The Beijing Winter Olympics are about to begin. Here’s what to expect
Global News
A look at the athletes to watch, new events, COVID-19 restrictions and controversies surrounding the 2022 Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital.
The 2022 Winter Olympics are set to open in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Friday against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has overshadowed one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles.
The opening ceremony is slated to begin at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, on Friday at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET). The Games will run for over two weeks with the closing ceremony on Feb. 20.
Beijing is hosting the event 14 years after the 2008 Summer Games — becoming the first city to stage both editions of the Olympics.
A total of 109 sets of medals are up for grabs across 15 different disciplines.
Here’s what to expect over the fortnight.
The Beijing Games come only six months after the completion the Tokyo Summer Olympics that were postponed for a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They are the second Olympics to be held during the pandemic.
In the lead-up to the Games, China has doubled down on its “zero tolerance” COVID-19 policy, sealing off cities, shutting transport links and launching mass testing programs.
