https://www.scmp.com/rss/511695/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Team USA Nordic skier Grace Miller is tipped for a breakout performance in what will already be her second Winter Paralympics. The 22-year-old has been excitedly posting Beijing Games titbits on her social media, giving fans a glimpse of slick national team outfits, athlete’s village “smart” beds and 24/7 food supplies- but competing in the mainland holds a much deeper meaning. Born without a left forearm in Guangzhou, Miller was adopted by a single American mother at the age of three. She would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169197/beijing-paralympics-grace-miller-china-born-us-cross-country-skier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169197/beijing-paralympics-grace-miller-china-born-us-cross-country-skier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 04:15:13 +0000 The world’s best Paralympic athletes will gather in Beijing for the 13th Winter Games over the next two weeks and like the Winter Olympics, much of this year’s focus will shift to the rising stars looking to make their mark on history. Most of these rookie stars are first-timers and therefore are being watched with excitement, as some of them are expected to drive their respective sports in the future. We take a closer look at six rising young Para athletes to watch at the Beijing 2022... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168791/winter-paralympics-6-rising-stars-watch-out-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168791/winter-paralympics-6-rising-stars-watch-out-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:45:20 +0000 The panda mascot of the Beijing Games has been a huge success here in the Chinese capital, where fans have lined up for hours to buy plush dolls of the round cartoon, Bing Dwen Dwen. Then last week, the character appeared on Chinese television – and horrified viewers by speaking with a grown man’s voice. “I don’t think it’s cute any more,” one commenter said on Chinese social media. “It’s just an old man.” The incident was a minor blemish on the character’s popularity; by week’s end, with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167661/winter-olympics-creative-cartoonish-and-sometimes-awful-mascots-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167661/winter-olympics-creative-cartoonish-and-sometimes-awful-mascots-have?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Feb 2022 06:14:08 +0000 Alpine skier Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen is living a dream he never thought would come true so soon. The 17-year-old is considered Hong Kong’s best men’s ski prospect after becoming the city’s only athlete to meet the Games’ minimum standard in the slalom and giant slalom events. He is Hong Kong’s first-ever male skier at a Games and one of three athletes from the city to take part in the Beijing Winter Olympics. “I was staring at my phone quite a bit in disbelief. It’s only recently that it’s sunk... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3166810/beijing-winter-olympics-adrian-yung-hong-kongs-17-year-old-alpine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3166810/beijing-winter-olympics-adrian-yung-hong-kongs-17-year-old-alpine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Feb 2022 00:15:19 +0000 The coaching team surrounding Kamila Valieva has come under fierce scrutiny after the 15-year-old Russian figure skater was engulfed by a doping controversy at the Beijing Olympics – and none more so than Eteri Tutberidze. After it was confirmed Friday that Valieva had failed a drugs test and could be kicked out of the Games, the hashtag “shame on Tutberidze” began trending on Twitter in Russia. Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA said that “an investigation has been initiated into the athlete’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3166799/winter-olympics-russian-doping-scandal-shines-light-kamila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3166799/winter-olympics-russian-doping-scandal-shines-light-kamila?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Feb 2022 05:08:30 +0000 Many multi-sport athletes have graced the Summer and Winter Games throughout history, with the Paralympics being no exception. It takes years of toil and perseverance to win a spot on one of the world’s foremost sporting stages, but these athletes have managed to do it in two – or more – sports over their illustrious careers. What makes them even more remarkable is that many of them picked up their second – or in some cases third – sport midway through their careers. For some, taking a leap of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166636/winter-olympics-multi-sport-paralympics-stars-who-have-conquered-both?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166636/winter-olympics-multi-sport-paralympics-stars-who-have-conquered-both?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:15:13 +0000 California-born Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi declared her “excitement” at the possibility of becoming “another big name for China” when she renounced her US citizenship in 2018. Zhu has certainly fulfilled that potential at the Beijing Winter Olympics – just not for the right reasons. After a costly team event fumble and further falls in the free skate, the sniffling 19-year-old was subjected to negative comments on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, where she was labelled “a disgrace”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166558/winter-olympics-who-zhu-yi-us-born-chinese-figure-skater-whose-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166558/winter-olympics-who-zhu-yi-us-born-chinese-figure-skater-whose-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:45:12 +0000 He was China’s first-ever Olympic skeleton entrant four years ago, became the country’s only IBSF World Cup gold medallist last November, and is ranked 12th in the world – yet Geng Wenqiang was left out of the Beijing 2022 Games roster. Instead, teammates Yan Wengang and Chen Wenhao took up China’s two men’s skeleton spots. Though the pair are among the mainland’s best, Yan and Chen finished eighth and 12th, respectively, in the same event Geng won his historic gold. But what was the reason for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166227/winter-olympics-curious-case-geng-wenqiang-skeleton-world-cup-champion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166227/winter-olympics-curious-case-geng-wenqiang-skeleton-world-cup-champion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Feb 2022 07:15:10 +0000 Hong Kong alpine skier Audrey King has been in a race against herself her entire career. On Wednesday, the 19-year-old will vie with the world’s best in the women’s slalom event at the Yanqing National Alpine Ski Centre, in what will undoubtedly be the biggest run of her life. But her week leading up to the Beijing Winter Games has been unsettling, to say the least. Upon arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport from her Bosnia training camp on January 30, King tested positive for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3166118/winter-olympics-why-competing-beijing-another-race-against-myself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3166118/winter-olympics-why-competing-beijing-another-race-against-myself?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Feb 2022 00:15:12 +0000 Born in Canada to Hong Kong parents, Zach Yuen has emerged as one of the faces of Chinese ice hockey ever since declaring his Winter Olympics intentions years ago. And what sturdier shoulder to rest the hopes of 1.4 billion people on. The 28-year-old defenceman is no stranger to pressure or the limelight having been one of the first players of Chinese descent to be drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL). As he laces up his custom Five Star Red Flag-themed skates and visits familiar... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3165990/winter-olympics-zach-yuen-canadian-hong-kong-ice-hockey-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3165990/winter-olympics-zach-yuen-canadian-hong-kong-ice-hockey-star?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Feb 2022 00:15:13 +0000 We all know the Winter Olympics are about bringing people together through exciting and often dangerous sport events. But what also brings us together is our mutual admiration of the Olympics’ most dazzling athletes. The hashtag #HunksoftheOlympics has trended on Weibo, China’s social media site, or #冬奥会帅哥 (DongaohuiShuaige) in Chinese, where many Netizens have fangirled over the Beijing Game’s “cute” and “sexy” stars. So we’ve taken a look at the five men who have excelled at grabbing our... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166008/top-5-winter-olympians-sure-melt-hearts-coldest-days-japans-yuzuru?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166008/top-5-winter-olympians-sure-melt-hearts-coldest-days-japans-yuzuru?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:15:16 +0000 If there’s one winter sport the Chinese Olympic team are good at, it’s short-track speedskating. The national team has won 33 medals in the Winter Olympics, including 10 golds, 15 silvers and 8 bronzes. They are ranked second in the world after the South Korean team who have 48 medals, 24 gold, 23 silver and 11 bronze. Unsurprisingly, China’s men’s and women’s team have secured a full seat at the upcoming Beijing 2022 games after qualifying at trials in January. World champions Wu Dajing and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165933/winter-olympics-who-are-members-chinas-stacked-short-track-speedskating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165933/winter-olympics-who-are-members-chinas-stacked-short-track-speedskating?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Feb 2022 10:15:13 +0000 Figure skating has long been a popular sport in China, whose national team has won eight Olympic medals, including one gold, three silver and four bronze. The only gold came at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, when Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo topped the podium in the pairs event. At that same Games, teammates Pang Qing and Tong Jian won silver. China will have eight figure skaters in four competitions at Beijing 2022: one in the men’s singles, one in the women’s singles, two duos in the pairs,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165817/winter-olympics-meet-chinas-beijing-2022-figure-skating-big-guns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165817/winter-olympics-meet-chinas-beijing-2022-figure-skating-big-guns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Feb 2022 08:30:21 +0000 When the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games ends on Friday night, acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou will be the first person to have overseen the event for two Olympics. His opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games is ranked among the top Olympic ceremonies in recent history, owing to its magnitude, with 15,000 performers, and the breadth of Chinese history packed into the four-hour show. Zhang also led the closing ceremony in 2008 and will again do so at the Winter... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3165739/heavy-burden-zhang-yimous-second-olympics-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3165739/heavy-burden-zhang-yimous-second-olympics-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Feb 2022 14:01:27 +0000 Since curling became an official sport at the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, the complex game of “chess on ice” has become a staple of the Games. The sport has been dominated by Canada, Sweden, and Great Britain, who have won six, three, and two Olympic gold medals respectively. Competition for curling got under way at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Wednesday night, with China’s mixed doubles curling team delighting fans following a dramatic 7-6 victory over Pyeongchang silver medallists... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165642/winter-olympics-who-are-big-guns-chinas-curling-team-beijing-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165642/winter-olympics-who-are-big-guns-chinas-curling-team-beijing-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Feb 2022 02:41:46 +0000 The first-and-only Chinese snowboarder to win a World Cup big air title, and the first rider on the planet to land 1800s two ways in FIS competition, Su Yiming has been touted as a serious Beijing 2022 Games big air and slopestyle medal hope. Even more impressive is the 17-year-old “snowboarding genius” achieved both feats in the past two months, appearing to be peaking at the perfect time for his Olympics debut. Chinese fans are already in awe of Su’s stint in the sport’s elite tier so far,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165360/winter-olympics-who-su-yiming-chinas-teen-snowboarding-phenom-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3165360/winter-olympics-who-su-yiming-chinas-teen-snowboarding-phenom-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jan 2022 03:00:29 +0000 Post-punk and potentially pre-apocalyptic, that was pretty much the state of play in 1980 as Eric Heiden travelled to Lake Placid to make Winter Olympics history. The Cold War had reached freezing point and the world was skating on thin ice over a potential world war. For young American skater Heiden, his battle was of different kind. The tall, well-educated and humble speed skater was heading into his second Olympics. First time around he had been a comparative outsider in a sport dominated by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3165126/winter-olympics-eric-heiden-greatest-all-time-imagine-usain-bolt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3165126/winter-olympics-eric-heiden-greatest-all-time-imagine-usain-bolt?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jan 2022 02:15:15 +0000 Team China will be itching for silverware at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics after collecting a single gold medal at the previous Pyeongchang 2018 Games – its lowest in the past five cycles. With the mainland’s National Bureau of Statistics this month announcing it realised its overarching goal of “getting 300 million people into winter sports” ahead of its home Games, there is something of a point to prove. The bureau reported nearly 350 million Chinese took part in ice or snow sports since... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3164913/winter-olympics-chinas-top-10-hopes-beijing-include-teen-stars-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3164913/winter-olympics-chinas-top-10-hopes-beijing-include-teen-stars-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jan 2022 08:15:23 +0000 It wasn’t long ago you might have seen Benjamin Alexander spinning records at a nightclub in Hong Kong. Today it’s a very different story for the 38-year-old from Northampton. Come next month Alexander will be the first and only athlete to represent Jamaica in alpine skiing at a Winter Olympics. Alexander, who is of Jamaican heritage, only took up skiing in 2015, has no full time coach, but last week secured his qualification for the Beijing Games after finishing seventh in the giant slalom at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3163773/beijing-2022-meet-benjamin-alexander-former-hong-kong-dj-making-his-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3163773/beijing-2022-meet-benjamin-alexander-former-hong-kong-dj-making-his-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jan 2022 06:15:13 +0000 Sidney Chu is one of Hong Kong’s record three Winter Games athletes going to the Beijing 2022 Olympics, and could not be prouder to “stand on the soil of my country”. At just 22, the short-track speed skater has his best competitive years ahead, but becoming one of the city’s top skaters has already taken some toll. Whether it is training abroad to make up for the lack of standardised local rinks, recovering from a nasty fractured foot in his teens, or undergoing three weeks’ quarantine for a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3162802/beijing-winter-olympics-sidney-chu-hong-kongs-unwavering-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3162802/beijing-winter-olympics-sidney-chu-hong-kongs-unwavering-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jan 2022 10:15:26 +0000