The Winter Olympic Games in China formally started on Friday with a dazzling ceremony amid strict pandemic restrictions and diplomatic boycotts by the US and allies, marking a historic moment.
The Opening Ceremony showcased China's might and colorful culture, as Bejing became the first city to host both winter and summer Olympics.
In days leading to the international sports event, residents in Beijing dealt with sudden local lockdowns and widespread COVID-19 testing requirements as the Chinese government attempted to avoid a coronavirus outbreak.
Olympics Expected To Overshadow Boycotts
The United States and Western governments upheld a diplomatic boycott over alleged human rights violations of China against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, but other world leaders still decided to witness the ceremony. The most distinguished among the guests were Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, as per AP, had a private meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the growing tensions between Moscow and Kyiv along the Ukraine border.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2022 Beijing Olympics took place at the National Stadium, where the Summer Olympics in 2008 jump-started. The Closing Ceremony on Feb. 20 will also be held in the 80,000-capacity stadium.
Among the highlights of the event was the Parade of Nations, one of the traditions of the Opening Ceremony, in which participating athletes march into the stadium waving their national flags. The host country's flag China was also raised, while the national song was sung, per NBC.
Organizers of the games hope that the success of the Olympics would overcome the criticisms from activists and governments over China's human rights violations, which Beijing denies.
Zhao Weidong, a spokesperson for the Beijing Games, believes that when the Olympic flame is lit, the " boycott banter will be extinguished."
Read Also : Beijing Winter Games App Contain Security Flaws Experts Warn; Olympic Torch Relay Cut Down To Three Days
Team USA Shines
The US figure skating team got off to a great start on the opening day of competitions, delivering an early highlight ahead of the Beijing Games' Opening Ceremonies. In the first round of the team figure skating event, which continues Sunday, the United States scored 28 out of a possible 30 points.
In the team figure skating competition, United States' skating superstar Nathan Chen performed almost flawlessly in the men's short program thus, he landed the first place. While teammates Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue finished first in the rhythm dance, putting the United States team as a contender for a medal. After three of eight segments of the competition, the American athletes hold first place, according to Reuters.
Chen's first place in the men's short program was followed by Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue winning the rhythm dance with their season's best and third place for Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier in the short pair program.
The results put the U.S. on 28 points, two ahead of the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) skaters, the favorites in the pre-event.
Both number one in world rankings, Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, delivered a subpar performance in rhythm dance to end up second, after ROC's 18-year-old Mark Kondratiuk took third place in the men's short program behind Shoma Uno of Japan.
Meanwhile, world champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov achieved their season's best, but they got narrowly beaten by Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China, setting a world record of 82.83 points in the pair skating short program.
Hosts China landed in third place with 21 points while Japan got fourth place with 20.
Related Article : Beijing Residents Face Abrupt Lockdowns, Strict Policies on COVID-19 as Winter Olympics Approach
