The closing ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics was held on February 22, signaling the conclusion of the games. The games were held in multiple locations of northern Italy. The United States finished with the second highest number of gold medals this year.
The Olympics games are a monumental event for both the sports and global community. It sparks friendly competition between countries and is a time for people to come together over their favorite sports. According to junior Jennifer Nursalil, the Winter Olympics, specifically, are relevant for this very reason.
“I think the Olympics are still relevant because part of it’s a country’s pride,” Nursalil explained. “Basically, each country sends their [teams] there and it’s to represent the country.”
The Winter Olympics are known for its unique selection of sports, like curling and biathlon. New sports are added almost every year with some of this year’s additions being dual moguls and adding a women’s section to several existing sports. These changes and inclusions reflect the changing values of society.
“People are changing and evolving, and so do our sports,” Raghunath said. “And so you hear about someone doing this for the 1st time or doing that for the 1st time. It’s showing you how people are moving and changing over time.”
The constant addition of games to the Olympics are what keep the centuries-old event modern and, through opening up many sports to women, it reflects the efforts for greater equality.
While the games are very important both nationally and internationally, there are issues with the Winter Olympics not being relevant to students. As Nursalil puts it, the sports that are featured have very different rules compared to sports that are more well known.
“Because it’s harder to follow the rules,” Nursalil noted. “Each winter sport has really specific points and rules. A lot of people don’t do those sports in this area. So a lot of people don’t really follow the Winter Olympics.”
Athletes like figure skater Alysa Liu and speed skater Jordan Stolz have brought attention to the winter sports community with their performances and wins. However, viewers often lack knowledge about the rules of the sport, so their interest only goes till the wins these athletes bring.
The Winter Olympics is a globally celebrated event, though it remains distant to some due to the uniqueness of the featured sports. However, it continues to be a spectacle of sport, art and defying extremes.
