The Summer Olympics Heat Up Tomorrow

If your Friday night plans include popping up a bowl of popcorn and staking out some real estate in front of your TV screen to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics, you are among four billion people worldwide who will be tuning in for the exact same reason. Tomorrow marks the beginning of two weeks full of amazing athletic events and worldwide celebration. Coverage of the Opening Ceremonies in the U.S. will begin at 6:30 p.m. (central time) on NBC and can be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com.

With all the excitement surrounding the Summer Olympics, we couldn’t help but look to 2014, when the Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia. In fact, preparations have already begun! The Olympic ice was tested back in May at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi—built just for the Olympics!—where both the figure skating and short track speed skating events will be held. This one-of-a-kind ice rink is not only an amazingly modern athletic facility, but also a beautiful work of art. The smooth, curving lines of the building and reflective glass will surely make it a focal point of the Winter Games.

This impressive venue can hold up to 12,000 spectators and is capable of being disassembled and relocated. The Grand Prix Figure Skating Final will take place at Iceberg this December, so we’ll be able to get a taste of the venue before the Olympics in February 2014.

Share with us, what is your favorite event of the Summer Olympics? And don’t forget to click the red Subscribe button to the right of your screen to receive weekly iSkate updates right to your email!