Among the 109 events that took place at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which concluded on February 20, seven made their Olympic debut.

The newly added events include short track speed skating mixed team relay, freeski women's and men's big air, freeski mixed team aerials, mixed team snowboard cross, ski jumping mixed team event, and women's monobob. 

These new events offered Olympic veterans a chance to finally stand on the podium, as well as incentives for younger athletes to achieve technique breakthroughs. They preserved an endangered sport from losing enthusiasts in a country, and encouraged women's participation in the Olympics.

The list is still expanding, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the addition of ski mountaineering as an official event at Milano Cortina 2026. It is similar to alpine skiing, except the athletes start the race by climbing to the top of the mountain.

Short track speed skating

Team China pocketed the first of their nine gold medals in Beijing from the mixed team relay event. Five skaters, including PyeongChang 2018 champion Wu Dajing and Olympic debutant Zhang Yuting, reaffirmed their status in the world while making the short track squad the flagship for Team China.

Freestyle skiing big air

Both the women's and men's big air are new Olympic events, with Team China's Gu Ailing and Team Norway's Birk Ruud clinching the gold medals, respectively.

Gu, 18, delivered a superb double cork 1620 in her last run in the women's final, a trick that she had never attempted in any competition, and landed firmly on the ramp as well as on top of the podium.

In post-match interviews, Gu explained why she decided to take the risk: "This is the Olympics. That one second represents myself, and tells the world what I think sportsmanship is."

Freestyle skiing mixed team aerials

Three four-time Olympians of Team China clinched the silver medal in the freeski mixed team aerials, while Team USA and Team Canada took gold and bronze, respectively.

Two of the three Chinese veterans, Xu Mengtao and Qi Guangpu, went on to clinch their first individual victories after an emotional mixed team final, where another member, Jia Zongyang, shed tears after making errors, and the two consoled him in tears in front of national audience.

Mixed team snowboard cross

Similar to the Chinese veterans in freeski mixed team aerials, American snowboarders Lindsey Jacobellis, 36, and Nick Baumgartner, 40, booked the first ever gold medal in mixed team snowboard cross as the oldest pair of competitors. 

"The team event is always so much fun. It's a different energy at the top, and to be able to take this with someone I've been on the team with for over a decade – close to two decades now with Baum – it's incredible to accomplish this together," Jacobellis said after the event. 

Ski jumping

Team Slovenia won the ski jumping mixed team gold medal, while the Russian Olympic Committee and the Canadian squad took silver and bronze, respectively.

"It gives us a chance to save our sport," 18-year-old Canadian Alex Loutitt said. "We're four out of six of the national team members, and we have less than 30 kids at the club level. This gives us a chance to encourage people to try it, and fall in love with the sport," he added.

Bobsleigh

Bobsleigh has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1924, but did not include women until 2002. It was long believed that bobsledding was too risky and heavy for women, which resulted in a disparity between male and female athletes in both participation and achievements. 

Bobsleigh was not an individual sport until the Beijing Winter Olympics, while the new monobob event is exclusive to female athletes, with its first gold medal bagged by Kaillie Humphries of Team USA.

(With input from AP, Xinhua)