483 ½ Wizolympics – Day 10 Update: Unicorn Capture Qualifying Round

One of the Wizolympics’ most cultivating bouts is the much-anticipated Unicorn Capture, which is set to begin this morning at 6:00 am and will go until 6:00 pm unless a lucky team succeeds in capturing a unicorn before then.

For those of you who are not seasoned viewers of the Wizolympic games, the Unicorn Capture is one of the longest-running winter Wizolympic events to date. The rules are very straightforward: In teams of two, the competitors must locate and safely capture an adult unicorn within the arena before the time is up.

However, this event is not quite as simple as it may sound, as there are complications to this task. First off, the arena (which is the size of about 50 Quidditch pitches and designed to resemble a forest), is covered in snow. This seems natural as it is the winter Wizolympics, however three feet of snow makes the task of finding a pure white unicorn almost impossible. Also given that unicorns are shy by nature, luring one close enough to put netting around it is a task in and of itself.*

It comes as no surprise that the 5 countries competing today are known for their cold climates and abundance of unicorns. The competitors are:

FINLAND

Ronja Seppänen (F)  & Mikael Peura (M)

RUSSIA
Ivanna Utkin (F) & Leontiy Mateev (M)

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

Bryony Carlisle (F) & Lewis Dempsey (M)

KAZAKHSTAN

Daria Tahirbek (F) & Sanjar Serikzhan (M)

CANADA

Brooke Cote (F) & Owen Laurent (M)

These eager competitors have been training for years in the art of the Unicorn Capture event, and their hard work will be put to the test this morning when they enter the arena. Spectators have already arrived to take their seats and wait with baited breath to see which team succeeds in this task (if anyone).

— Cordelia Emerald, The Daily Prophet

*Note that the teams of two always have one witch and one wizard to even out the chances because of the unicorn’s nature is to be more trusting in the presence of females.