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Reuters

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Reuters

There’s been a lot of crashing incidents going on at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Several athletes have crashed during their performances. The number of accidents is rising on a daily basis, and athletes are worried.

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One possible reason behind these very frequent crashes could be the artificial snow that China is using for the Olympics. Artificial snow is being used for all the events in the Games and, unlike real snow, this can be very treacherous and dangerous.

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Is artificial snow leading to accidents in the Winter Olympics?

China is using fake snow for all of its events at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. Artificial snow comprises 30 percent ice and 70 percent air. In comparison, real snow is 10 percent ice and 90 percent air.

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There is a major problem with artificial snow and that is that it is much more dangerous than real snow. Artificial snow creates a hard icy surface, which can prove fatal for athletes.

The surface makes it very hard for take-offs and landings. Many athletes have expressed their concern regarding artificial snow.

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?”Jump take-offs can be excessively icy and slippery? bad take-offs directly contribute to bad landings. It is dangerous if take-offs and landings are formed from sheets of ice,” said retired UK freestyle skier Laura Donaldson.

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She has also revealed that some athletes have also died because of this.

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Now, athletes have started crashing left and right at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Even star skier Mikaela Shiffrin lot and was disqualified from the giant slalom event. The artificial snow could be a possible reason for her slip. It was a shock for everyone when she just crossed 5 gates and lost control.

Nina O’Brien also crashed in the giant slalom event and was unresponsive for full 10 mins. After she regained consciousness, the medical team took her away on a stretcher.

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The athletes have to be more careful now and take caution. Some athletes are lucky to space without harm, while for some these crashes turn into severe injuries.

The truth behind artificial snow

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China has done everything in its power to hold the Winter Olympics. That includes flooding a dried riverbed, diverting water from a key reservoir, and several other huge efforts. All of this to pull off the Winter Olympics in a place without snow.

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This also brings into highlight the problem of global warming and climate change. Earlier also, the places countries like Norway and Switzerland have also made use of machine-made snow.

Watch This Story: Two-Times Olympic Medalist Faces Horrible Crash at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, Misses Out on Olympic Podium

Now that the events have started in their full swing, athletes need to be more careful and hope to avoid such incidents ahead.

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Written by

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Richa Goswami

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Richa Goswami is a US Sports writer at EssentiallySports. As an adherent learner, she uses her journalistic persona to navigate through new skills. Richa has completed her schooling at Don Bosco.

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