For the Love of the Game

Day 9: Not every athlete, or country, is here to medal

For some Olympic athletes, it’s gold or bust. From American Figure Skater Nathan Chen to German Luger Natalie Geisenberger to the Dutch Speed Skaters, the Olympics are a chance to cement their legacy as champions of their sport.

But for some athletes, and the countries they represent, merely making it to the Games is an achievement; the podium is a distant dream.

Fayik Abdi qualified for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in December. SPA

There are 91 countries competing at this year’s Games, with Haiti and Saudi Arabia making their Winter Olympics debut. Of the 2897 athletes in Beijing, 19 will be their country’s sole representative¹, all in Alpine Skiing. These countries are generally weather warm-weather places, tiny nations, or both. Surprisingly, the world’s second most populous country, India, is also that list - represented only by skier Arif Mohd Khan.

Pretty much none of these athletes will compete for a medal. As we know Winter Olympics medals are concentrated in the (cold) hands of a few nations, and this year just six countries are expected to win half the medals. That doesn’t mean there won’t be surprises, though. New Zealand just won its first ever Winter Gold in Women's Snowboard Slopestyle. And just being a cold place doesn’t guarantee success either - Denmark has just one Winter Olympics medal, a silver in Women’s CURLING!

Lastly, though it’s not a new entry this year, the Jamaican Bobsled Team is back for the first time since 1998. They are also unlikely to medal. Cool runnings, man.

What You Missed Last Night

Ice Dancing has finally arrived!

(Reminder: How to Watch)

What To Watch Today

Big day of events including the debut of new event Women’s Monobob.

(Reminder: How to Watch)

In Other Olympic News…

Deadline: Ukrainian Athlete Engages In First Political Protest At Beijing Olympics, Unfurls Sign To TV Cameras

Rolling Stone: Team USA Is Leading a Secret Protest Movement Inside the Winter Olympics

NYT: In Team Pursuit, U.S. Hopes to Push Their Way to Victory

Photos of the Day - All Blur Edition

Kamila Valieva of Russia competes in the Women's Short Program Team Event. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Juliane Seyfarth of Germany soars through the air during the Women's Normal Hill Individual Event. AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

Japan's Chiho Osawa during a preliminary round Women’s Hockey game against Denmark. AP Photo/Petr David Josek

Ekaterina Lokteva-Zagorskaia of Russia competes during the Women's Snowboard Cross Finals. AP Photo/Aaron Favila

Members of the Canadian Short Track Speed Skating team train. AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Dutch Speed Skater Irene Schouten won the 5,000 meters, breaking a 20-year-old Olympic record. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

1. Albania, Eritrea, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, India, Nigeria, American Samoa, Uzbekistan, Virgin Islands, Peru, Haiti, Cyprus, Philippines, and Ghana