sofia sent supportive messages to Shiffrin. Others also joined them to encourage Shiffrin to fight till the end despite the horrible start because of the crashes. When speaking about Sofia's message, Shiffrin revealed that she almost started crying after receiving it.
5. Twelve years' wait is over as Benjamin Karl wins the snowboard gold
Becoming a champion in Beijing Olympics 2022 was an emotional moment for snowboarder Benjamin Karl.
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Twelve years after losing in the final in Vancouver, the 36-year-old five-time world champion now won the snowboard gold medal.
6. Alexander Bolshunov's mid-race celebration and the broken podium
Alexander Bolshunov's performance in the Beijing Olympics 2022 will probably stay in the memories of everyone who watched it. The Russian athlete claimed his first gold medal in the men's 30km skiathlon, just stunning the sports commentators with his mid-race celebration.
Image Source: Eurosport
Another incident happened with the gold-medal winner a little bit later as he broke the podium with his delightful victory celebration.
7. Canada and ROC women's hockey players wear KN95 masks underneath their hockey masks
A bizarre incident occurred during the Olympic games as both Canadian and Russian women’s hockey players were wearing KN95 masks underneath their hockey masks.
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The Canadian team were reluctant to take the ice before receiving a report on Russia’s COVID testing status. The start of the preliminary group game was delayed by more than an hour. As a result, the teams were required to play with masks due to “safety and security reasons”, as per The Associated Press.
8. The oldest Olympic alpine skiing medallist
Years are just numbers when you speak about Johan Clarey. The 41-year-old proved to be still one of the best athletes in alpine skiing, becoming a silver medalist in his sports competition.
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After his achievement, Clarey shared his feelings, claiming that winning the silver was just "unbelievable" and "fantastic".
Top 10 Athletes To Watch In Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games
9. Slopestyle gold medal after cancer battle
Max Parrot stole the show as he claimed his first Olympic gold medal in Beijing after winning back from a cancer battle. Two huge wins for the athlete!
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The 27-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma back in December 2018. He faced a real fight both for his life and career. And here is the result. He battled cancer and came out stronger, gifting Canada the first gold in the 2022 Beijing Games.
10. Saba Kumaritashvili fulfills his cousin’s dream 12 years after the tragic death
Saba Kumaritashvili became the first Georgian luger to compete at the Olympic Games. But this is not the only case.
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He fulfilled the dream of his cousin, Nodar Kumaritashvili, who tragically died in a training crash at the 2010 Games.
The Georgian athlete admitted that Nadar became one of the reasons he chose luge and wanted to be in the Olympics.