World Book Trivia Quiz For Kids--1/14-winter Sports

Davis, Shani (1982-...), an American speed skater, became the first African American to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games.

Curling is a game played on ice. It is played by two teams of four players each. The teams slide large, heavy stones over the ice toward a target. The target is a large circle. There is a target at each end of the ice.

Skate blades made of iron were used in the Netherlands about 1250. All-steel blades were first made in the 1850's, and skating became popular. About 1870, an American ballet dancer named Jackson Haines started modern figure skating.

The Winter Games are usually held in February and last 17 days. The games attract approximately 2,500 athletes from about 80 countries.

In speed skating, the skaters race around a frozen track. They cover distances of 500 to 10,000 meters. Speed skaters swing their arms for a smooth, flowing motion. In races longer than 1,500 meters, they save energy by swinging only one arm.

There are three types of skiing: Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, and freestyle skiing. The two most popular forms of skiing are Alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, which is a kind of Nordic skiing.

Today, bobsledding is part of the Olympic Games. In a competition, teams of two or four people ride the bobsled.

Each team has six players on the ice at one time. One player, called the goalie, stays in front of the goal to guard it. The other players try to move the puck with their sticks until they are in position to shoot it into the other team's goal.

Snowboarding first became popular during the 1980's among young people as something different from skiing. Snowboarders perform many of the same movements as skiers. In 1998, snowboarding became an event in the Winter Olympic Games.

A sport must be played in at least 25 countries on three continents to be considered. The Winter Olympics include over 85 events.