The World’s Favourite Winter Olympic Sports
With the 2018 Winter Olympics just around the corner, sports enthusiasts can gear up for 3 weeks of intense sporting action, world-class competitions and plenty of betting opportunities. The host city for this year’s event is PyeongChang in South Korea. This is the second time the South Koreans have hosted the Winter Olympics, the first being in Seoul in 1988. Despite the freezing temperatures and controversy surrounding the invitees, the event is set to be a major highlight of the 2018 world sporting calendar.
Excluding demonstrative sports, athletes in PyeongChang will compete in a total of 15 events on snow and ice. These include everything from skiing to ice hockey, luge to bobsledding, snowboarding to biathlon and many others. In the US and Canada, ice hockey is the most predominant sport. Next to American football, baseball and basketball, it is one of the major US sports with millions of viewers tuning into each game.
Russia is also a major proponent of ice hockey as is the two Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Finland. In other parts of the world though, ice hockey is a relatively insignificant winter sport. In Africa for example, curling is the dominant sport with portions of the continent preferring the likes of bobsledding. In the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia, curling enjoys hug popularity while South America and Mexico have bobsledding as their go-to sport.
Snowboarding, Luge, Speed Skating and Bobsledding
Snowboarding is another popular sport, which is gaining momentum in the US and Canada. In Australia, snowboarding has long enjoyed its place as dominant sports. Iceland and Great Brian also prefer the more modern snowboarding to traditional winter sports. If you are particularly interested in speed skating, Mongolia and China is where you will find the most action skating action.
In New Zealand as well as Spain and parts of Eastern Europe, Luge is the dominant sport with athletes competing in all levels. While you may think countries like Russia or Germany would be more into figure skating, it is Japan who is most enamoured with the sport. Figure skating in Japan has risen to become the single largest winter-based sport in the country. Ireland is another country that prefers the more obscure sports, or traditional, depending on how you look at it. In Ireland, ski jumping is the main attraction with the National Ski Jumping squad holding the hopes of the country on their shoulders.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Betway |  | 5/5 | Up to $60 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Picklebet | | 4.9/5 | Login to see promotions | Bet now Review |
| 3 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.8/5 | 100% Match | Bet now Review |
More About Lauren Ball
An avid writer and sports betting enthusiast, Lauren Ball has found the ideal way to combine the two. As a regular contributor and resident OnlineBettingNZ.co.nz expert, Lauren is now putting her considerable wisdom to good use, and keeps punters informed as to what’s hot and happening in the online betting and sporting world.
From the latest sports results to any upsets or developments in the betting world, Lauren makes it her business to know what’s going on in the industry and share it with those who have the same interests.
You May Also Like:
4 New Sports Make Waves At 2024 Olympics
The 2024 Olympics in Paris has introduced breaking (breakdancing), skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing to the roster. These additions not only enhance the diversity of the Olympics but also open ….
The Future Of Sports Betting
When it comes to the future of sports betting, things are changing quickly. This is thanks to new technologies and changing customer habits. People are betting on sports in novel ….
Gymnast Faces Ban Over Offensive Symbol
The behaviour of Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who openly wore a symbol in support of his country’s invasion of the Ukraine while on the medal podium at the Apparatus World ….
Sportsbet Fined $3.7 Million For Spam
Australian authorities have slapped online bookmaker Sportsbet with $3.7 million in fines for sending unwanted (spam) gambling ads to users. The bookie reportedly sent more than 150,000 promotional emails and ….
UK Sport Chair Weighs In On Future Funding
Future funding for winter sports participated in by athletes from Great Britain will be funded not only on account of medals won at the Beijing Winter Olympics, but also according ….