The 24th Winter Olympic Games will begin amid unprecedented coronavirus-related epidemiological measures in China’s capital Beijing on Friday, under the slogan ‘Together for a shared future."
Azerbaijan will be represented at the Winter Olympics in Beijing by figure skaters Ekaterina Ryabova and Vladimir Litvintsev, who will be the flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Both athletes will compete for medals in the figure skating competition.
Nine athletes from Georgia will compete for glory at the Winter Olympic Games, with competitors in three different sports set to represent the country.
Alpine skier Nino Tsiklauri and figure skater Moris Kvitelashvili will be co-bearers of the national flag at the opening ceremony in Beijing, before the two join the competition in their respective categories. Kvitelashvili will be the first Georgian participant to compete at the international event when he enters the Men's Single Figure Skating short programme at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Friday. On her part, Tsiklauri will launch her participation on February 7, when she takes to the slopes of the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre in Women's Giant Slalom event.
Beside the two flag-bearers, the Georgian squad in the games involves figure skater duos Luka Berulava and Karina Safina, as well as Maria Kazakova and Giorgi Revia, also set to display their skills on the opening day. Anastasia Gubanova will compete in Women's Single section to complete the roster for the sport.
In alpine skiing, Tsiklauri will not be the sole representative of Georgia, as Soso Japharidze is set to compete in giant slalom and slalom sections on February 13 and 16. Finally in luge, Saba Kumaritashvili is scheduled to race around the Yanqing National Sliding Centre in two runs on Friday.
Six athletes from Armenia will participate in the 24th Winter Olympics: skiers Mikayel Mikayelyan, Katya Galstyan, Angelina Muradyan, Harutyun Harutyunyan as well as dance couple Tina Karapetyan and Simon Senecal.
Turkey at the Games will be represented by 7 athletes: Fatih Arda Ipcioglu, Berkin Usta, Özlem Çarıkçıoğlu, Ayşenur Duman, Ozlem Ceren Dursun and Yusuf Emre Fırat, Furkan Akar. Iran - by 2 athletes: skiers Atefeh Ahmad and Hossein Saveh Shemshaki.
The most represented team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing will be the team from the United States boasting a total of 224 athletes on its national roster. The ROC (the Russian Olympic Committee) Team sent 212 athletes, while hosts China will be represented by 176 athletes.
Russian speed skater Olga Fatkulina and ice hockey player Vadim Shipachyov were elected to be the ROC flagbearers.
Due to international sanctions against Russian sports, athletes from Russia are competing in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing under the flag and logo of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem. The national anthem of Russia is also under sanctions at the Olympics in China. The First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky was selected to be played at awarding ceremonies for Russian Olympians in Beijing.
A total of 109 sets of Olympic medals will be up for grabs. The program of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games includes 15 disciplines: Alpine Skiing; Biathlon; Bobsleigh; Cross-Country Skiing; Curling; Figure Skating; Freestyle Skiing; Ice Hockey; Luge; Nordic Combined; Short Track Speed Skating; Skeleton; Ski Jumping; Snowboarding; Speed Skating.
The competition began on February 3, with non-medal events in curling, women’s ice hockey and moguls.
The Olympic zone will be split in three clusters: Beijing, its suburb Yanqing and the Zhangjiakou city area.
Competition venues in the Beijing zone include facilities built for the 2008 Summer Olympics, such as the Beijing National Stadium and the Beijing National Aquatics Center (colloquially known as the Water Cube), hosting curling competitions. The Beijing National Indoor Stadium will host ice hockey competitions. Besides, snowboarding and freestyle big air facilities have been built in the area.
Zhangjiakou will host competitions in biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined, as well as freestyle skiing and snowboarding. The National Alpine Ski Center in Yanqing will host alpine skiing events, while the National Sliding Center will hold competitions in bobsleigh, luge and skeleton.
