photo: Christian Pondella/Shazamm/ESPN Images. Simon Dumont.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) met in London today to decide on adding 11 new disciplines into the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. I’m pleased to announce that Skier Half-Pipe (men & women) was one of the events accepted! This is huge. Snowboard half-pipe has already enjoyed 4 Olympic Games: Nagano, SLC, Torino, & Vancouver. Now the skiers will get their turn at turning some heads in Sochi. Skiers can go faster in the pipe, go bigger, and do more spins. It’s going to be one helluva show this winter. I’m always interested in watching the games, but this time, in Sochi, it’s going to be big time.
The IOC made their decision based on their opinion that half-pipe skiing will bring the games more young, hip, TV watching viewers. And they are correct. I’m willing to bet that the nights that hold the skiing half-pipe qualifier and finals will be the biggest viewing nights of the games.
photo: Eric Asistin Photography
Skiing Slopestyle was not accepted today, but it also wasn’t declined. Skiing slopestyle will continue to be reviewed over the coming weeks and a final decision is scheduled to be announced within a month.
4 other events were chosen for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games today. They were Women’s Ski Jumping, Biathlon Mixed relay, Luge Team Relay, Figure Skating Team Event. For more info on all these events: www.Olympic.org
The IOC was supposed to decide on skiing half-pipe and slopestyle in Acapulco, Mexico this past October but, at the time, they decided they’d hold off and watch the FIS World Championships in Park City, UT in February before finalizing.