Hello from Beijing
Today is Day 5 of the Beijing Olympics. Here are AP’s coverage plans. All times are Eastern. For questions, please email Amanda Barrett at abarrett@ap.org. Find the latest Olympics coverage plans on Coverage Plan. For expanded content, visit AP’s Olympics hub on AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477. For questions about the digital news experience or medals tables, please email Barry Bedlan at bbedlan@ap.org.
HAPPENING IN BEIJING
Skiing and snowboarding news dominated Day 5. Lindsey Jacobellis captured the United States’ first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics. The victory came after America’s top racer, skier Mikaela Shiffrin skidded out and failed to finish the first run of the slalom, making her 0 for 2 in Beijing.
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TRENDING NEWS
OLY-SBD-WOMEN’S SNOWBOARDCROSS — Lindsey Jacobellis captured the United States’ first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday, riding hard to the line in her snowboardcross final a full 16 years after a mistake cost her the title. By Eddie Pells and Pat Graham. SENT: 514 words, photos.
BEIJING SNAPSHOT-GREAT WALL: When one of the country’s most ancient endeavors meets one of its most modern -- the Olympics. UPCOMING: 250 words by 8 a.m., photo.
OLY-SBD-HALFPIPE-EXPLAINER — A look the tricks that Shaun White Chloe Kim and others could use to try to win gold medals on the Olympic halfpipe. By National Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 894 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
OLY-SKI-WOMEN'S SLALOM — Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin missed a gate early in the first run of the slalom at the Beijing Games and is out of the event. It was a quick end to her day just like in her first event of these Olympics, the giant slalom. By Howard Fendrich. SENT: 671 words, photos. UPCOMING: Will be updated to 900 words, photos. With: OLY-SKI-WOMEN'S SLALOM-VLHOVA'S GOLD — Petra Vlhova added an Olympic gold medal to her growing list of achievements, winning the women’s slalom at the Beijing Games. SENT: 540 words, photos.
OLY--ISOLATION ROOM NO. 2 — The phone call tends to come in the early afternoon, some six hours or so after the mandatory morning test. “Sorry to bother,” he says. Uh-oh. “Your test this morning was positive.” Sigh. Again? Like laundering with gasoline or hiking naked, traveling three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 to the Winter Olympics in China where the coronavirus is Public Enemy No. 1 — hunted, tracked, isolated and zapped with no-nonsense rigors and militaristic zeal — is proving to have been a silly idea. By John Leicester. UPCOMING: 1,80 words by 6 a.m., photos.
OLY—LATIN AMERICAN ATHLETES — Naysayers didn’t deter Mexican figure skater Donovan Carrillo, the rare Latin American athlete at the Winter Games, who has now become an even more rare Beijing Olympics success story – however relative – from that part of the globe. Carrillo had a career-best performance in the marquee sport of the Winter Games and now advances to the finals. By Sally Ho. SENT: 1,223 words, photos.
OLY--FIG-HISTORIC CHEN — Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton have been waiting two decades for someone to join one them in one of the most exclusive clubs in American figure skating: Olympic champions. Nathan Chen is almost here after a record-setting short program in Beijing, not to mention four years of work following his brutal disappointment in Pyeongchang. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. With: OLY--FIG-TEAM EVENT-MEDALS POSTPONED — An ongoing legal issue that could affect the medalists in the team figure skating competition at the Beijing Olympics has caused the award ceremony to be delayed. SENT: 185 words, photos.
OLY--SKI-PAUL NEWBERRY-SHRIFFIN —When Mikaela Shiffrin skied off the course -- again -- the announcers from NBC let her have it. In a different era, that sort of criticism would have been accepted. But times have changed, and social media turned its wrath on the network commentators. All of which raises an interesting dilemma: Is it still OK to criticize a much-hyped athlete who fails to meet expectations at a huge event like the Winter Olympics? By Sports Columnist Paul Newberry. SENT: 866 words, photos.
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THE ATHLETES
OLY--HKO-KREJCI'S CZECH CHANCE — David Krejci is focused on playing for the Czech Republic at the Olympics and says he’s not sure yet about what’s next. The longtime Boston Bruins center plans to finish the Czech Extraliga season, which ends in mid-March. The timing would allow for the possibility of Krejci returning to the NHL with the Bruins before the March 21 deadline to be eligible for the playoffs. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 526 words, photos.
OLY--SPD-SPEEDSKATING-BRITISH INVASION — Ellia Smeding and Cornelius Kersten know they don’t have much of a chance of winning a medal at the Beijing Olympics. That’s OK. They actually have a higher mission at these Winter Games: make speedskating more popular in Great Britain. By National Writer Paul Newberry. UPCOMING: 650 words by 7 a.m., photos.
OLY--SKE-UHLAENDER'S RETURN — U.S. skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender has now been to the Olympics five times. None of them have been easy, and this year’s plan was nearly derailed by a bout with COVID-19. By Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 800 words, photo.
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THE GAMES WE PLAY
OLY-SBD-HALFPIPE-QUALIFYING — After falling on his first attempt, Shaun White hammered down a pressure-packed halfpipe qualifying run to make it through to the medal round of his fifth and final Olympics. Chloe Kim cheered White when he reached the bottom. She was on hand at the halfpipe after cruising through her own, far less dramatic qualifying round. By Eddie Pells. SENT: 779 words, photos.
OLY--FRE-MEN’S BIG AIR — Birk Ruud of Norway spun away with a gold medal in the Olympics’ first men’s freestyle skiing big air event Wednesday, re-emerging as a leader in the extreme sport after losing his father to cancer and injuring his knee. By Jake Seiner. SENT: 806 words, photos.
OLY--HKO-RUSSIANS DEBUT — The defending gold medal-winning Russians open the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympics against Switzerland. The Russians, playing as ROC for Russian Olympic Committee, are again favored to come away with gold in the absence of NHL participation. By James Ellingworth. UPCOMING: 600 words by 9 a.m., photos.
OLY--HKW--US-SCORING CONCERNS — The United States women’s hockey team has an inconsistent offense which needs addressing if the Americans intend to defend their Olympic championship. The U.S., which faces the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Friday, closed the preliminary round with a 4-2 loss to Canada despite having a 53-27 edge in shots on net. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. SENT: 844 words, photos.
OLY--LUG-DOUBLES — Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany will seek a third consecutive Olympic doubles luge title Wednesday at the Beijing Games. Their top challengers: the German team of Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken, Latvian brothers Andris Sics and Juris Sics, and Austria’s Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller. By Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 600 words by 9:30 a.m., photos.
OLY--NOR-NORDIC COMBINED-NORMAL HILL — Austria’s Johannes Lampater may have a clear path for gold due to some stars in the sport tested positive for COVID-19. By Larry Lage. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Competition starts 6 a.m.
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UP TO THE MINUTE
— OLYMPICS ROUNDUP — Highlights of the day from the 2022 Winter Games.
— BEIJING OLYMPICS-THE LATEST — Real-time updates and photos from every venue around the Winter Games.
— BEIJING OLYMPICS-WHAT TO WATCH — A guide to key storylines each day. Moves after 1 a.m.
— MEDAL BRIEFS — A roundup of the day’s gold medals.
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FEATURED IMAGES
OLYKS145 — Czech Republic’s Sarka Pancochova competes during the women’s halfpipe qualification round.
OLYGH111 — Athletes from China skate during a speedskating practice session.
OLYTH121 — A team member consoles Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States after she skied out in the first run of the women’s slalom.
OLYAG202 — Workers in protective gear disinfect seats following the men’s freestyle skiing big air finals.
OLYAG106 — A spectator takes a picture ahead of the men’s freestyle skiing big air finals.
OLYKS186 — United States’ Chloe Kim reacts during the women’s halfpipe qualification round.
