Watch winter olympic 2018 Snowboard Live TV >>>>>
The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea are right around the corner! That means it's time to watch sports you might not have seen in four years. To help you feel at least a little more informed—either to impress your friends or fake your way through a conversation with an actual expert—SI will be providing rookie's guides to each of the 15 sports. These will be published daily, Monday through Friday, from December 4-22. Although a popular sport today, snowboard is fairly new to the Winter Olympics. Out of the five new sports added to the Olympic program between 1992 and 2002, snowboard was the only one not to have been a previous medal or demonstration event. At the 1998 Games, snowboard was introduced through two events: the giant slalom and the half-pipe. Canadian Ross Rebagliati won the men's giant slalom to become the first athlete to win a gold medal in snowboard. Today, a total of ten snowboard events are held, in which 258 athletes participate. Here's everything you need to know about one of the most exciting and physically demanding events at the Games. So, what is snowboarding? Most people are familiar with snowboarding, either as a recreational activity or a sport where individuals descend a snow-covered slope while standing on a board attached to the rider's feet. Think skateboarding, skiing, surfing and sledding all mixed into one, action-packed sport. If this 1-year old can do it, I think it's safe to say that anyone can snowboard.Snowboarding has a relatively short history. As mentioned earlier, it wasn't introduced as a Winter Olympic sport until 1998 and was only featured in the Winter Paralympics at the 2014 Games in Sochi. While we cannot confirm the origin of the sport, it is believed to first be contested in 1968, when Sherman Poppen, an engineer in Michigan, fastened two skis together and attached a rope to one end for his children to glide downhill. Poppen dubbed the toy as the "snurfer" and it proved so popular that he licensed the idea to a manufacturer and sold over half a million products in 1966 alone. Over the next two decades, the sport would grow in popularity thanks to Americans Tom Sims and Jake Burton Carpenter, as well as Welsh skateboard enthusiasts Jon Roberts and Pete Matthews. The first competitions to offer prize money were the National Snurfing Championship in Muskegon, Michigan. What are the different events at the Olympics?There are five different snowboard events at the Olympics, with each event having a men's and women's competition. This means 30 total medals and 10 golds in PyeongChang. Halfpipe: What is it?: Halfpipe is an event where athletes perform jumps, rotations and twists in the air as they glide criss-crossing a semi-circular ramp. Format: Halfpipe consists of a qualification and final round. 30 riders will compete in the men's competition and 24 riders will compete in the women's competition. The qualification will consist of two runs and each competitor's best single run will count toward advancement. The top 12 riders will advance to the final round, where each athlete will perform three runs and use their best run to determine the medalists.? Judging: Athletes are judged based on the amplitude (height), difficulty, variety and execution of their runs. In terms of amplitude, judges will reward athletes who maintain a good amplitude throughout their run. They will also assess the technical difficulty of the tricks performed. Tricks with more rotation or inverts are considered more difficult and will be rewarded appropriately. Furthermore, judges expect riders to showcase a variety of tricks. Finally, the stability, fluidity and control of the tricks will play into the execution category.
Snowboard Cross:
What is it?: Snowboard Cross involves heats of four to six athletes racing down a course organized with various terrain structures such as banks, rollers, spines and jumps. It's a race: The finish is decided by the order they cross the finish line. Format: The event consists of two portions: seeding/qualification and elimination rounds. For men, all 40 riders will take individual runs through the course to determine the seeding for the final brackets. For women, only the top 24 out of 30 riders will advance to the elimination heats. The men's eliminations will consist of eight heats of five riders and the top three racers from each heat will advance to the quarterfinals. The top three riders from each of the four quarterfinal heats will advance to the semifinal heat, where the top six will advance to the finals. The women's event begins with the quarterfinal heats and proceeds in an identical manner as the men's. Judging: Since snowboard cross is a race, there are no judges. However, there are referees during the event who will disqualify riders for intentional contact by pushing, pulling or any other method. Furthermore, a rider is not allowed to intentionally block an opponent from passing. Parallel Giant Slalom: What is it?: This event requires two athletes to depart simultaneously at two courses, which are installed in parallel. The athlete who comes down faster wins. Format: Parallel giant slalom features a qualification round and a head-to-head elimination rounds. In the qualification round, competitors will take two runs and their times are added together. The athletes with the top 16 times advance to the elimination rounds, where they are seeded and placed into a bracket. The event proceeds with a head-to-head tournament-style elimination format. Judging: Like snowboard cross, this competition is a race and does not consist of judges scoring the event. Referees will, however, disqualify riders for false starts, disturbing their opponents during a run, passing through the wrong gate, failing to execute a turn on the outside of a gate and not finishing the run with at least one foot fixed to the board. What is it?: In Big Air, competitors ride a snowboard down a hill and perform tricks after launching off large jumps. Format: Big air is new to the Olympics in 2018 and will consist of the same format as the previous two disciplines. However, in the final, the scores from each competitor's two best runs will be added together to get the final results. Judging: The event is scored by six judges. Each rider's highest and lowest scores are dropped and the remaining four are averaged together to calculate the score. Judges evaluate riders based on difficulty of the tricks, execution of the run, amplitude of the techniques and landing of the jumps. What is it?: ?Slopestyle is held on a course organized with rails, tables, boxes, walls and jump pads. The athletes can select the objects they want to perform with. Format: The competition? consists of a similar style as halfpipe. The qualification round consists of two runs and the top 12 riders will advance to the final. Again, the final will consist of three runs and riders will use their best score towards the final results. Judging: Slopestyle is judged by a team of nine judges, three of which evaluate each run based on overall impression. The other six evaluate tricks done on specific sections of the course. Judges use the same criteria as halfpipe to assess riders and usually weight the score based on 60% trick scores and 40% overall impression. How do athletes qualify? A total of 258 quota spots are available to athletes to compete at the Games. No more than 26 athletes from each National Olympic Committee can participate Do they wear cool uniforms? Yes! They usually wear tights and a bib with their number and country on top. Also, they're decked out in some pretty cool shades and either a helmet or a bandana to complete the outfit. I would argue their uniforms are the best in sports. Also, they are literally gliding through the air, so that helps make them look pretty majestic. Why should I care about the sport? If you like action and drama, this is the sport for you. The sheer athleticism, preparation and technique in each of the snowboard events and jumps is unbelievable. I mean just look at this.Snowboarding is also the most accessible and practical sport at the Winter Olympics. Almost anyone can learn to snowboard and there is no better feeling than working to emulate your favorite snowboarders on the slopes.
Who are the favorites?
American superstar sensation Shaun White is a household name at the Olympics, but fell during the qualifying round of the Dew Tour and will have just two more events in January to secure his spot in the PyeongChang Games.White, however, is the most dominant snowboarder of his generation and is widely credited for bringing the sport to it's peak level of popularity.Internationally, Russian Vic Wild is a favorite for the men's parallel giant slalom event and American Sage Kotsenburg will look to repeat his Gold medal in Men's slopestyle. Among the favorites for the women's group include Americans Kaitlyn Farrington (halfpipe) and Jamie Anderson (slopestyle). Internationally, the Czech Republic's Eva Samkova and France's Chloe Trespeuch are expected to compete for the snowboard cross event.The Pyeongchang Winter Games run Feb. 9-25, 2018. Here are highlights of AP's coverage leading to the Olympics. This advisory will be updated weekly.The Associated Press will cover every aspect of the Pyeongchang Olympics: Our Olympic reporters will predict each medalist in every sport, and we'll move the full prediction list Monday, Feb. 5. AP reporters around the world have been producing enterprise and features about all aspects of the Olympics for more than seven years, particularly focusing on tension between the Koreas and North Korea and the U.S., security, finances, the fan experience and how the games will affect Pyeongchang. Olympic enterprise will be listed on the daily Sports digest and the twice-weekly Showcase digest. A separate Olympic spot news advisory will begin on Feb 7. PYEONGCHANG - The cold is back for the Winter Games. After two straight balmy Olympics where some might have wondered if it was even winter, let alone the world's pre-eminent freeze-dependent sporting event, athletes and visitors alike will finally experience a no-joke chill in their bones during the games. By Foster Klug. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos, video. Dec. 21. VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. - Marissa Brandt believed her hockey career was over, until the call came inquiring about her interest in playing for South Korea's upstart team in the upcoming Winter Olympics. As a native Korean, adopted as an infant by parents in Minnesota, she's eligible to play for the host country. The experience has given her a life-changing chance to discover her roots, but there's an even better twist. Her sister, Hannah Brandt, will also be going for the gold in Pyeongchang as a member of the U.S. women's team. By Dave Campbell. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos, video. Dec. 24. Colo. - When the doctor told Christy Wise she would never fly a plane again, her goal was set. The Air Force pilot who lost her leg above the knee in a boating accident set about proving him wrong. Her's is a story of determination, perseverance and also about bringing an already tight-knit family even closer. Her twin sister, Jessica, is a surgeon and her brother, David, is an Olympic gold-medal freeskier. Their work is about giving second chances to amputees in third-world countries. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video. Dec. 26. WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - Sisters tend to be rare on the same roster in women's hockey. The 2018 Winter Games could feature Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and her twin Monique Lamoureux-Monado working toward their third Olympic berth with the United States with Sarah Potomak playing solo for Team Canada after her sister was cut recently from the national team. By Teresa M. Walker. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Dec. 27. SAAS-FEE, Switzerland - Scarce snow at home and melting glaciers abroad are making it increasingly difficult for athletes in the United States and around the globe to train for the Olympics. This season, several U.S. teams abandoned their home and headed to glaciers in Europe to get some much-needed autumn training on snow. What they found when they arrived was a glimpse into the future where it's increasingly likely that not even those training sites will exist. By AP Sports Writers Eddie Pells and John Leicester. 1,500 words. AP Photos, video, 360 video, graphics. PARK CITY, Utah - With winters growing warmer and ski seasons starting later, billions of dollars are at stake for the ski industry. Nobody feels that impact more than world champion freestyle skier Jon Lillis, who needs snow to do his day job, and to keep business brisk at the restaurant he owns in the ski resort town of Park City. By National Writer Eddie Pells. 600 words, photos. Maddie Rooney, Nicole Hensley and Alex Rigsby all have experience playing for the United States in the world championships. None have played in the Olympics, leaving the Americans chasing their first gold medal since 1998 with a goalie making her debut on the world's biggest stage. Their head coach is a former goalieand that combination has the Americans confident in whoever ends up in net. By Teresa M. Walker. 750 words, photos, video.
NOVOGORSK, Russia - Ivan Bukin is under enough pressure trying to qualify for his first Olympics, even without a famous name to live up to.The Russian ice dancer's father is Andrei Bukin, who won the gold medal in 1988 and helped make the sport what it is today with his expressive style. By James Ellingworth. 650 words, photos.The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is only 50 days away, and Korea has high hopes of achieving its best result ever. The host country aims to finish fourth by winning eight gold, four silver, and eight bronze medals. Its best performance at a Winter Olympics to date was in Vancouver in 2010, finishing fifth with six gold, six silver and two bronze medals. Korea finished 13th overall in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi with three gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Korea's strongest discipline is short track speed skating, which accounts for 42 of its 53 cumulative winter Olympic medals. Choi Min-jeong on the women's team is a leading hopeful with a high chance of winning multiple medals. What sets her apart from other Korean short trackers is that she ranks with the world's top rivals in the 500-m sprint as well as in mid- and long-distance races. Shim Suk-hee, who won one gold, one silver and one bronze at Sochi, will likely compete with Choi for most medals. The men's short-track team, which went medalless at Sochi, is desperately waiting for a chance to redeem themselves at home. This is copyrighted material owned by Digital Chosun Inc. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.In speed skating, Korea has high hopes for Lee Seung-hoon, who won a gold in the men's 10,000 m and silver in the 5,000 m at Vancouver and a silver in team pursuit at Sochi. He now aims to win gold in mass start, which makes its Olympic debut at Pyeongchang. Kim Bo-reum is considered to be a medal contender in women's mass start. Lee Sang-hwa, two-time Olympic champion in women's 500-m speed skating, will have a tough time competing with Nao Kodaira of Japan, who has been absolutely dominating the discipline in recent seasons. Outside the skating arena, Yun Sung-bin is currently world No. 1 in men's skeleton. Alpine snowboarder Lee Sang-ho is looking for Korea's first ever medal on snow in parallel giant slalom, and the women's curling team and two-man bobsleigh team also have a chance at an Olympic medal. This is copyrighted material owned by Digital Chosun Inc. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. Preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea have had their share of challenges — political as well as ticket- and weather-related — but officials say the doubts cast by headlines are not reflected on the ground. “We’re pretty confident,” Nancy Park, an international media spokeswoman for the PyeongChang Organizing Committee, tells PEOPLE. Park notes that the International Olympic Committee and other organizations have reviewed the preparations and “overall, no one has ever questioned that we’ll be ready.“Every day, we know when we need to be ready,” she says, adding, “The world is watching.”February’s Games will mark the first Winter Olympics in Asia in 20 years, and organizers are touting it as the “largest and most compact” Winter Games. Organizers tell PEOPLE the total budget for the 2018 Olympics, including infrastructure and operations, is estimated at approximately $12.6 billion dollars, a fraction of the 2014 Games’ reported cost. With less than two months to go, Park says with a laugh, “It’s really busy in the office.”Here’s what you need to know. Where Exactly Are the Olympics Happening in South Korea? The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, a popular hiking and skiing location more than 100 miles east of Seoul, the capital, and about 50 miles from the North Korean border. The competitions will be largely grouped into two “clusters,” one in the mountains and one on South Korea’s east coast. After previous failed bids, Pyeongchang — which is distinguished by its little “c” from references to the Olympics, when the “c” is capitalized — beat out locations in France and Germany for the 2018 Games. Park tells PEOPLE that of the 12 competition venues for the Games, six are new and six are pre-existing, with some modifications. Four of the new venues are completely done, she says, and two are nearly done. All 12 venues are within a 30-minute drive of the Olympic Stadium, which was finished in September, according to Park and the PyeongChang official website. What’s more, says Park, 80 percent of athletes can get to their venues in 10 minutes. And for the first time at a Winter Olympics, there will be more than 100 medaling events (102 to be exact, with new events such as big air snowboarding).“In terms of all the hardware, infrastructures, all of that, that is done,” Park says. “So for us as the organizing committee right now, we’re working on the final touches.”With competitors and media arriving in January, Park says organizers are comfortable that all of the hardware is done and now it’s a matter of details such wallpaper and stocking toiletries as well as stress-testing. Even so, she acknowledges there will be inevitable daily hiccups. However, in terms of readiness, Park says they have multiple inspections going on all the time.
The IOC declined to provide an official for an interview with PEOPLE but pointed to a news release late last month touting South Korea’s Olympic readiness. An aerial view taken in October of the athletes' village in Gangneung, South Korea, to be used for the 2018 Winter Olympics. An aerial view taken in October of the athletes' village in Gangneung, South Korea, to be used for the 2018 Winter Olympics. As of mid-December, ticket sales were at about 55 percent, according to Park. But she says enthusiasm has increased as the Games draw closer. At the 100-days mark, the Olympic torch relay began, and with it, “ticket sales have started to increase,” Park says.“It’s done a lot to really bring a lot of excitement to the Games throughout Korea,” she says. The changing weather also draws attention to the Games, she says (though not always in a positive way, as detailed below). According to Reuters, 578,000 tickets had been sold as of Dec. 5, about 54 percent of the goal. That is in line with previous Olympics, an organizing official said.South Korean officials are hoping for more than a million total spectators, about a third of them from other countries, the Associated Press reports.No, the Olympic Stadium Does Not Have a Roof. An organizing committee document reviewed by Reuters showed a key concern with the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium: The 35,000 spectator seat arena venue doesn’t have a roof even as temperatures in early February are reportedly expected to feel about 7 degrees, factoring in wind-chill. According to Reuters, the stadium was built roof-less due to cost and concerns about whether a roof was structurally supportable, even as PyeongChang officials had lobbied otherwise. (A presidential spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters.)In November, six people at a concert in the stadium said they got hypothermia, Reuters reported, citing other outlets.“These are stopgap measures,” Shim Ki-joon, a top politician who works to support the Games, told the news agency.“This is a very serious issue,” he said. “This is creating a headache to not only the organizers but the presidential office, which sent officials to the venue to figure out ways to fight the cold.”A general view of the Gangneung Ice Arena at the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games. “It is not something we have not encountered in the past,” the IOC’s Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi reportedly said at a news conference last week.“[Organizers] have installed windscreens and [provided] blankets and there will be plenty of information,” Dubi also said. “In the last K-pop concert people were not well informed of how cold it could get.”The organizing committee document seen by Reuters reportedly shows plans to provide blankets and hot packs to spectators and as well as shortening security wait times and using audience participation activities to help warm them up.
Park confirmed such plans to PEOPLE, saying organizers plan to “distribute a ‘kit’ that consists of a blanket and hot packs to help against the cold to each spectator that attends. We will also set up wind nets to block the wind which have proven to be successful, as well as installing additional heaters around the stadium for people to go to if necessary.”“We hosted a concert at the stadium a month ago, and what we learned was that the most important element is public information,” she says. “We will be informing attendees that they should be dressed warmly as it will be colder, since the ceremony will be held in the evening.”As to the question of why a roof was not constructed, Park says the decision was made after a feasibility study and because the stadium is a temporary venue. Much of the attention in America has focused on what North Korea may or may not do during the Winter Games. And while Park acknowledges these concerns, she notes that, for South Koreans, it’s “like business as usual.”“We’ve been living with this political tension for 60 years,” she says. “In general if you come to Korea and talk to the average Korean it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m kind of aware of it, but I still have to pay my bills, go shopping.’“It’s really a non-issue for an average Korean, but we know the international community has concerns … there is a lot being done.”
Among the efforts being made, Park cites work with more than a dozen domestic agencies, including South Korea’s defense ministry. More distracting this year and last for locals, Park says, has been a scandal involving former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached in December and removed from office in March over her longtime connections to Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a cult leader, who was suspected of using her influence over the president for personal gain. Park says that once there was a new election and a new president — Moon Jae-in this past spring — people were able to move forward. Park adds that President Moon is “one of the biggest promoters of the Games.”
With the political distractions seemingly resolved, attention can now turn to the Olympics, Park says.United States Ski & Snowboard have emergency evacuation plans in place for athletes, coaches and officials should a “nightmare scenario” unfold during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the head of Global Rescue told Reuters on Wednesday.The crisis response specialists believe the prospect of such a scenario is “very low” but will be prepared to evacuate the athletes at a moment’s notice if the tensions between the United States and North Korea escalate into a wider conflict. And while Global Rescue deployed teams to provide security and other critical emergency services for United States Ski & Snowboard at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Games, plans for Pyeongchang will be more robust.“Anytime, whether it be for this Olympic Games or Sochi, we always have emergency action plans in place in typically primary, secondary and tertiary means of egress,” company CEO Dan Richards told Reuters.”That is no different here except those plans have been made even more robust. We’ve had a series of advance trips and site visits to make sure all the resources we might need are in place.”We have the plans, we have the resources in place our only hope is we never have to use them.“The likelihood that something happens we all think is very low but given the tension between the United States and North Korea there is has been an additional level of concern and forethought put into how the U.S. is going to attend these Olympic Games.”
The Pyeongchang Winter Games, which open on Feb. 9, come as the U.S. steps up pressure on North Korea to abandon a weapons program aimed at developing nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States mainland. [nL1N1NY1RR]
The standoff between the United States and North Korea has raised fears of a new conflict on the Korean peninsula, which has remained in a technical state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The United States has said that all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea. It says it would prefer a diplomatic rather than military solution, but that North Korea has given no indication it is willing to discuss its nuclear program.“I don’t think there has ever been a situation where the Games have been held 70 miles from an enemy that would be very happy to disrupt the Games and injure and kill as many people as they could,” said Richard.”They (South Korea) have a modern security force, a modern military, certainly modern health care. So for a one off event there are going to adequate resources to deal with them and we have the ability, if necessary, to get people out of the country very, very quickly.”Here you have a rogue regime, a very unpredictable environment and the full range of negative possibilities needs to be prepared for and that is what we are doing.“The nightmare scenario that nobody wants to have happen is a more widespread conflict and that would be an unprecedented tragedy if that were to occur and our hope is it doesn‘t.”Richards was tight-lipped on what those emergency plans might be but noted that Global Rescue does have experience coordinating the evacuation of large numbers as they did during turbulent events around the Arab Spring in 2006.”The thing about this is that it is hard to know what the other side might try and do,“ said Richards. ”There is the obvious possibility of a very large conflict and everybody knows that is highly unlikely although not zero.“North Korea might do something to disrupt the Games just to show they have the power to do so. There are a lot of things we all need to be prepared for short of an all out conflict.”The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has been vague on possible evacuation plans saying only they would take guidance from the State Department. As a member of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), a public/private partnership between U.S. government and private industry, Global Rescue shares and has access to information and resources that are available to the USOC although they do not work directly with the body.”There are things the government can and does share and things that are classified that we don’t necessarily have access to,“ said Richards. ”OSAC is good way to share info back and forth.“Our expectation is that we need to be ready but our hope is that what we have done in advance is enough to prevent or at least mitigate any event that might occur.” CHANDIGARH: Himanshu Thakur, India's best skier, is trying to make the cut for the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on a hope. The 23-year-old from Manali is seeking funds to compete in the qualification tournaments for the Olympics. Himanshu's father, Roshan Thakur, who is also the secretary-general of the Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) and a former national-level skier, said, "There has been no support from the state or Union government. I sponsor him (Himanshu) with my own personal savings. The Himachal government promised Himanshu Rs 1 lakh for participating in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, but we haven't got that amount yet," added 50-year-old Roshan. A professional skier requires skis, boots and bindings, poles, helmets, ski suits, ski goggles and skiing gloves as equipment to compete in the sport. Only the equipment costs around Rs 5-10 lakh."The babus in the sports ministry do not recognise winter sports. They don't acknowledge skiing as a sport. But, still I am hopeful of representing the country at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea," said Himanshu. India doesn't have a single track for professional skiers. There is one in Gulmarg, Kashmir, but that is a popular skiing destination for amateurs not for athletes who pursue professional skiing. Therefore, Himanshu has to practise in Austria. "A lot of money goes in funding those trips. The international skiing body (Federation Internationale de Ski) funds his trips, at times. But, they can't come to our rescue every time," said Himanshu's father. There are other expenses like training fee, track fee, gym, physiotherapy, travel expenses, boarding and lodging too. Thakur Sr is also miffed that the Central government doesn't have a policy that encourages winter sports like skiing, skating, snowboarding or luge in the country. "I think my son competes in a sport that doesn't really raise medal hopes. But, if the government doesn't come to the aid of such sports, then several other Himanshus will feel discouraged and never take up these kind of distinctive disciplines," he added. Roshan was a coach in a government mountaineering institute in Manali and inspired his son to take up skiing. "Being a coach, I spotted the innate talent in him," said Thakur. "I am optimistic that Himanshu would at least figure in the Top 10 in the Winter Olympics, if he gets good coaching," he added. Olympic officials rule Russia is not allowed to participate, as a country, in the 2018 Winter Games. In an unprecedented move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the entire country of Russia has been banned from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics. This means the entire Russian presence will be gone from the Games, which will be held in Pyeonchang, South Korea in February 2018. The ruling dictates that no Russian government officials, flags, or anthems will be allowed. The few Russian athletes that are cleared to participate will be considered individuals, and will have to wear neutral uniforms. Any medals won will not be credited to Russia, effectively making their medal count for 2018: ZERO. This harsh punishment was doled out by the IOC on Tuesday, after they completed an in-depth review of rampant doping, known to be wide-spread through much of the entire Russian Olympic Team.The following is a statement from U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw regarding the IOC decision on Russia participation in the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018:“U.S. Ski & Snowboard applauds the decision of the IOC today as it demonstrates a strong commitment to the importance of clean sport and the support of clean athletes. On behalf of our athletes, we have a fundamental obligation to fight for fairness in sport, to advocate for the health and welfare of athletes and to protect the image of our sport. Now we look to the International Ski Federation (FIS) to hold a FIS Council meeting to review the IOC's decision and related evidence to consider its impact on the Russian Ski Association, its FIS committee members, officials and athletes.”While this decision obviously has wide-spread ramifications, fortunately, few medal-contending snowboarders will be affected by this.
