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Crew USA earned its first determine skating medal of the 2022 Beijing Olympics because of a clutch efficiency from its ice dancers.
The U.S. took residence the silver within the crew determine skating competitors after Madison Chock and Evan Bates turned in a season-best rating within the ice dancing free program.
The information was not so good for snowboarding star Mikaela Shiffrin. The defending Olympic champion is not going to repeat within the ladies’s large slalom.
Shiffrin’s first of 5 potential occasions in Beijing led to disappointment Monday when she worn out on her opening run.
After being shut out from the rostrum on the primary day of competitors on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Crew USA fared much better on the second, however has but to earn its first gold medal of those Video games.
(Searching for protection from Sunday’s occasions? Here is every thing you must know.)
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US determine skating silver medalist exams optimistic for COVID-19
BEIJING — A outstanding U.S. determine skater has examined optimistic for COVID-19, and on the worst potential time.
U.S. Determine Skating introduced Monday that Vincent Zhou, who’s scheduled to skate the lads’s quick program Tuesday, examined optimistic on Sunday. It’s now unclear whether or not he’ll be capable to compete.
“Below the steerage of the USOPC medical workers, Zhou is present process extra testing to substantiate his standing,” the nationwide governing physique mentioned in an announcement. “If the outcomes are destructive, Zhou will be capable to compete within the males’s quick program, which begins Tuesday. Presently, we ask you respect his privateness as we await the outcomes.”
The information of the optimistic check comes at a devastating time for Zhou, who skated the lengthy program for Crew USA within the crew competitors on Sunday morning.
With the draw already having been accomplished, it’s unlikely that the U.S. would be capable to have an alternate skate in Zhou’s place. Nathan Chen and Jason Brown are the opposite American males within the area.
— Tom Schad
Russian lady makes determine skating historical past
BEIJING — Within the remaining occasion of the crew determine skating competitors, Russian skater Kamila Valieva landed a trick that no lady had ever achieved on Olympic ice.
Then she did it once more in the identical program.
Valieva, 15, grew to become the primary lady to land a quadruple bounce on the Winter Video games, making 4 rotations in mid-air. She additionally grew to become the primary lady to land two of them in the identical program, kicking off her program with a quad salchow earlier than later touchdown a quad toe.
That she fell on a 3rd quad try later in this system proved to be a mere footnote.
Valieva’s efficiency capped a dominant gold-medal-winning efficiency by the Russian Olympic Committee within the crew occasion. Valieva can also be one in all three Russian wunderkinds who might be vying for podium spots within the ladies’s particular person competitors, and there’s a likelihood they might sweep the rostrum.
— Tom Schad
USA wins silver in crew determine skating occasion behind stellar ice dance
BEIJING — After the primary day of the crew determine skating competitors on the 2022 Winter Olympics, Crew USA was dreaming of gold.
As a substitute, it squeaked out a silver.
Buoyed by a powerful remaining efficiency from the ice dance crew of Madison Chock and Evan Bates on Monday, the Individuals edged Japan to win their first silver medal within the crew determine skating occasion. They received bronze in each 2018 and 2014.
The Russian Olympic Committee, which entered as the favourite, received gold in dominant vogue.
“We’re celebrating silver,” Bates mentioned. “Successful a silver medal on the Olympic Video games is an unbelievable achievement, and the truth that all of us get a silver medal, the entire crew — I am so glad. I am so glad.”
The U.S. and Japan have been tied within the standings with 48 crew factors getting into the ultimate two occasions of the competitors — the free dance and ladies’s lengthy program. However Chock and Bates, the captains of the U.S. crew, turned in a stellar efficiency to complete first of their occasion, and Karen Chen did sufficient in a redemptive lengthy program to hold on.
— Tom Schad
Chinese language American sensation makes Olympic debut
BEIJING – There isn’t any larger star in China at these Olympics than Eileen Gu, the 18-year outdated freestyle skier from San Francisco who’s headed to Stanford after these Olympics.
Regardless of her American roots, Gu selected in 2019 to compete for China, the nation the place her mom grew up and the place she has turn into a vogue mannequin and a breakthrough star.
Given the hype surrounding her debut on the Beijing Video games, Gu admitted there was some stress to carry out nicely Monday within the first Massive Air competitors for snowboarding ever on the Olympics. After two of her three runs, although, Gu’s place within the remaining was unsure. After her ski fell off on the second bounce, her solely alternative was to supply a clear run or be eradicated from the competitors.
“I might not really feel glad if I didn’t make finals,” she mentioned. “I used to be simply specializing in the trick itself. I wasn’t fascinated by there are individuals who wish to watch me or that there was this stress on me. It’s a proper 9 (or bounce with 2 ½ rotations). I’ve been doing proper 9s since I used to be 14, and I do know I can do this trick so I used to be simply sort of speaking to myself in that manner.”
Gu pulled it off, securing her place in what might be a widely-watched remaining right here on Tuesday on the Massive Air Shougang.
Among the many four-woman American contingent, solely Darian Stevens certified for the ultimate after touchdown a left 900-degree trick on her third strive after discovering hassle on her second bounce.
“I used to be clearly feeling the warmth,” mentioned Stevens, a local of Missoula, Mont. “I had a very good first bounce I used to be very proud of and had a little bit little bit of a pace difficulty on the second so there was loads of stress using on that third bounce however I used to be actually glad to land it.
— Dan Wolken
NBC’s Mike Tirico to depart Beijing early
NBC prime-time Olympic host Mike Tirico can have a shorter keep in Beijing than initially deliberate.
Tirico’s remaining present from Beijing might be Monday evening. He’ll fly from China to NBC Sports activities headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, to host Wednesday’s and Thursday’s reveals earlier than heading to Los Angeles on Friday to anchor Olympic and Tremendous Bowl protection by Sunday.
Tirico will then head again to Stamford for the ultimate week of Olympic protection. The Video games conclude on Feb. 20.
Maria Taylor, who signed with NBC on the eve of final summer time’s Tokyo Olympics, will host Tuesday evening’s present whereas Tirico is flying again.
Tirico was initially scheduled to remain in Beijing by Thursday earlier than going to Los Angeles. NBC officers, although, have reiterated that his schedule was topic to alter primarily based on COVID-19 and different elements.
That is the primary 12 months that the Olympics and Tremendous Bowl are happening on the similar time. 4 years in the past, Tirico missed the Tremendous Bowl as he was making ready for his first Olympics as prime-time host in Pyeongchang.
NBC has its announcers and hosts figuring out of its Connecticut headquarters. It has a restricted group of reporters on the bottom in China. NBC Information’ Craig Melvin continues to be in Beijing and can host “prime plus protection” (which is late evening in New York however prime time in Los Angeles) over the weekend.
— Related Press
Ice dancers rating season greatest to place U.S. in silver medal place
BEIJING —The U.S. is all however assured of successful silver within the crew determine skating competitors after a clutch efficiency from Madison Chock and Evan Bates within the free dance.
Chock and Bates received their occasion with a season-best rating of 129.07, widening the hole between the Individuals (58) and Japan (54), which is in third place. There’s one occasion remaining, with Karen Chen set to skate within the ladies’s free skate.
Groups are awarded factors primarily based on their end in every occasion, with 10 factors to the winner, 9 to the runner-up and so forth.
The U.S. had been squarely in silver-medal place getting into Monday, however a last-place end from Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier within the pairs’ lengthy program allowed Japan to knot the rating.
The Russian Olympic Committee has all however locked up the gold, whereas the opposite two finalists, Canada and China, solely had distant possibilities of medaling getting into Monday.
The Individuals have received bronze medals within the crew occasion at every of the previous two Olympics.
— Tom Schad
Shiffrin wipes out in first run of large slalom
YANQING, China — Mikaela Shiffrin’s first likelihood for a gold medal was over nearly as quickly because it started.
Anticipated to contend for a number of medals on the Beijing Olympics, a number of of them gold, Shiffrin misplaced an edge on the fifth gate of the primary run of the ladies’s large slalom and skied out. It’s the primary time she’s failed to complete a GS race since January 2018.
“It is an enormous disappointment. Not even counting the medals,” Shiffrin mentioned afterward. “The simplest factor to say is I skied a few good turns and skied one flip a bit flawed and actually paid the toughest of penalties for that.”
Shiffrin has mentioned she hopes to do all 5 particular person occasions on the Beijing Olympics. Her subsequent race will come Wednesday, within the slalom. She received gold there in 2018, making her the youngest champion in that occasion.
— Nancy Armour
Report: Peng Shuai meets with IOC president, says she ‘by no means disappeared’
BEIJING – Chinese language tennis participant Peng Shuai advised a French newspaper that her long-planned dinner with Worldwide Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has already occurred.
In a narrative revealed Monday by L’Equipe, Peng mentioned the 2 met for dinner Saturday. She additionally as soon as once more denied having accused anybody of sexual assault, after alleging in a social-media submit in November that she had been assaulted by Zhang Gaoli, a former high-ranking Chinese language authorities official.
Peng’s submit was later scrubbed from Chinese language social media, and she or he disappeared from public view for a number of weeks. She additionally disagreed with that characterization.
“I by no means disappeared, everybody may see me,” Peng advised L’Equipe.
Activists have expressed concern that Peng’s actions and statements have been monitored or influenced by the Chinese language authorities within the wake of her allegation.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams confirmed that Bach and Peng had dinner Saturday evening. When requested Sunday concerning the dinner, he mentioned he had no replace.
— Tom Schad
Moguls skier Kai Owens could not see out of 1 eye after crash in apply
ZHANGJIAKOU, China – Cupping, dry needling, ice, stress and a few sort of brush for her face — all day, day-after-day, each hour, for the final a number of days. This was Kai Owens’ whole existence.
With loads of persistence and medical therapy, the Chinese language-born, American raised freeskier was capable of compete within the Beijing Winter Olympics Sunday evening, ending in tenth place within the ladies’s moguls. Australia’s Jakara Anthony led the sphere with a gold medal efficiency of 83.09. American Jaelin Kauf received the silver with a rating of 80.28, and Anastasiia Smirnova of Russia took bronze.
Her potential to get to this evening got here right down to the wire. Owens, 17, missed the opening qualifying spherical a number of days earlier, final Tuesday evening, when her eye was swollen shut from a crash throughout a apply run on the identical day. Owens, who additionally had a concussion earlier within the season, was held out by coaches.
“The primary day I couldn’t even transfer my arm,” mentioned Owens. “I used to be in a sling due to my rotator cuff. After which I couldn’t see out of my eye.”
By Sunday evening, her eye was nonetheless visibly injured, however remarkably healed given how unhealthy it was a couple of days earlier.
“I’m simply so grateful to be right here,” mentioned Owens. “I owe an enormous ‘thanks’ to our Crew USA workers, U.S. ski and snowboard workers. They helped get me out right here tonight.”
— Lori Nickel
Mikaela Shiffrin to make her debut at 2022 Beijing Video games in large slalom
BEIJING — In what may very well be the primary of 5 races on the Beijing Olympics, and maybe as many medals, Mikaela Shiffrin competes Monday within the large slalom. She is the reigning Olympic champion in GS and is presently third within the World Cup standings, with two wins and a second-place end in 5 races this season.
The GS might be adopted Wednesday by the slalom, the place she grew to become the youngest Olympic champion within the occasion in 2014. Shiffrin additionally has a silver, from the Alpine mixed in Pyeongchang.
Shiffrin received the season-opening GS race in October in Soelden, Austria. However she didn’t race GS once more till December – she received one race and completed second within the different – and her coaching time all through the season has been restricted.
In actual fact, she mentioned Friday that she has spent extra time coaching GS since coming to Beijing than she has the remainder of the season.
“That’s not superb,” she mentioned.
Regardless of that, Shiffrin mentioned she feels she’s in a “fairly good place,” each in GS and general.
“There’s loads of potential there,” she mentioned. “What are the percentages on a day the place all of the variables are managed? My odds aren’t unhealthy. I’m simply going to need to see the place the chips fall.”
— Nancy Armour
Opinion: Are Olympic uniforms tainted by compelled labor?
BEIJING – All over the place you flip at these Olympic Video games, pleasant workers members and volunteers are impeccably wearing uniforms depicting white snow peaks and blue Chinese language skies. As the competitions get underway in full drive, we’ll see a whole bunch of technical officers carrying equally engaging gray and white gear with purple accents on their sleeves.
Nevertheless it’s the brand over the fitting breast that your eyes must be drawn to.
The nondescript image, which appears to be like vaguely just like the silhouette of an impala’s head or maybe a pickaxe, represents Anta Sports activities, a Chinese language sporting items large that endorses a number of NBA gamers, together with Klay Thompson and Gordon Hayward. It is usually the mother or father firm of a subsidiary that owns legacy American manufacturers like Wilson and Louisville Slugger. The founding father of Lululemon, Canadian billionaire Chip Wilson, is closely invested within the firm.
In China, the world’s second-largest financial system, Anta is a really huge deal. It’s additionally on the middle of arguably the most important political controversy surrounding these Olympics involving alleged genocide and human rights abuses within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Area of northwest China.
— Dan Wolken
The unlikely pipeline on the coronary heart of the U.S. speedskating crew
Ocala, Florida, is a city of about 60,000 individuals situated between Gainesville and Orlando. Palm bushes dot downtown. Temperatures final week touched 80 levels.
It is not the sort of place you’d anticipate to supply Winter Olympians.
However in an odd twist – and with the just about inadvertent assist of a Florida grandmother – that’s precisely what’s occurred.
Three of the highest U.S. speedskaters on the 2022 Winter Olympics – Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson and Joey Mantia – all hail from Ocala, which doesn’t also have a year-round ice rink. All three are respectable medal contenders. And all three began out as inline skaters on a crew that’s now known as Ocala Velocity, coached by the identical lady, Renee Hildebrand.
— Tom Schad
Opinion: US determine skaters falter on jumps, however nonetheless assured a medal at Winter Olympics
BEIJING – After Day 1 of the Olympic determine skating crew competitors, U.S. athletes talked about skating with depth and constructing momentum for an inconceivable gold-medal run in opposition to the Russians.
On Day 2, the dialog turned, sharply. Ideas of momentum have been changed by considerations about “selecting one another up.” Excessive-fives and fist bumps have been gone. Hugs and type phrases confirmed up of their place.
That’s as a result of, given the possibility to rise to the event, each Karen Chen and Vincent Zhou turned in flat, lackluster performances, leaving america seemingly settling for the crew silver medal and questioning what might need been had Chen and Zhou been capable of skate cleanly – or how issues would have been completely different had U.S. Determine Skating officers chosen different skaters of their place.
— Christine Brennan
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