PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games: Several heads of state to grace opening ceremony
Several heads of State, including Governor General of Canada, are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games starting on February 9. The 23rd edition of the Winter Olympics that had a humble origin in 1921, when Chamonix in France played host to the inaugural event, have grown much bigger in size and strength.
Compared to Sochi where 547 athletes from 45 nations participated, PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games has nearly 2900 athletes from 95 countries competing here in South Korea.
For Koreans, it is second Olympics as they successfully hosted the 1988 summer Olympic Games as well.
Winter Olympic Games are categorised in accordance with their characteristics into three groups :
Snow sports (seven) - Skiing (Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing,Skii Jumping, Nordic Combined, Snowboard, Freestyle Skiing and Biathlon)
Ice Sports (Five) -Skating (Speed Skating, Figure Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Ice Hockey, Curling
Sliding Sports (three) - Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton.
USA is the only country to have organised Winter Olympic Games four times - Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980, Squaw Valley in 1960 and Salt Lake City 2002.
France has been the host three times starting with Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1968 and Albertville 2002.
Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Japan and Canada have hosted these Games twice each while Germany , Yugoslavia, Russia and Korea have done it once each.
Of 205 members of the International Olympic Committee, only 12 have hosted the Winter Games once or more.
