The first space Olympics held on the International Space Station?

The first Olympic sports competition in space was held at the International Space Station floating in outer space. Here, seven astronaut players were divided into two teams, Soyuz and Dragon, and held four games. There are only sports that have been repeatedly researched for the unique environment of space that cannot be imitated on Earth.

First, the rack-of-floor routine of the gymnastic floor exercise involves performing the movements according to the rules without touching anything against the inner wall. Under zero gravity, the wall is both the floor and the ceiling. Although it was a difficult game, the gold medal was won by an astronaut from Russia.

The following is a game in which a team of two players breathes out a ping-pong ball vigorously and injects the ball into the goal of the opposing team. It is a concept similar to table tennis and soccer. The winning side was the Soyuz team.

Then synchronized space swimming. It is an event that can express teamwork and bond between crew members. Of course, you’re swimming in zero gravity, not in water, but in synchro. There is no mention of winning or losing.

There are also zero-gravity target games. In this game of hitting rubber bands with your fingers, you will test your concentration and skill as well as your luck. Unlike the ground, it flies in a straight line, so the first attempt is important. It is also a game that uses long passages well.

The first space Olympics held at the International Space Station, which flies at an altitude of 408 km, was a four-race event, but it is not yet known whether it will be held again in the next four years. Related information can be found here.