The 2022 Winter Olympics have now drawn to a close. Sunday night’s closing ceremony dazzled the small crowds of in-person attendees. It was a fitting close to a memorable event, with music, theater, fireworks, and more. The games saw over 300 medals awarded across 109 events in the 15 sports of the Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee is already moving forward with plans for future Olympics, but now is a good time to reflect on what just happened.

Norway Makes Winter Olympics History

One of the biggest stories of the Olympics this year was the record-breaking performance of Team Norway. The Norway Team beat the record for most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics with 16. This marks the second time in a row that Norway took the top spot in the medal table. Their staggering 39 medals won at Pyeongchang’s 2018 Winter Olympics was equally impressive as this year’s haul of 37 medals in total.

Russian Controversy Continues

Norway beat out the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which took second place in the medal count with 32. Russian athletes have been required to compete under the name ROC since a 2019 state-sponsored doping scandal banned the nation from formally competing under their flag. The ban is expected to expire in time for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

However, certain events of the 2022 Olympics are renewing accusations regarding Russia’s doping practices. The most recent scandal centers on Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater who placed fourth in women’s singles. She also took first place in the short program and fifth place in free skating. Her performances helped lead the ROC team to a gold medal.

These achievements have been marred by scandal after the 15-year old skater tested positive for banned medication. A test revealed that she had taken Trimetazidine, a banned heart medication. Additionally, her tests were positive for hypoxen and L-carnitine, two other heart medications that are not banned. The United States Anti-Doping Agency commented that this combination would be intended to increase endurance and oxygen efficiency, providing a competitive edge.

The response from Valieva herself was that she had accidentally taken some of her grandfather’s heart medication, an excuse that many of her competitors aren’t buying. The US team, in particular, is upset that medals haven’t been awarded for the women’s team, even where they placed second. The International Olympic Committee has decided to postpone awarding medals in any event where Valieva was in the top 3 to await the results of an ongoing investigation.

More Major Upsets of the 2022 Olympic Games

Kamila Valieva falling to fourth place in the women’s singles was likely the most significant upset of the games. She had been considered, by most, to have been the frontrunner going in. There were plenty of other unexpected outcomes in other events as well.. 

The USA’s Mikaela Shiffrin skied out of three races despite her reputation as one of the best skiers of all time. This comes after having skied out just two races in the last four years of international competition. Shiffrin also competed in the mixed team parallel event where the US took fourth place.

The men’s hockey quarter-finals saw the US take on Slovakia, where the US carried a 2-1 lead into the final minute of play. Slovakia then tied the game with a last-minute goal and went on to win the tie-breaking shootout, advancing to the semi-finals. There, they lost to Finland, who then beat out the ROC to take the gold. Finland’s first Olympic Hockey gold in history.

China was heavily favored to take the skiing mixed aerials event, performing admirably, but ultimately star skier Jia Zongyang fumbled a landing. This allowed for Chris Lillis to lead Team USA to the gold in the event’s debut Olympic Games.

The US men’s speed skating team went into the event a strong favorite, having recently set a world record in December. However, the team only took bronze following an unexpected defeat in the semi-finals by the ROC, who was then beaten by Norway in the finals.

Samuel Ikpefan Bears Nigerian Flag at Closing Ceremony

The sole competitor representing Nigeria at the 2022 Olympic Games, Samuel Ikpefan, has been the focus of much Nigerian state news. He carried the Nigerian flag during the closing ceremonies, with 2018 bobsleigh competitor Seun Adigun carrying the flag during the opening ceremonies.

Ikpefan is the first Nigerian skier to compete at the Winter Olympics, finishing 73rd out of 88 in the qualifiers and not advancing to the next round. Nigeria news has been celebrating the fact that the nation has been represented in two winter Olympics in a row.