Olympics 2022 live updates: Nathan Chen in spotlight as men’s figure skating competition begins
search for gold continues at the 2022 Beijing Olympics as the disappointments seem to have outnumbered the successes so far for Team USA.
(Looking for a recap of Monday’s events? We’ve got you covered.)
The men’s individual figure skating competition begins Tuesday, but one of the American medal contenders won’t be on the ice. After helping the U.S. win silver in the team event on Monday, Vincent Zhou tested positive for coronavirus and is out of the men’s competition. Five-time national champion Nathan Chen will be the USA’s best hope for a medal.
The most dominant performances of the Games to date for Team USA have been in women’s hockey. A highly anticipated showdown with Canada has finally arrived with both teams sporting 3-0 records in the opening round.
In addition, gold medals will be awarded on Tuesday in Alpine skiing with the men’s Super-G and in women’s freestyle skiing with the Big Air final.
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Big Air venue getting big props from competitors
BEIJING – There’s no great need or demand for permanent venues to host a sport as niche as Big Air, but the Chinese went ahead and did it anyway. It is a towering, dramatic structure rising above a former industrial park where they used to mill steel, flanked by cooling towers that evoke images of nuclear winters moreso than the Winter Olympics.
And yet it might just be the best idea the Chinese have had at these Beijing Games.
“It’s amazing, the facility is crazy,” said Norway’s Birk Ruud, who posted the best qualifying score in the men’s competition.
“It’s definitely cool being in a stadium vibe,” said Darian Stevens, the only American who made the women’s final. “That’s not typically a thing.”
— Dan Wolken