CP – Winter Olympic early advisory for Feb. 8, 2022

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BEIJING 2022: CP’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE – Day 4

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TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Extreme cold impacts Olympic mountain sports

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ZHANGJIAKOU — Skiers and snowboarders often talk about carving up a slope. But in the mountain zone of the Beijing Olympics, the wind and snow are slicing back. Zhangjiakou, a city 200 kilometres northwest of Beijing, is hosting freestyle skiing events, some snowboarding disciplines, and the Nordic sports at the 2022 Winter Games. Extreme cold and high winds have been a constant in the mountain hub, affecting the athletes’ ability to compete at peak performance. 570 words. By John Chidley-Hill. MOVED. PHOTO

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Beijing bus life: City just out of reach for media covering 2022 Winter Games

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BEIJING — An electric-powered bus reverses out of the hotel’s parking lot through a gate and past a dozen security personnel before swinging out into Beijing traffic on a sunny morning. There’s a grand total of four media members on board. Life in the Chinese capital bustles on the other side of the glass. Taxis honk in frustration, while people on scooters whiz past. Others line up for COVID-19 tests at an outdoor kiosk that resembles a hot dog stand found on the sidewalk of any major North American city. 600 words. By Joshua Clipperton. MOVED. PHOTO.

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Big women’s hockey win highlights Canada’s day

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BEIJING – Sarah Nurse was lamenting the lack of an available Tim Hortons in Beijing. It wasn’t that the forward on Canada’s Olympic women’s hockey team was craving a cup of joe. She just felt goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens deserved a bit of a pick-me-up after stopping 51 shots Tuesday in a 4-2 win over the archrival United States. 940 words. MOVED sports. PHOTO.

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Canada downs U.S. 4-2 in Olympic women’s hockey

BEIJING — Ann-Renée Desbiens was of two minds about her workload in Canada’s 4-2 win over the United States in Olympic women’s hockey Tuesday. The Canadian goalie’s 51 saves were more than the combined shots she faced in her first two starts in Beijing. “I love it, but not really,” said the 27-year-old from La Malbaie, Que. “I enjoy it personally, but from a team perspective, that’s not the kind of game you want to have too often.” Outshot 53-27, Canada nevertheless held off the defending champions to finish the preliminary round atop Pool A at 4-0. 880 words. By Donna Spencer. MOVED. PHOTO.

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Canada’s Crawford places sixth in men’s super-G

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BEIJING — Toronto’s Jack Crawford isn’t reaching the heights he was hoping for at the Beijing Olympics, but he likes how he’s setting himself up for future success. The 24-year-old Crawford was the fastest Canadian in men’s super-G at the 2022 Winter Games on Tuesday, finishing sixth. He considers the discipline his specialty and hoped he could win his first-ever Olympic medal in the race. 680 words. By John Chidley-Hill. MOVED. PHOTO.

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Canadian Messing ninth after men’s short program

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BEIJING — Barely 24 hours after he touched down in Beijing — finally – Canadian figure skating champ Keegan Messing finished was ninth in the short program at the Olympics on Tuesday, and talked about the toll the anxious days in isolation took on his mental health. 1000 words. By Lori Ewing. MOVED. PHOTO.

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Canada’s Oldham finishes fourth in big air

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BEIJING — Canada’s Megan Oldham wanted to push herself in the Olympic debut of women’s freestyle big air by landing a trick she had never done in competition before. She managed to achieve that goal Tuesday morning at Big Air Shougang. It just wasn’t enough to get on the podium. 536 words. By Gregory Strong. MOVED. PHOTO.

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Canadian Scott Gow finishes 5th in 20km biathlon

ZHANGJAIKOU, China — Calgary’s Scott Gow set a Canadian record with a fifth-place finish in the men’s 20-kilometre individual biathlon on Tuesday. 474 words. MOVED PHOTO.

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Kennedy moves from assistant coach to alternate

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BEIJING — A man of many hats at the Beijing Games, curler Marc Kennedy will transition to yet another position with the Canadian men’s team set to begin play. His new title could even lead to a little game action for one of the sport’s top thirds. After a run as mixed doubles assistant coach for Rachel Homan and John Morris, Kennedy will serve as alternate for Brad Gushue’s team starting Wednesday. 537 words. By Gregory Strong. ETA 11 a.m. PHOTO.

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A different routine at the Olympics for Hamelin

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BEIJING – Seven of the 10 members of the Canadian short track team are at their first Olympic Games in Beijing, but they can always turn to veteran Charles Hamelin for some advice on how to adapt their preparation during this unique event in their calendar. 700 words. By Alexis Bélanger-Champagne. ETA 8 a.m. PHOTO

DAILY ITEMS

> Five things to watch for Wednesday – OLY-FIVE-THINGS-Wednesday – MOVED

> Five things to watch for Thursday- OLY-FIVE-THINGS-TUESDAY still to come

> Wednesday’s TV highlights – OLY-TV-Highlights-Wednesday-MOVED

> Thursday’s TV highlights – OLY-TV-Highlights-Thursday MOVED

> Canadian roundup – OLY-Canada-Roundup – MOVED, will be updated

> Quick quotes -Still to come

> Five things to know – Still to come

AP Olympic Digest

Nihao from Beijing!

Today is Day 4 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

Soaring took many forms from Nathan Chen shattering a world record in figure skating to Eileen Gu riding big air to a gold medal. Maybe the most soaring moment came when Ryan Cochran-Siegel earned a silver in the super-G nearly 50 years to the day after his, Barbara Ann Cochran, won a skiing gold at the 1972 Sapporo Games.

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TRENDING NEWS

OLY-ATHLETES IN ISOLATION — More than 30 athletes at the Beijing Olympics are in isolation facilities after testing positive for the coronavirus, organizers said Tuesday. The average stay in isolation is seven days. By Candice Choi. SENT: 391 words, photo.

OLY-PENG SHUAI-BIG AIR — Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai sat with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and watched American-born Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu win gold at the women’s big air event Tuesday. By Jake Seiner. SENT: 522 words, photos. With: OLY—PENG-SHUAI-SPEAKS — Journalist who spoke to Peng Shuai says doubts remain. SENT: 784 words, photos.

OLY—BEIJING-SOCIAL MEDIA — Two American-born athletes competing for China. Two radically different reactions from Chinese social media to their performances at the Winter Olympics. As Eileen Gu won her gold medal in Big Air, the Chinese internet was quite literally overwhelmed with praise, a stark contrast to the reception received by figure skater Zhu Yi. By Huizhong Wu. SENT: 536 words. photos.

OLY–FIG-MEXICO DEBUT — With a career-best performance, Mexican figure skater Donovan Carrillo is now advancing to the next round of competition at the Beijing Winter Games – a first for the Latin American country, which has not had an Olympic skater in 30 years. By Sally Ho. SENT: 469 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

OLY–FIG-MEN’S SHORT — American figure skater Nathan Chen shattered the world record during his short program at the Beijing Olympics. He scored 113.97 points to beat the previous mark of rival Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and put himself in position to win his long-sought gold medal. By Dave Skretta. SENT: 941 words, photos.

OLY-FRE-WOMEN’S BIG AIR — American-born Eileen Gu earned the first of what she and her many fans in Beijing hope could be three gold medals for China by cranking out the first 1620 of her career in the Olympic debut of women’s freestyle skiing big air. By Jake Seiner. SENT: 988 words, photos.

OLY—SKI-SHIFFRIN’S NEXT RACE — Maybe this “huge disappointment” — her words upon missing a gate early in the first Alpine race at the Beijing Olympics — will serve Mikaela Shiffrin well moving forward. Maybe Shiffrin will head into her next event, Wednesday’s slalom, with a fresh mind, renewed enthusiasm and a strong sense of what went wrong. By Howard Fendrich. SENT: 756 words, photos.

OLY-HKW-CANADA-US — Marie-Philip Poulin capped a three-goal run by scoring on a penalty shot with 2:35 left in the second period and Canada upended the defending Olympic champion United States 4-2 to claim the women’s hockey tournament’s top seed entering the playoff round. By John Warwow. SENT: 630 words, photos.

OLY-NBC-RATINGS — NBC is on track for the lowest-rated Winter Games in history through the first four nights of competition. Friday night’s coverage on NBC, USA Network and Peacock averaged 12.8 million viewers, significantly down from the 27.8 million average in Pyeongchang four years ago. By Joe Reedy. SENT: 888 words, photo.

OLY-DAY 3-PHOTO GALLERY — American Mikaela Shiffrin crashed out a few seconds into her opening race at the Beijing Olympics. She wasn’t alone on the third day of official competition. SENT: 191 words, photos.

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EXPLAINERS

OLY–CHINA-BEIJING AIR-EXPLAINER — The clear skies greeting Olympic athletes this month is a stark change from just a decade ago when the city’s notorious air pollution often made it difficult to make out nearby buildings. SENT: 600 words, photos, video.

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SNAPSHOTS AND GLIMPSESES

OLY-BEIJING-SNAPSHOT-MEDALS AND TOYS — When most champions get off the slopes or the ice at the Beijing Olympics, they are handed Bing Dwen Dwen, the chubby panda mascot of the Games. Where are the medals? They usually come later at a special ceremony — a system introduced in 1988 at the Calgary Games. SENT: 179 words, photos.

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THE ATHLETES

OLY–SPD-SHORT TRACK-FONTANA’S FEUD — Arianna Fontana became the most decorated short track speedskater in Olympic history in Beijing. She won the 500 meters to collect her 10th medal after earning silver in the new mixed team relay. By Beth Harris. SENT: 471 words, photos.

OLY-FIG-KEEGAN’S JOURNEY — Keegan Messing went from being stuck in a room with COVID-19 to traveling around the world. One skate at the Olympics made it all worthwhile. By James Ellingworth. SENT: 485 words, photo.

OLY–NOR–FLETCHER’S LAST CHANCE — American Taylor Fletcher says his fourth Olympics will be his last and he’s hoping to fare well enough in ski jumping to give him a chance to finish among the top three in a cross-country race in Nordic Combined. By Larry Lage. SENT: 691 words, photos.

OLY–HKO-CHINA-NATURALIZED ATHLETES — China is fielding naturalized athletes at the Beijing Games in an effort to popularize winter sports and be represented across the Olympic program. Athletes in sports including hockey were born and raised in North America. By James Ellingworth. SENT: 819 words, photos.

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THE GAMES WE PLAY

OLY–SKI-MEN’S SUPER G — Matthias Mayer became the first man to win gold medals in Alpine skiing at three straight Olympics after finishing first in the super-G at the Beijing Games. By Daniella Matar. SENT: 942 words, photos.

OLY-SKI-MOTHER-SON MEDALS — Ryan Cochran-Siegel collected the first Olympic Alpine medal for a U.S. man since 2014 by earning the silver behind Austria’s Matthias Mayer in the super-G on Wednesday. The triumph comes nearly 50 years to the day after Cochran-Siegel’s mother, Barbara Ann Cochran, won a skiing gold at the 1972 Sapporo Games – and nearly a year to the day after he had surgery for a broken neck. By AP National Writer Howard Fendrich. UPCOMING: 700 words by 6 a.m., photos.

OLY–SBD-PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM — Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic defended her Olympic snowboard parallel giant slalom title. She will now switch over to ski racing to try and defend her super-G crown. By Pat Graham. SENT: 600 words, photos.

OLY-HKO-ICE-NHL-STYLE — NHL players are not at the Olympics. NHL ice is, and that should make for better hockey. The Olympic tournament is taking place on 200-by-85-foot surfaces for the first time since the 2010 Vancouver Games, when Canada beat the United States for gold. By Stephen Whyno. SENT: 911 words, photos.

OLY—CURLING-MEDAL ROUND — Sweden won the bronze medal in mixed doubles curling on Tuesday, bouncing back from a semifinal blowout to dominate Britain 9-3 in six ends in the third-place game. By Jimmy Golen. SENT: 174 words, photo. Will be updated to 700 words, photos. Gold medal match at 7:05 a.m.

OLY–SPD-SPEEDSKATING — Speedskating medals are awarded in the men’s 1,500 meters at the Beijing Olympics. By Beth Harris. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Competition begins at 5:30 a.m.

OLY-BIA–MEN’S INDIVIDUAL — Quentin Fillon Maillet of France won decisively in the 20-kilometer individual biathlon Tuesday, adding a gold medal to the silver he won in the mixed relay over the weekend.bBy Martha Bellisle. SENT: 240 words, photos. Will be updated to 500 words by 8 a.m., photos.

OLY-XXC—CROSS COUNTRY — Norway’s young cross country star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo returns to defend his Olympic title in the sprint race. The 2018 women’s sprint gold medalist, Sweden’s Stina Nilsson, has switched to biathlon, so Norway, Sweden, even the U.S. will battle for the title on the women’s side. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 7 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

OLYAG191 — Gold medalist Eileen Gu, of China, reacts after her final run in the women’s freestyle skiing big air finals.

OLYAG234 — China’s Peng Shuai watches the women’s freestyle skiing big air finals.

OLYKS139 — Louis Philip Vito III trains on the halfpipe course.

OLYJH101 — Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing 2022, turns sideways to exit through the doors after visiting the Xinhua news agency’s office.

OLYMH145 — Japan players, including Shiori Yamashita (28) and goalkeeper Nana Fujimoto (1), walk to the ice for a preliminary round women’s hockey game against Czech Republic.

XPAG101 — Anna Fernstaedt of Czech Republic starts during the women’s skeleton training run.

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GRAPHICS

Beijing Winter Games Schedule: The full discipline schedule of competition events, including medal and ceremony days for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Print graphic. Now available.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2022.