As the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are fast approaching many are getting ready to see the new olympic events that were added this year. Twelve new events were added for this years Winter Olympics; this includes mens, womens, mixed, and team events. Many are excited for all the new events that were added and the more events that women have in the Olympics this year. The new events that have been added to this year’s Olympics include the following:

1. Figure skating team event (mixed)- The figure skating team event consists of a team that includes six skaters. One man, one woman, one pair and one ice dance couple. The judges score the pair based on the routine, how well they land their jumps, and any other components that may be included.
2. Luge team relay (mixed)- Each country will have a men’s single sled, a women’s single sled, and a double’s sled. The first racer will start off, and once they finish their leg, at the end there is a touchpad which is activated once the racers reach the end. The touchpad opens the starting gate for the second racer. The second racer then starts his leg.
3. Ski halfpipe- The ski halfpipe includes both men and women. The skiers are judged on execution, amplitude, variety, and difficulty. The judges scores are averaged and the highest score after averaged is the one that wins the gold medal.
4. Ski slopestyle- The ski slopestyle, one of the most look forward to events every year at the winter X-Games, is now part of the various events joining the Winter Olympics. Both men and women are allowed to compete in this event. Two riders will go down at the same time on two different parallel courses. The two courses have many obstacles that include three jumps, rails, and quarter-pipes.
5. Snowboard parallel slalom- The snowboard parallel slalom tests how well the rider speeds down the course while still being precise and on target. The rider has to pass through various gates that are marked with red and blue flags. The rider with the best time and that stays within the border of the course wins the race.
6. Women’s ski jumping- Probably one of the most fought for events, the women’s ski jump has finally made it to the Winter Olymipics. Women will ski down a 90-meter hill. Women get a training run, then the top jumpers move onto the second attempt. The scoring for this event is based upon the length of the jump and points are added for style and form.
7. Biathlon mixed relay– The biathlon consist of a team of 2 men and 2 women. The event includes a 4 leg relay on a 4km loop. Each leg includes skiing and shooting. The two women will start the event with the first two 6km. Then, the two men will finish the biathlon with 7.5 km legs.

This year women have been given more of a chance then they’ve ever had before.

“I think that it’s great that the Olympics are now allowing more women to compete because its making things less sexist. Also, it’s giving more equality to women now that they are participating in events that men are too,” freshman Olivia Pelaez said.

The decision to add all these events was a long process. The Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) had to make sure that all the events that were added had a positive impact universality:gender equality, youth appeal, and generally add value to the games. Other things that had to be considered was the cost of infrastructure, an overall estimate, and the number of events that were being added.

In the long run, the process that these events went through to get to the Olympics were worth it.

“I think it’s a nice opportunity for more people to participate in the Olympics. It’s close to 30 more people participating with each event so it’s really cool for the athletes that get to participate. Plus, if you’re a person that has an honest passion for the new events, it has to be nice to see your passion being recognized worldwide,” freshman Alitza Martell said.

On February 7th, people from all over will be watching to see their favorite countries joining together to celebrate the first day. The next couple of weeks will be full of competitions happening daily. Many are anxious to see the competitors of the new events in action.