Major spots events of 2018
The World Hockey Championship among young teams began on December 26 in the US and will end on January 5, 2018.
10 teams take part: Russia, Belarus, Denmark, Slovakia, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, USA
Teams are divided into two groups. At the preliminary stage, the Russian team will play against Sweden, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Belarus. Another group included the USA, Canada, Denmark, Slovakia and Finland. In the quarterfinals four teams will enter from each group. The final match will take place on January 5 at the Kibank Center.
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics will be held from 9 to 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang (South Korea)
102 sets of medals will be played in 15 sports for 2500 athletes from 90 countries.
There were some innovations this time - the International Olympic Committee included in the program of the Games six new disciplines - Big Air in snowboarding (men and women), mass start in speed skating (men and women), double mix in curling and team competitions in alpine skiing. However, two disciplines were eliminated: parallel slalom in snowboarding (men and women).
We would like to remind you that on December 5, 2017, the IOC dismissed the Russian team from participating in the 2018 Olympics for doping violations at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The Russian Olympic Committee was disqualified and expelled from the IOC membership, and all representatives of the Russian Ministry of Sports are prohibited from participating in the Olympics in any way. Russian athletes who have not previously violated anti-doping legislation and passed all the necessary tests will be able to perform at the Games in Pyeongchang only under a neutral flag. A full list of the Russians who will take part in the Olympics will be determined by the IOC Commission no later than January 28.
Tournament of applicants for the title of world champion in chess
The tournament of applicants for the title of world champion in chess will be held from March 10-28, 2018 in Berlin (Germany).
8 grandmasters will take part in it.
Competitions will be held in two rounds, each of the grandmasters will hold 14 games each. The total prize fund will be € 420 thousand.
The winner of the tournament will receive the right to play for the title of world champion with the current owner of the chess crown, Magnus Carlsen from Norway.
The match, which is scheduled 12 games with a classical time control, will be held November 9-28 in London. In the case of tie points, a tie-break will be held - the rivals will play in fast chess and according to the rules of the blitz.
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships will be held from 19 to 25 March in Milan (Italy).
Performances of skaters will consist of 2 main sections: short and free programs, which to some extent constitute a qualifying tournament. For the first part of the program, the participant is given 2 minutes 50 seconds. In its framework, athletes will demonstrate their basic skills, seeking to score the maximum number of points. A more responsible part is an arbitrary five-minute program, during which athletes will not only show their performance, but also showcase through it all their potential and skills, including artistic qualities.
Two singles, three singles, three sports couples and two dance duos will represent Russia at the World Championships. The greatest chance of victory for the Russian national team is in women's single skating, where 18-year-old Evgeny Medvedev will defend his title.
Ice Hockey World Championship
The World Hockey Championship will be held from 4 to 20 May in Copenhagen and Herning (Denmark).
It will be attended by 16 teams: Russia, Belarus, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, USA, Austria and South Korea. All teams will be divided into groups of eight teams.
The tournament is organized in a circular system. The teams that took the first four places in each of the groups will go to the playoffs, and the team, which turned out to be in the eighth place, will enter the first division of the 2019 World Cup.
At the group stage the Russian team will play in Copenhagen with teams from Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belarus, Slovakia, France and Austria. Teams of Canada, Finland, the USA, Germany, Norway, Latvia, Denmark and South Korea will compete in Herning. Two quarterfinals, both semifinals, as well as the match for third place and the final will be held in Copenhagen.
World Cup in Russia
The World Cup will be held from June 14 to July 15, 2018 in 11 cities of Russia:
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Saransk, Samara, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod and Volgograd.
32 best teams from all over the world will take part: Australia, England, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Iran, Iceland, Spain, Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia , Tunisia, Uruguay, France, Croatia, Switzerland, Sweden, South Korea and Japan.
As part of the opening of the championship, the Russian team will hold its first match against the team of Saudi Arabia.
The second match will be held on June 19 in St. Petersburg. The rival of Russia will be the team of Egypt. The group stage will end on June 25 in Samara with a match against Uruguay.
As a result of the draw, it was already determined in advance that if the Russian team is successful in the group stage, one of the B group winners will be its rival - Portugal, Spain, Morocco or Iran.
The first unified European Summer Championships
The first unified European championship in summer sports will be held from 2 to 12 August 2018 in Berlin and Glasgow. The program of competitions will include seven sports. The capital of Germany will host competitions in athletics, and one of the largest cities in Scotland - in water sports, cycling, rowing, gymnastics, triathlon and golf. Each European Championship will be organized by a separate federation and the city administration that hosts the starts.
Such joint competitions will now take place every four years.
In 2018 the European Championship will be attended by more than 4,5 thousand athletes. According to the organizers, the format of the combined championship will make the competitions much more spectacular and will attract the attention of new fans to the sport and its heroes. Such a global tournament will have to increase the prestige of the titles won. In total, within the framework of the united European championship 184 sets of awards will be played.