The Winter Olympics began on Thursday the 8th of February. Most people know a few of the sports like figure skating, snowboarding, hockey and skiing. But what about the less popular sports? Luge, biathlon, nordic combined or skeleton are some of the little-known sports that take place during the Winter Olympics. So what are they?

Luge: 

Both men and women can compete in this sport. In this sport, both either a single competitor or a two-person team ride on a sled while lying on their back with their feet first. Usually, the sled is on an ice track which gives the competitor more speed. The winner is the competitor, or team, with the fastest time. This is one of the most precisely timed sports in the world. Timing goes down to one one-thousandth of a second.

Biathlon:

This sport combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. The ski course is divided into either two or four shooting rounds. Half of the rounds are standing, the other half laying down. The winner of the Biathlon is the contestant with the shortest time. Some contestants will get time or extra distance added to their total, depending on their shooting scores. There are seven different kinds of biathlons: individual, sprint, pursuit, mass start, relay, mixed relay and team.

Nordic Combined:

Athletes competing in the Nordic Combined compete in a cross-country skiing section, then a ski jumping competition. Whoever earned the most points in both events, won the competition. This sport is only a men’s sport, but at the 2022 Winter Olympics there will be a women’s competition.

Skeleton:

Similar to the luge, this is another sport that uses an ice track and a sled. In this sport though, the athlete rides face down and there is always only one single rider. Both men and women can compete in this event. Like the luge, the winner of this event is the athlete finishing with the fastest time.