Sport Articles Online: IOC adds 4 disciplines, including mass start, to Games 2018

Monday, June 8, 2015

IOC adds 4 disciplines, including mass start, to Games 2018 – nrc.nl

Skater during the mass start on February 15 this year at the World Championships at Thialf distances. Photo Reuters / Vincent Jannink

Sport

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has four new components added to the program at the Winter Games in 2018 in Pyeongchang. Among others, the mass start at the skating is an Olympic track. Further events are added to snowboarding, curling and alpine skiing.

This is the Big Air snowboarding at a part where the participants of big jumps to jump and then have to show great technical tricks. When curling is added a competition for mixed teams and alpine skiing is a team event. The parallel slalom will be abolished when snowboarding. That is not the number that Nicolien Sauerbreij won gold in 2010. She was champion in parallel giant slalom.

Mass Start

For the Netherlands, in particular, the introduction of the mass start interesting. It is still unclear how this event takes shape, but also the Dutch skaters are already dominant in this new discipline: Netherlands last season won both the men’s and women right at the first edition of the event gold at the World Championships in Heerenveen. Arjan Stroetinga and Irene Schouten let themselves into the first world champions crowns.

Younger public and less cost

Games in the South Korean Pyeongchang go on February 9, 2018 start. The regulations allow the IOC to when it can be added or eliminated no later than three years before the event disciplines. The IOC is trying in recent years to interest a younger audience for the Games by making room for spectacular numbers at include snowboarding and skiing.

Furthermore, voted the IOC today with other venues for the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020. The relocations in a total amount of 700 million dollars (626 million euros) save. The IOC is facing a lack of interest from cities to host the games. They fear the high cost of the event, which in recent years include Sochi (2014, estimated to cost 45 billion euros) and Athens (2004, 13 billion euro loss) were raised from the pan.