Olympic Cookie Countdown - today is the big day!

Well, this is it.  After years, months and weeks of anticipation, today is the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics.  It is a special time and in my family, we always seem to take a moment and reflect on our changes since the last Olympics.  The 2010 Olympics were especially incredible for us because not only were they on Canadian soil, we actually had the Olympic torch pass through our town, an event we witnessed!

Today's cookie celebrates my favourite Olympic sport - speed skating!  My loyalties will be divided as I cheer for both the Canadians and the Dutch!  A really special sport in my eyes, because speed skating can trace its history back to the Netherlands as well as Scandinavia and Northern Europe. (for a lesson on the Dutch/Holland/Netherlands confusion, click here).  It is the winter sport my parents talked most about and their love of the sport was certainly inherited by me!

The speed skating events begin today and finish on the 22nd.  All 12 events are taking place at the Adler Arena in Sochi and the only country that has an athlete in each of the events is the Netherlands.  Hup Holland!!

Olympic Cookie Countdown

With just three days until the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, today's cookie celebrates the skeleton.  It is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down.  Athletes can experience forces up to 5g!  Equipment includes helmets with a chin guard, a skin-tight racing speedsuit, spiked shoes, goggles and the sled.  At the Olympics, the events will be held at the Sliding Center Sanki near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.  The events will be held from February 13-15.

Olympic Cookie Countdown

Today's cookie is representing short track speed skating.  An official olympic sport since 1992, this event has multiple athletes (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track.  The most distinctive part of this sport for me is the way the skaters put their hands down onto the ice as they turn the corners and it almost defies logic how far they are leaning.  The gloves they wear help prevent injuries from skates.  I find this sport incredibly impressive.  The eight different events will be held at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia from February 10th until the 21st.