The 2022 Winter Olympics are drawing near. Surprised?
You’re not alone. In 2020, NBC reported its lowest Olympics viewership since 1988. It’s safe to assume that—with the amount of disruption brought on by the pandemic—interest in the Olympics at that time just wasn’t there.
That said, it’s a new year and a completely different set of sports are coming our way. If you were out of the loop and want to get caught up, or just need a quick refresher on what’s going on with the 2022 Winter Games, you’re in the right place.
Check out these answers to some often-asked questions along with some in-depth infographics to help get you up to speed.
- What are the Winter Olympics?
- 2022 Winter Games guide (see infographic)
- 2022 Winter Olympics sports list (see infographic)
- Who will host the 2026 Winter Olympics
What are the Winter Olympics? ❄️
Like the Summer Games, the Winter Games are an international, multi-sport event held once every four years, for sports conducted on either snow or ice. The first event took place in 1924 and was held in Chamonix, France. Back then it only consisted of five sports – bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, and skating.
To date, there have been 23 Winter Games held. The 2022 Beijing Winter Games will be the 24th Winter Games event, officially known as the XXIV Olympic Winter Games.
2022 Winter Games guide 📒
With a sporting event of this scale, planning it out from start to finish and actually pulling it off is a major undertaking. From making sure the necessary facilities are available, the influx of tourism is manageable, that athletes and teams can travel freely and efficiently, to broadcasting the events to the world and making an exciting show of it—all this takes a lot of time, patience and effort.
This infographic breaks down how China has organized itself for the events, including locations, venues, transportation logistics, costs and more!
2022 Winter Olympics Fast Facts
- Beijing, China; Oslo, Norway; and Almaty, Kazakhstan were shortlisted. Oslo, Norway withdrew due. Beijing, China won over Almaty, Kazakhstan by four votes.
- The games are spread over 26 venues across three hubs: The Beijing Cluster, Yangqing Cluster, and the Zhangjiakou Cluster
- A high-speed driverless railway, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Intercity Railway, was constructed to manage transportation between the clusters. It can travel 220MPH.
- Of all the events, skiing and snowboarding have the most medals – 55.
2022 Winter Olympics sports list ⛷️
Once consisted of five main sports, the Winter Games has evolved over the last (almost) century. Here is a complete breakdown of the different sports (and disciplines) to expect for this year’s 2022 Winter Games, along with the number of medals up for grabs.
This 2022 Winter Games Sports List is a Venngage Smart Diagram. It uses a neat diagramming feature that lets you automate the creation and connections of each new section. You can move things around and space however you like, and as you add text the entire diagram adjusts so you won’t need to resize anything.
Try it out today—it’s unlike any other diagramming feature you’ll use!
Who will host the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Plans for the next Winter Games are already underway. The XXV Olympic Winter Games will take place in Italy, in the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The event is scheduled to take place from February 6, 2026 to February 22, 2026.
Milan, with a population of about three million, is Italy’s second largest city, its financial capital and a hub for the arts and fashion. This will be Italy’s fourth time hosting the Olympic Games.