The 2022 Winter Olympics begin this weekend. As in, this very weekend, on Friday. They will run through Feb. 20 and will feature events in 15 disciplines across seven sports.
Right after that, gear up for the Winter Paralympics from March 4-13, which will include six sports. All events will be streamed live on NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform. NBC also will provide primetime television coverage.
Here are two dozen more numbers to keep in mind as the Games get underway:
• 109: Total number of Winter Olympic events scheduled, a record (Today)
• 7: Number of new events added to the Winter Olympics program this year (Women’s Monobob, Men’s and Women’s Big Air Freestyle Skiing, Mixed Team Snowboard Cross, Mixed Team Aerials, Mixed Team Short Track Relay and Mixed Team Ski Jumping (NBC Sports)
• 2,900: Estimated number of athletes expected to compete in the Winter Olympics, representing a total of 85 countries (UPI)
• 200: Estimated number of athletes who will represent the United States (NBC Sports)
• 0: Number of personal cell phones and laptops that Team USA athletes, as well as athletes from other countries, are encouraged to bring with them to the Games; officials cite cyber surveillance concerns (USA Today)
• 180: Number of organizations that signed a February 2021 letter calling for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics, warning the Games could “embolden” human rights abuses in China (CNN)
• 1.41 billion:China’s population (CNBC)
• 170: Number of sets of snow-making equipment used to produce 1.2 million cubic meters of snow for alpine skiing events (Global Times)
• 12: Number of Olympic competition venues — that would be all of them — that Chinese officials say will be powered by renewable energy (The Washington Post)
• 1,200: Number of ice rinks across China, as of late 2020 (Olympics.com)
• 609: Number of ice rinks in the country, as of 2018 (Olympics.com)
• 800: Number of ski venues in China, as of late 2020 (Olympics.com)
• 524: Number of ski venues in the country, as of 2018 (Olympics.com)
• 41: Average high temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, in Beijing in February (Weather Atlas)
• 30: Average low temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, in Beijing in February (Weather Atlas)
• 7.75 billion: Amount, in U.S. dollars, that NBC has spent to broadcast the next six Olympics — 2022 through 2032 (The Washington Post)
• 40: Percentage of International Olympic Committee income that comes from the network (The Washington Post)
• 3.9 billion: Estimated amount, in U.S. dollars, China is spending to host the Games (UPI)
• 43 billion: Amount, in U.S. dollars, China spent to host the 2008 Summer Olympics (UPI)
• 1: Number of cities that have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics: Beijing (UPI)
• 13: Number of hours Beijing time is ahead of Eastern Standard Time (NBC Sports)
• 14: Number of hours PyeongChang, South Korea (host of the 2018 Winter Olympics) time is ahead of Eastern Standard Time (Forbes)
• 12.9 billion: Cost, in U.S. dollars, of the 2018 Winter Olympics (Forbes)
• 50 billion: Cost, in U.S. dollars, of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia (Forbes)
About the Author
