From a likely preview of the gold medal game in women’s hockey to the start of Keegan Messing’s Games, there’s plenty of intrigue to be found Tuesday at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Here are five things to watch at the Beijing Games on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Canada-USA, Round 1
The likely gold medal game in women’s hockey between Canada and the United States will get an early preview in the preliminary round. In the six-Games history of women’s hockey, only once have the two programs failed to meet in the gold medal game, in 2006 when Canada defeated Sweden. In Pyeongchang in 2018, the U.S. beat Canada to end the Canadians' run of four straight golds at the Olympics, something that’s bound to be on the Canadian women’s minds heading into this contest Tuesday.
Messing begins his Olympics at long last
Canadian figure skating star Keegan Messing will begin his Olympics finally Tuesday with the start of the men’s short program. Messing was unable to travel with the Canadian delegation after he tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the team’s flight to Beijing from Vancouver. He arrived in Beijing just in time for the start of the men’s singles competition on Monday after managing to pass four different COVID tests. Messing is the current Canadian national champion and is ranked No. 6 in the world this season.
Hanyu begins his Games as well
Two-time defending Olympic gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu will also get his Olympics going Tuesday with the men’s short program after he touched down in Beijing on Sunday. Hanyu was mysteriously absent and had fans, media and even his own teammates wondering where he was before the Games began. That mystery has been solved now and the 27-year-old will look to become the first skater since Gillis Grafstrom of Sweden in 1920, 1924 and 1928 to win three Olympic golds in a row. Additionally, Hanyu is trying to become the first skater to ever land a quadruple axel – considered to be the hardest jump in figure skating – in official competition, by including it in his program.
Curling mixed doubles concludes
The mixed doubles curling event will come to an end Tuesday, with both the bronze and gold medal matches playing. Canada’s rink of Rachel Homan and John Morris is expected to be in contention for a medal, but it’s not guaranteed considering how tight things are in the round robin.
Canadian women with big hopes in freestyle skiing big air
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Asselin and 20-year-old Megan Oldham could make some major noise in their Olympic debuts. The two women are likely to be competing in the final of the freestyle skiing big air event Tuesday, where they could be medal threats, having recently come off winning silver (for Oldham) and bronze (Asselin) in the event at the Winter X Games in Aspen in January.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2022.
The Canadian Press
