The 2022 Winter Olympics are just a few days away! See below for the answers to all of your frequently asked questions surrounding the Beijing Winter Games.
When are the 2022 Winter Olympics?
The 2022 Winter Olympics are set to take place on Friday, February 4 through Sunday, February 20, just six months after the Tokyo Games. However, the competition begins with curling on Wednesday, February 2, two days before the Opening Ceremony.
Where are the 2022 Winter Olympics taking place?
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in China across three zones: Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. The ice sports will be held in central Beijing, China’s capital, as well as four snow events (snowboard big air and freestyle skiing big air, men’s and women’s). The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will also take place in Beijing. Yanqing, a mountainous suburb of China’s capital located approximately 75 km (46.6 miles) northwest of Beijing’s city center, will host Alpine skiing and sliding events (bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge) and will also be the home of the Olympic Athletes’ village. Zhangjiakou, located approximately 180 kilometers northwest of Beijing (111.8 miles) will host the majority of the ski and snowboarding events including freestyle, cross-country, ski jumping, Nordic combined, and biathlon.
What sports are being contested?
There will be a total of 109 medal events across the following 15 sports:
- Alpine Skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsled
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Curling
- Figure Skating
- Freestyle Skiing
- Hockey
- Luge
- Nordic Combined
- Short Track
- Skeleton
- Ski Jumping
- Snowboarding
- Speed Skating
Additionally, the 2022 Winter Olympics will feature seven new events: Women’s Monobob, Men’s and Women’s Big Air (Freestyle Skiing), Mixed Team Snowboard Cross, Mixed Team Aerials, Mixed Team Short Track Relay, and Mixed Team Ski Jumping.
What is the expected medal count for the U.S.?
The U.S. finished fourth on the medal table in PyeongChang with a total of 23 medals (9 gold, 8 silver, 6 bronze) and is expected to fare a similar result in Beijing. Shaun White (Carlsbad, California), Mikaela Shiffrin (Edwards, Colorado), and Nathan Chen (Salt Lake City, Utah) are just a few of Team USA’s biggest stars that are expected to compete in Beijing. White, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, could become the first U.S. man to win the same individual event at three Olympic Winter Games. Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, could potentially compete in five events in 2022 due to the schedule–the six-time world champion previously competed in five total events at the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Winter Games combined. Chen, the three-time reigning world champion in men’s singles, remains the favorite for gold in Beijing.
Will NHL players be allowed to compete in Beijing?
NHL players were originally set to return to the lineup in Beijing after missing the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics–their first Olympic absence since 1994–but the league made the decision to withdraw in late December 2021 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases that impacted the NHL’s schedule. Many NHL players were frustrated over the decision as letting players make individual choices to leave their NHL teams for the Olympics was never presented as an option.
Will fans be allowed to attend the 2022 Winter Olympics?
The International Olympic Committee announced in mid-January that only “selected” spectators will be allowed to attend the Games due to the pandemic. No fans from outside the country will be allowed to attend the events and tickets are not being offered to the general public.
What is the time difference between the U.S. and China for the Beijing Winter Olympics?
During the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing will be 13 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, and 16 hours ahead of the Pacific Time Zone. An event that starts at 10:00 a.m. local time Monday will be at 9:00 p.m. EDT Sunday night.
How can I watch the 2022 Winter Olympics?
Peacock will be the streaming home of the Beijing Winter Games offering live stream coverage of every single event–that’s over 2,800 hours of Olympic action. Viewers can also tune to NBC, USA, and CNBC to watch the Games. Streaming will also be available via NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.
