Winter Olympics at Beijing finally ended after close to a fortnight of riveting action on and off the field. Notwithstanding the diplomatic boycotts, doping cloud and Covid scare things unfolded smoothly from February 6 to 22. The 2022 Winter Olympics made several hearts stop momentarily, watching the performance of some experienced and debutant campaigners, but it featured some unpleasant outcomes pertaining to celebrated categories as well. So, it is an ideal setting to recount the highs and lows of the Games this year.
Valieva Controversy & The Eventual Disappointment
The 15-year-old Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva was dubbed as a potential gold winner. Unfortunately, she ended up fourth in the women’s free skate final, which also showed her frailties as she fell multiple times during her painful sojourn. If this was not enough, she also got embroiled in a doping controversy and it remains a mystery as to why she was allowed to compete in the tournament despite testing positive for the banned substance Trimetazidine. In fact, several eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that she was let off the hook for being a minor.
Nathan Chen Grabs Gold Finally
Putting aside the disappointment of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Nathan Chen finally got in 2022 what he deserved all along. Skating to a mixture of popular songs, Chen completed five quad jumps to secure Gold in the men’s single skating tournament. After the stupendous feat, he confessed to the media that he wanted to set things right desperately this time after the shocking slip up four years back. Chen’s radiant smile after the victory was truly one of the high points of this year’s Games.
Gu’s Triple Treat
The 18-year-old Freeski prodigy Gu created a furore by winning three medals in her debut Winter Olympics appearance. Two out of the three metals happened to be Yellow, rendering her exploits all the more special. Her final act was bang on target, nearly, which also prompted a victory lap on her part. The US-born Gu, competing for China though, also entered the history books as she became the first freestyle skier to corner three medals in a single tournament. “It has been two straight weeks of the most intense highs and lows I’ve ever experienced in my life,” a delighted Gu told media after her victory.
Shiffrin Fails To Make It Three In A Row
Certainly, a lot was riding on the shoulders of Mikaela Shiffrin this time after striking gold twice in 2014 as well as 2018 editions. But the American skier had a morale-crushing DNFs (Did Not Finish) thrice as she lost three individual events in the Games this year. In her final participation in the mixed team parallel event, the 26-year-old finished fourth, rounding off a disappointing run at Beijing. She was also criticised heavily for her performance and she also shared some of the acidic comments online as she said these hurt as much as her below-par performance.
Kim’s Golden Run Continues
The 21-year-old Snowboarder Chloe Kim had another spectacular outing, this time when she won gold in the Women Halfpipe category. Before this, Kim had also won a gold in 2018 as a teenager. After the triumph, she confessed to the reporters that prior to the winter games she had some rough practice sessions, where she failed to land aptly most of the time. However, the poor practice sessions were hardly reflective in the actual competition as she pulled off an impossible stunt of three-and-a-half spins in the air, which got her 94 valuable points to help secure the Gold medal yet again.
