Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

Winter Olympics storylines entering second week

Winter Olympics storylines entering second week

J.P. O'Hagan, Staff Reporter February 14, 2014

With the start of the Winter Olympics in Sochi the entire world has turned its focus on the southern Russian city as the world’s greatest athletes compete for gold. All that focus leads to millions of...

Guide to Olympic events

Guide to Olympic events

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

The Olympics provide a stage for many less well-known events which can help catapult athletes to international fame, but can also lead to a confusing viewing experience for those who aren’t familiar...

For wipeout fiends: Luge.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

Luge, one of three “sliding” sports featured in the Olympics, is a variation of sledding. Each competitor sits on a small sled, big enough to support one person. The luger must navigate a track with...

For those who can’t decide: Nordic combined.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

Nordic combined is a skiing-heavy sport in which competitors ski jump and cross-country ski, usually in that order. The Nordic combined consists of three events in the Olympics: individual large hill,...

For those that go in head-first: Skelton.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

The event is a thrill to watch and not for the faint of heart. The athletes slide on sleds through the course (sleds without braking or steering mechanisms), by shifting their body weights to manipulate...

For those who root for the underdog: Bobsleigh.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

Jamaica, they have a bobsleigh team. The bobsleigh events involves a running start, propelling a sleigh to a chute while the members jump on mid-slide. U.S.A. track star Lolo Jones, who lost a chance to...

For those with style: Freestyle skiing.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

This high-flying sport will be expanding this year with the first-ever Olympic slopestyle and halfpipe competition. With the gaining popularity of extreme winter events, the Olympics is working to capture...

For the neurotic: Long track speed skating

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

The combination of rhythmic racing and quick circuits on the ice make this an extremely calming sport to watch amidst all of the extreme jumping, spinning and slipping. The U.S. took home four medals in...

For those craving drama: Figure skating.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

The lead-up to the Olympic games has seen a lot of drama in the sport of figure skating as the U.S. Association of Figure Skating worked to round out its team for the games during the national competition...

For fans of flannel: Curling.

Katie Wieser, Sports Editor February 9, 2014

The sport that combined the unlikely pair of brooms and stones, curling has recently gained popularity with the relatively low equipment cost and the focus on repetition and physics. Each match consists...

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