Previously held in PyeongChang, South Korea, the Winter Olympics are hosted every four years in a different city. This year from February 4, 2022-February 20, 2022, the Games will be held in Beijing, China. The 2022 Winter Olympics will mark the second Olympic Games to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the 2020 Summer Olympics which was held in 2021 due to the outbreak, many competitors are anticipating exhilarating Games in the upcoming weeks.

Beijing will host the classic winter sporting events and introduce mixed men’s and women’s team events. Fifteen different sports will be seen at the Games with the most popular events being figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, and ice hockey. The Games will see new mixed team events in freestyle skiing, short-track speed skating, ski jumping, and snowboarding. The women’s mono bob in the bobsleigh competition is a new event to be featured in the upcoming Games. Athletes will use identical bobsleighs, unlike other bobsleighing events. It allows the competition to focus on their driving capabilities and individual skill.

Here are some of the top athletes to look out for this February: Mikaela Shiffrin is dominating in alpine skiing, being one of the youngest females to win two gold medals in the slalom events at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. Erin Jackson is currently the world’s best female speed skater. Many supporters are awaiting her appearance in the women’s 500 meter at the Olympic games. At 17 years old, Chloe Kim made her first appearance at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics winning the gold medal for women’s halfpipe for snowboarding. Shaun White is a male Olympic snowboarding champion with three medals in the halfpipe event. He said his last appearance at the Games will be at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

While skiing, snowboarding, and skating are the most viewed events at the Games, sports such as the biathlon, luge, nordic combined, and skeleton are also worth watching since the athletes must possess a specific set of skills to perform well. Have no fear, the International Olympic Committee has already placed strict safety measures due to COVID-19. The entire event will take place in a “bubble,” where all the food, housing, and transportation will be provided to the athletes by the IOC. Watch the 2022 Opening Ceremony on February 4, 2022.