Canada's Max Parrot competes at the men's slopestyle finals on Feb. 7 in Zhangjiakou, China.Lee Jin-man/AP
- Coming up at the Beijing Olympics
- Daily highlights and medal count
- Essential reads
Table of contents
Beijing Olympics: Latest updates
Off the field
- Peng Shuai denies ever accusing anyone of sexual assault: Peng Shuai has denied she ever accused anyone of sexual assault, adding that she herself had deleted her social media post in November that had appeared to make such a claim. The well-being of Peng, a three-time Olympian, became a matter of concern in November when she alleged on social media that a former Chinese vice-premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her. The International Olympic Committee will proceed with a meeting with Peng during the Beijing Winter Olympics, but details of the meeting will not be shared in advance.
Olympic events for Feb. 6, 2022
- Men’s slopestyle: Canada dominated the men’s snowboard slopestyle competition, with Max Parrot winning gold and teammate Mark McMorris claiming bronze. It’s the second straight Olympics that Parrot and McMorris have shared the podium in the event. Parrot, from Bromont, Que., upgraded his silver from the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, winning Canada’s first gold medal in Beijing. Regina’s McMorris also won bronze for a third straight Olympics.
- Figure skating: The Russian Olympic Committee took home the first skating gold of the Beijing Winter Olympics, after a close fought final day of performances in the team event Monday. The U.S. came second, while Japan took home the bronze. Canada’s Eric Radford and Vanessa James came fourth in the pair skate, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took third in the ice dance, while 18-year-old Madeline Schizas came third after smashing her season’s best in the women’s free skate with a flawless performance, putting Canada in fourth place overall.
- Curling: Canada’s mixed doubles curling team is making an early exit at the Beijing Olympics. John Morris and Rachel Homan will not qualify for the playoffs after dropping an 8-7 decision to Italy’s Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini at the Ice Cube. Homan was a little heavy with her final draw to the button in the extra end. A measure was needed to confirm the Italy point. Canada finished with a round-robin record of 5-4.
- Freestyle skiing: Elena Gaskell has pulled out of tonight’s big air competition. Gaskell, a medal hopeful in the event, made the announcement Sunday in an Instagram post but provided no explanation.
- Women’s moguls: Canada’s Justine Dufour-Lapointe and Sofiane Gagnon both crashed in the women’s moguls first final at the Beijing Olympics. Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, Justine’s older sister, was eliminated in the second final minutes later.
The day in pictures
Mark McMorris of Team Canada performs a trick during the men's snowboard slopestyle qualifications at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China. McMorris was the top Canadian placing second.Maja Hitij/Getty Images
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Coming up at the Beijing Olympics
All dates and times (ET)
What to watch tomorrow, Feb. 7
- Alpine skiing: women’s giant slalom, run 2 🥇 12:25 a.m. ET
- Speed skating: women’s 1500 m 🥇 3:30 a.m. ET
- Biathlon: women’s 15 km individual 🥇4 a.m. ET
- Short track: women’s 500 m, quarter-final 6:30 a.m. ET
- Short track: men’s 1000 m, quarter-final 6:44 a.m. ET
- Curling: mixed doubles, semi-final 7:05 a.m. ET
- Short track: women’s 500 m, semi-final 7:20 a.m. ET
- Short track: men’s 1000 m, semi-final 7:20 a.m. ET
- Short track: women’s 500 m, final 🥇 7:41 a.m. ET
- Ski jumping: mixed team, normal hill, final round 🥇 7:51 a.m. ET
- Short track: men’s 1000 m, final 🥇 7:52 a.m. ET
What time is it in Beijing right now?
Olympic highlights and medal count for Feb. 6
Latest Olympic medal count
United States skier Mikaela Shiffrin crashes out of giant slalom
Defending Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin crashed out of the women’s giant slalom during her first run at the Beijing Winter Games on Monday, sliding off her skis coming down the course dubbed “The Ice River” at Yanqing Alpine Centre. The 26-year-old American, who came out seventh, did not appear to be hurt after the slip caused her to miss a gate midway down the course. She got back on her skis and made her way slowly down the rest of the way.
Mikaela Shiffrin of United States loses control and skis off course during the first run of the women's giant slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 7, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing.Robert F. Bukaty/The Associated Press
Nationality controversy follows U.S.-born Chinese skier Eileen Gu, but she’s not the first to represent another country, nor the only one at the Beijing Olympics
World champion skier Eileen Gu made her Olympic debut Monday, in the women’s big air qualification round. Ms. Gu is favoured to win at least one, if not three, golds at the Beijing Games, as long as she can keep focused amid a storm of controversy growing in the United States. Ms. Gu, though she was born, grew up and still lives in California, is representing host China at these Olympics. That choice, which attracted little mainstream attention when she made it in 2019, has seen the 18-year-old vilified by right-wing commentators in the U.S. since the Games began.
Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu at a Dew Tour event Copper Mountain, Colo., Dec. 18, 2021.James Stukenberg/The New York Times News Service
Yuzuru Hanyu hits the ice, but Winnie the Pooh may not, perhaps much to the relief of Beijing Olympics organizers
Whenever Japanese figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu finishes a routine at an international competition, volunteers pour onto the ice. Not to repair the surface or assist the athlete, but to collect the barrage of Winnie the Pooh dolls being thrown by Mr. Hanyu’s adoring fans. Such scenes played out at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang – “It’s raining Winnie the Pooh,” said NBC commentator Terry Gannon after Mr. Hanyu’s gold-medal-winning routine – and have done wherever the Japanese skater has performed since 2010. But it’s doubtful that many Pooh bears, if any, will hit the ice this week at the Beijing Games, as Mr. Hanyu goes for a record-breaking third consecutive gold medal.
Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu gathers the Pooh Bears and flowers after performing in the men's short program of the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul, South Korea on Feb. 7, 2020.Kazuki Wakasugi/Reuters
COVID-19 robs Olympic curlers of beloved social culture
Of all of COVID-19′s cruelties, the necessity of distance has caused particular angst throughout the curling community. This is a sport built around closeness, from the pregame handshakes between opponents, to the postgame drinking sessions, in which the winners typically buy the losers a round.
American curler Matt Hamilton and Canadian curler John Morris at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Hamilton, competing on a mixed doubles team with his sister Becca, was eliminated from playoff contention but that didn't stop him from enjoying a locker room brew with his competitor.Supplied
Medal hopefuls come up short
In women’s slopestyle, Laurie Blouin gave it all she had but couldn’t crack the top three of a highly competitive field. And Calgary speed skater Ted-Jan Bloemen looked like he was going to press for a medal in the 5,000 metres, but instead faded over the second half of his race and placed 10th. Both Blouin and Bloemen won silvers in the same events at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
Canada's Ted-Jan Bloemen competes in the men's 5,000 metres speed skating finals during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
Essential reads on the Beijing Olympics
Alessandra Tarantino/The Associated Press
Explainers
Olympic guide: How to watch the 2022 Winter Games, and who to pay attention to
Visual guide: Team Canada skaters explain ice dance's mix of artistic flair and technical precision
Sports columnist Cathal Kelly
Canada facing crisis of curling confidence
Mikaël Kingsbury settles for silver as mogul skiing sees ‘a shift on the throne’
Olympic opening ceremonies used to be fun. Now, we’re lucky to get a small hit of absurdity
Television critic John Doyle
So far, so fraught for the Beijing Olympics
On Team Canada
Catriona Le May Doan is living the chef de mission dream
Ski cross team is ready for anything as they fight for a place at the Games
NHL veteran Eric Staal leads Canada’s hockey team into Beijing Olympics