The Great Four-Year Wait: Overflowing Excitement for the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup

Posted by Vanessa Lotz | January 17, 2018 | Sports

While many sports fans indulge in watching their favorite athletes or teams volley for championship titles once a year, sports enthusiasts who eagerly follow sports on an international level have to wait four years for tournament excitement to return. As 2018 rolls around, the sports world is rapidly working itself into a fever pitch in anticipation of two of the largest events held in modern times: the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

2018 Winter Olympics: February 2018

(XXIII Olympic Winter Games)

Every four years, the Winter Olympics arrive to transform a chosen locale into a snowy, athlete-filled wonderland. In 2018, the lucky host city is Pyeongchang, South Korea, which received the honor of hosting the games thanks to a majority vote by the International Olympic Committee in 2011. All in all, the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is set to feature an estimated 2,800 athletes from 87 countries (plus Russia, which is only allowed to send athletes under a neutral IOC designation) competing in 102 events spread over 15 disciplines.

American favorites who will give it their all in hopes of a gold for the United States span several events:

  • California native, Shaun White (31) promises to put on yet another strong performance in the men’s snowboarding set as he participates in his fourth winter Olympics. Can he bring home the gold once again?
  • Minnesota’s multi-talented skier, Lindsey Vonn (33) sets out to add to her already impressive record of championships from around the world. Not only is Vonn only one of six women to ever win the World Cup races in all five disciplines (alpine skiing, downhill, super-G, giant slalom, and super combined), she is also the best American ski racer in history, holding Olympic gold and bronze medals, two gold and three silver World Championship medals, and four overall World Cup titles.
  • Colorado’s alpine ski racer, Mikaela Shiffrin (22) made her World Cup debut when she was only 15, and at 18 became the youngest slalom champion in the Olympic alpine skiing event. 2018 has already been an exciting year for the young athlete, having landed the lead in the World Cup overall standing as well as the downhill, giant slalom, and slalom disciplines. Needless to say it wouldn’t come as any surprise to see her bring home another Olympic gold in 2018.
  • Another impressive young athlete representing the US is Utah’s Nathan Chen (18), making his first ever Olympic appearance. In his few years on the figure skating circuit he’s already raked up numerous medals, and going into the Olympics he will be the first and only to compete with five different types of quadruple jumps: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, and Lutz. In this year’s US Championships, Chen won the national title with seven clean quadruple jumps.

Since being awarded the Winter Games, officials in Pyeongchang have been tirelessly working to adapt old venues and construct new outdoor courses in preparation for the main events taking place February 9-25, and the Paralympic Winter Games that follow in March. The Alpensia Sports Park will be home to the opening and closing ceremonies at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, while other venues in the park, such as the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre, Alpensia Cross-Country Centre and Yongpyong Alpine Centre, will host the following events:

The games will also see stand-alone venues Bokwang Snow Park and Jeongseon Alpine Center as the sites for freestyle skiing, snowboarding and several types of alpine skiing. Out at the so-called “coastal cluster” in the city of Gangneung, a set of four grouped venues will showcase some of the games’ most popular events: ice hockey, curling, speed skating and figure skating.

The main gateway to South Korea for those traveling to the Olympics by air is Incheon International Airport in Seoul. From there, visitors can travel to the games’ venues using the newly opened high-speed rail line Korail, by car or by bus.

FIFA World Cup: July 2018

Another event on a four-year rotation, the FIFA World Cup is an international soccer (or football, as most of the world calls the feet-only sport) competition that changes host country and venue each time it’s held. In the months and years leading up to the tournament, 32 teams from around the world vie for the right to visit that year’s host nation and play for the title. Part of that qualification process includes the World Cup Draw, a highly anticipated event during which the names of all 32 teams are placed into one of four pots, depending on their FIFA world rankings, and then divided into eight four-team groups with one group member drawn from each pot.

The following match-ups between classic champions of the sport would create the most exciting quarter-final duels:

  1. France – Argentina
  2. Brazil – Germany
  3. Russia – Spain
  4. Germany – England
  5. Portugal – Argentina
  6. Brazil – England

Soccer supporters wishing to partake in the festivities can head to Events 365 for tickets to the FIFA World Cup Soccer Games, taking place Thursday, June 14 – July 15, 2018.

From Seoul to Moscow, don’t let your clients miss out on some of the most glamorous sporting events of the year.

 

FIFA World Cup Schedule

Thursday, June 14 Time Location
Russia vs. Saudi Arabia 10 a.m. ET Moscow
Friday, June 15 Time Location
Egypt vs. Uruguay 7 a.m. ET Yekaterinburg
Morocco vs. Iran 10 a.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Portugal vs. Spain 1 p.m. ET Sochi
Saturday, June 16 Time Location
France vs. Australia 5 a.m. ET Kazan
Argentina vs. Iceland 8 a.m. ET Moscow
Peru vs. Denmark 11 a.m. ET Saransk
Croatia vs. Nigeria 2 p.m. ET Kaliningrad
Sunday, June 17 Time Location
Costa Rica vs. Serbia 7 a.m. ET Samara
Germany vs. Mexico 10 a.m. ET Moscow
Brazil vs. Switzerland 1 p.m. ET Rostov
Monday, June 18 Time Location
Sweden vs. South Korea 7 a.m. ET Nizhny Novgorod
Belgium vs. Panama 10 a.m. ET Sochi
Tunisia vs. England 1 p.m. ET Volgograd
Tuesday, June 19 Time Location
Poland vs. Senegal 7 a.m. ET Moscow
Colombia vs. Japan 10 a.m. ET Saransk
Russia vs. Egypt 1 p.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Wednesday 20 June Time Location
Portugal vs. Morocco 7 a.m. ET Moscow
Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia 10 a.m. ET Rostov
Iran vs. Spain 1 p.m. ET Kazan
Thursday, June 21 Time Location
France vs. Peru 7 a.m. ET Yekaterinburg
Denmark vs. Australia 10 a.m. ET Samara
Argentina vs. Croatia 1 p.m. ET Nizhny Novgorod
Friday, June 22 Time Location
Brazil vs. Costa Rica 7 a.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Nigeria vs. Iceland 10 a.m. ET Volgograd
Serbia vs. Switzerland 1 p.m. ET Kaliningrad
Saturday, June 23 Time Location
Belgium vs. Tunisia 7 a.m. ET Moscow
Germany vs. Sweden 10 a.m. ET Sochi
South Korea vs. Mexico 1 p.m. ET Rostov
Sunday, June 24 Time Location
England vs. Panama 7 a.m. ET Nizhny Novgorod
Japan vs. Senegal 10 a.m. ET Yekaterinburg
Poland vs. Colombia 1 p.m. ET Kazan
Monday, June 25 Time Location
Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt 9 a.m. ET Volgograd
Uruguay vs. Russia 9 a.m. ET Samara
Iran vs. Portugal 1 p.m. ET Saransk
Spain vs. Morocco 1 p.m. ET Kaliningrad
Tuesday, June 26 Time Location
Australia vs. Peru 9 a.m. ET Sochi
Denmark vs. France 9 a.m. ET Moscow
Iceland vs. Croatia 1 p.m. ET Rostov
Nigeria vs. Argentina 1 p.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Wednesday, June 27 Time Location
South Korea vs. Germany 9 a.m. ET Kazan
Mexico vs. Sweden 9 a.m. ET Yekaterinburg
Switzerland vs. Costa Rica 1 p.m. ET Nizhny Novgorod
Serbia vs. Brazil 1 p.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Thursday, June 28 Time Location
Japan vs. Poland 9 a.m. ET Volgograd
Senegal vs. Colombia 9 a.m. ET Samara
England vs. Belgium 1 p.m. ET Kaliningrad
Panama vs. Tunisia 1 p.m. ET Saransk
Saturday, June 30 Time Location
Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up 9 a.m. ET Kazan
Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up 1 p.m. ET Sochi
Sunday 1 July Time Location
Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up 9 a.m. ET Moscow
Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up 1 p.m. ET Nizhny Novgorod
Monday, July 2 Time Location Location
Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up 9 a.m. ET Samara
Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up 1 p.m. ET Rostov
Tuesday, July 3 Time Location
Match 55: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up 9 a.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Match 56: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up 1 p.m. ET Rostov
Friday, July 6 Time Location
Match 57: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner 9 a.m. ET Nizhny Novgorod
Match 58: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner 1 p.m. ET Kazan
Saturday, July 7 Time Location
Match 60: Match 55 winner vs. Match 66 winner 9 a.m. ET Samara
Match 59: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner 1 p.m. ET Sochi
Tuesday, July 10 Time Location
Match 61: Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner 1 p.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Wednesday 11 July Time Location
Match 62: Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner 1 p.m. ET Moscow
Saturday, July 14 Time Location
Match 63: Match 61 loser vs. Match 62 loser 9 a.m. ET Saint Petersburg
Sunday, July 15 Time Location
Match 64: Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner 10 a.m. ET Moscow

Written in collaboration with contributing author: AlanaLuna.

 

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