Beijing officially opens Winter Olympics amid pandemic
21:31 JST, February 4, 2022
Six months after the delayed Tokyo Olympics came to an end, the Beijing Winter Olympics officially began with the opening ceremony at Beijing National Stadium, more commonly referred to as the Bird’s Nest, on Friday night.
The Games are being held under extremely strict coronavirus protocols, with all of the thousands of athletes, officials, media and volunteers operating in a contained “close loop” bubble with all outside contact prohibited.
Japan has sent a delegation of 124 athletes, the most for the nation to an overseas Winter Olympics, in a quest to exceed the 13 medals won at the previous Games in Pyeongchang in 2018.
Japan’s top gold medal hopes are in figure skating, speed skating, snowboarding, ski jumping and moguls.
Drawing the most attention will be Yuzuru Hanyu, who will be aiming for a third consecutive Olympic men’s title in figure skating as he attempts to become the first in history to complete a quadruple axel jump in competition.
"Sports" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Shohei Ohtani Defied Ex-Interpreter’s Request to Cover Up Fraud, Report
-
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 6 Shutout Innings Help Dodgers Finish Sweep, Defeat Nats 2-1
-
Shohei Ohtani Hits 176 MLB Homers; the Most by a Japanese-Born Player Surpassing Hideki Matsui
-
Japanese Public Divided Over Hosting Future Olympic Games As Corruption, Bid-Rigging Scandals Blunt Enthusiasm
-
Here’s How Investigators Allege Ippei Mizuhara Stole $16 million From Shohei Ohtani
JN ACCESS RANKING
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’
- JAL Airplane Experiences Radio Malfunction During Flight, Lands Safely By Relying on Light Signals