The 2014 Winter Olympics are imminent, taking place February 6-23 in Sochi, Russia. If you’re a spectator in attendance it could cost you $5-7,000 in airfare alone, but if you’re an athlete, the investment may near six figures (coaching, equipment, travel to national/international races, etc. in the years of preparation leading up to). Here’s some winter Olympics fun facts:
– Chiropractic involvement in the Olympics began in the late 1960’s, and in 1980 it became an official part of the Olympic sports medicine program.
– Russian bobsledder, Alexei Voyevoda, a 2x medallist, is also a 3x world arm wrestling champ.
– With an average February temperature of 8.3 °C (42.8 °F) and a humid subtropical climate, Sochi will be the warmest city to have hosted a Winter Olympics.
– The 2014 Sochi Olympics are estimated to be the costliest ever, at $50 billion ($40 billion has been the highest thus far).
– Each Sochi Olympic medal will take 18 hours to create.
– There will be 6,000 athletes & 13,000 members of the worldwide press.
– The Olympic torch will travel 40,300 miles on its way to Sochi, the longest journey ever, by which it will travel by car, plane, train, Russian troika and a sleigh pulled by reindeer.