Live coverage: Opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics officially begin in Beijing on Friday with opening ceremonies and a number of events.

The games come with a number of difficulties as the United States has led a number of countries in a diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record and COVID-19 has caused obstacles for athletes hoping to compete.

The Hill has the live coverage of day one.

Bob Costas: NBC dealt ‘worst hand imaginable’ with Olympics

10:45 a.m.

Bob Costas, the face of NBC’s Olympic coverage for more than 20 years, said the network has been dealt the “worst hand imaginable” with this year’s Games. 

“My friends and colleagues at NBC have been dealt the worst hand imaginable,” Costas told The New York Times in an article published a day before the Olympics officially began. 

NBC is covering the games as the U.S. and several other countries stage diplomatic protests of the event over concerns about ongoing human rights abuses happening in China, including against the Uyghur ethnic minority group in Xinjiang. The country has also been put on blast by human rights groups and activists.

– Lexi Lonas

 

Katie Nolan joins NBC

10:00 a.m.

Former ESPN host Katie Nolan will join NBC News in its coverage of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, the platform announced on Thursday.

Nolan will produce short-form content daily for NBC Olympics that will be shown on its linear and digital platforms.

– Lexi Lonas

Veteran Hong Kong activist arrested ahead of planned Olympic protest

9:30 a.m.

A veteran Hong Kong activist was arrested after he announced a planned protest of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in front of China’s Liaison’s Office. 

Koo Sze-yiu sent out a media announcement with the words, in bold, “Coffin Winter Olympics” written on it earlier this week. The announcement said he would be protesting the Olympics in front of the office representing China in Hong Kong at 10 a.m. the day the Games began, The Associated Press reported. 

Hong Kong authorities cited their controversial national security law to arrest him on Friday morning. Koo was identified by the South China Morning Post as the police would not name him.

– Lexi Lonas

Opening ceremony officially underway

8:20 a.m.

The Beijing Winter Olympics were officially underway as the open ceremony kicked off.

The show began once Chinese President Xi Jinping and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach took their seats. 

Performers bowed towards Xi while individuals walked by the country’s flag, with China parading different ethnicities of citizens to attempt to present a united front in the country.

With the start of the ceremony, China became the first country to host the summer and winter games. 

– Lexi Lonas

Putin, Xi present united front on NATO expansion

7:35 a.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met before the start of the Games, issuing a joint statement showing a united front against the expansion of NATO.

Russia has amassed thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border, demanding that Ukraine not be let into NATO and calling for Western countries to remove military operations in eastern Europe. China echoed those sentiments on Friday. 

Putin is one of the highest-profile political leaders at the Olympics as the U.S. and some Western allies are holding a diplomatic boycott of the event due to China’s human rights abuses against ethnic minorities.

– Lexi Lonas

Olympics kick off with Opening Ceremony

6:30 a.m.

The Olympic Games will begin with a huge opening ceremony celebration from Beijing on Friday. The event will stream live on NBC’s Peacock streaming service beginning at 6:30 a.m. 

Team USA announced earlier this week that curler John Shuster and speedskater Brittany Bowe will be the two flag-bearers for the games.

Events slated for Friday include skiing, curling, hockey and snowboarding.

– The Hill Staff

US women’s hockey player stretchered off the ice amid opening win

U.S. women’s hockey captain Brianna Decker was stretchered off the ice on Thursday as the team skated to a 5-2 win over Finland to open the Games, according to the Associated Press.

The team will likely be without the 11-year veteran for the rest of the event.

The U.S. plays again Saturday against Russia.

– The Hill Staff

White House lights up in red, white and blue

The Biden administration on Thursday night began showing its Team USA spirit by lighting up the White House in red, white and blue ahead of the start of the games.

The White House tweeted a photo of the patriotic light arrangement on Thursday night, on the eve of the Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing.

“Tonight the White House is lit up in red, white, and blue in support of all the Olympians and Paralympians proudly representing our country,” the White House said. “Go Team USA!”

– Sarah Polus

Pelosi warns athletes against angering ‘ruthless’ Chinese government

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday warned U.S. athletes participating in the Olympics not to risk angering a “ruthless” Chinese government.

Speaking at a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, Pelosi said the U.S. has an “urgent moral duty to shine a bright light” on China’s human rights abuses, including those toward the Uyghur ethnic minority in Xinjiang.

“Now the IOC, aided by corporate sponsors, once again turns a blind eye with the 2022 Winter Olympics just to bolster their bottom line,” Pelosi said, referring to the International Olympic Committee.

– Olafimihan Oshin

Olympic chief to meet with Chinese tennis player

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Thursday said he planned to meet with Chinese tennis champion Peng Shaui while attending the Games.

Peng, a former doubles champion, was reported missing after writing a now-deleted social media post last month accusing Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the Chinese Communist Party’s powerful Politburo Standing Committee, of sexual assault.

– Olafimihan Oshin