The Beijing Winter Olympics gets underway this week. They will run Feb 4-20. Find our latest plans in Coverage Plan. For the latest stories, video and photos, visit the Olympics hub in AP Newsoom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.
Here are AP’s coverage plans for Monday. All times are Eastern.
UPCOMING ENTERPRISE:
OLY--FIG-THE INNOVATION GAME: Perhaps the hardest thing to do in sports is to originate: a new jump, trick or twist that nobody has done before you. It’s a balancing act faced by elite athletes, particularly those in sports that are judged, involving a certain amount of creativity, a whole lot athletic ability and enough guts to showcase to the world something never seen before. Like, for example, the quad axel that two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu hopes to land at the Beijing Games. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
OLY--HKW-THE NEW GENERATION: At 21, Canada’s Sarah Fillier is among the few newcomers to a veteran-laden roster, and already made a big splash in her national team debut after showing off her play-making skills at the women’s world hockey championships in August. The United States lineup features a number of youngsters starting with 19-year-old defenseman Carolina Harvey, who is already being groomed to quarterback the power play. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos.
OLY--JUM-GROWING ROOTS: Kevin Bickner grew up ski jumping as a kid at Norge Ski Club, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago and he will become a two-time Olympian in Beijing. Aspiring Olympians, as young as 4, are trying to follow in Bickner’s path down the inrun and through the air two nights a week in a sport that struggles with providing access to a diverse group of people. USA Nordic executive director Billy Demong said his organization is trying to change that and is proud that the number of youths in the sport has tripled since 2010 with opportunities from Anchorage to New Hampshire. By Larry Lage UPCOMING: 750 words; photos, video by 12:30 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA: With less than a week to go before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics open, pandemic controls have been stepped up in Beijing, where all participants must be tested before and after their arrival in the Chinese capital. The Olympics are being held under strict controls that are meant to isolate athletes, staff, reporters and officials from residents.
SENT:
OLY--CLIMATE CHANGE & WINTER SPORTS: Olympic athletes in Alpine skiing and other outdoor sports dependent on snow are worried as they see winters disappearing. Ski racers who will compete entirely on artificial snow during the Beijing Games in February know that global warming is threatening the future of their sport. The present is not terrific, either. By Pat Graham and Howard Fendrich. SENT: 1,500 words, photos, video.
OLY--SKI-WEATHER OR NOT: Winter Olympians in outdoor sports such as Alpine skiing or snowboarding say the weather can be a key factor in success or failure. The wind, the light, the temperature and whether or not there is any precipitation can affect all sorts of things during competition, creating another source of stress at a one-day-every-four-years spectacle already filled with them. By Howard Fendrich and Pat Graham. SENT: 850 words, photos by 4 a.m. ET.
OLY-OLYMPIC-QUIZ: Which team did the U.S. beat to win gold in curling? What year was luge introduced at the Olympics? Which Soviet hockey players from 1980 are now in the Hall of Fame? As the Beijing Games draw closer, test your knowledge of the Winter Olympics with this 20-question quiz. Better study hard — and be ready to grade on a curve! By Noah Trister. SENT: 580 words, photo.
— The AP
