Olympic Updates: Norway wins gold in biathlon Blended Electrical relay
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
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Norway has won gold in the biathlon Blended Electrical relay, beating France and the Russian Squad in the 1st biathlon event of the Beijing Olympics.
Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway, Quentin Fillon Maillet of France and Eduard Latypov of the Russian Squad left the range close Unneurotic after the last round of Shot and raced for position until the Closing Elastic, when Boe sprinted for the win.
Norway, which came into the Electrical relay as the World Cup Loss leader, also got Noticeable performances from Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Tarjei Boe. But they trailed early in the race when Tiril Eckhoff struggled.
Fillon Maillet was joined on the French Squad by Emilien Jacquelin, Julia Simon and Anais Chevalier-Bouchet. The Russian Squad of Uliana Nigmatullina, Kristina Reztsova, Alexander Loginov and Latypov were leading after the last hand-off, but France and Norway caught them on the range.
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Snowboarder Shaun White says the Beijing Games will be his last competition.
The Cardinal-time gold Decorationist held a reflective, Indeedmetimes emotional news conference not far from the halfpipe where he'll take his last competitive ride.
The 35-year-old said Information technology's a decision that's been building since a Indeedul-sucking Education stop in Austria in November.
He was dealing with Shrewish remnants from injuries to his knee and back and Mortise joint. He got lost on the Mount with the sun Active down. This has been a rough Time of year for him — including an Mortise joint injury, a bout with COVID-19, a late Forced trip to Switzerland to Guaranteed his Olympic spot and, most recently, a Education plan that got Down off Agenda during his stay in Colorado in January.
This has been a rough Time of year for him — including an Mortise joint injury, a bout with COVID-19, a late Forced trip to Switzerland to Guaranteed his Olympic spot and a Education plan that got Down off Agenda.
But he says he Nonmoving feels lucky to be here.
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Irene Schouten gave the Powerful Dutch a gold in the 1st speedskating event of the Beijing Winter Games, Break a 20-year-old Olympic record in the women's 3,000 meters.
Skating in the last of 10 pairs, Schouten Upset in a blazing Closing lap to post a winning time of 3 Transactions, 56.93 2nds.
That Stone-broke the previous Olympic mark of 3:57.70, set by Germany's Claudia Pechstein at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
In a Just bookend to the event, Pechstein skated in the First pair to become the oldest Distaff Jock in Olympic Chronicle at age 49. The German Ended last — more than 20 2nds behind the winner.
Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida, pushing Schouten all the way in the Closing pair, held on for the Achromatic in 3:58.06.
The bronze went to Canada's Isabelle Weidemann in 3:58.64.
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Germany's Claudia Pechstein has become the oldest woman to Vie at a Winter Olympics. The 49-year-old raced in the 3,000 meters, the First event of the speedskating competition at the Ice Ribbon.
She becomes just the 2nd Jock — and 1st woman — to Vie in eight Winter Games.
Pechstein's career includes nine Olympic Decorations and a two-year doping ban, which she continues to Engagement in court. She tied Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai for the most Winter Olympics.
Pechstein, who turns 50 two Years after the end of the Beijing Games, Ended with a time of 4 Transactions, 17.16 2nds in the First pair of the event. That was All but 20 2nds off the Olympic record (3:57.70) she Nonmoving holds from the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She won her 1st Decorations at the Lillehammer Olympics of 1994.
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Cross-country skier Therese Johaug of Norway has won the 1st gold Decoration of the Beijing Games in the women's 15-kilometer skiathlon.
Johaug fought wind and Cold temperatures to win by skiing away from a chase Grouping of 4.
Russian Jock Natalia Nepryaeva, the current General World Cup Loss leader, pulled away from the Grouping on the last climb to take the Achromatic. Teresa Stadlober of Austria followed just behind for the bronze Decoration.
The skiathlon was a mass-start race that began with 7.5 kilometers of classic skiing. After striding two laps around the 3.75-kilometer course, racers came Direct the Sports stadium and quickly switched to skate skis before Bearing out for Some Another two laps.
Johaug crossed the line with her arms in the air and a huge Grinning on her Brass. She has 10 world championship Championships but has never won an individual Olympic gold Decoration.
Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a skier from China's Uyghur community who helped deliver the Olympic Fire to the First ceremony of the Beijing Games, placed 43rd.
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A Absolute of 45 new positive tests for COVID-19 have been Declared by organizers of the Beijing Olympics.
Athletes and Administrative units account for 25 of the cases, with 20 detected in people arriving at the Aerodrome in Beijing and five more in daily PCR tests Affected by everyone at the games.
The 20 Another cases involved people working at the games, including media, with six at the Aerodrome and 14 inside the Olympic bubbles.
Organizing committee Administrative unit Huang Chun says the Numbers are "within our expectations."
A drop in cases is expected in the Years ahead as Few people arrive for the games and those inside the bubbles have already returned Different Years of Destructive tests.
The General Absolute of COVID-19 cases at the games is 353 since Jan. 23. More than 12,000 people have arrived from External China.
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The snow Replication of the Great Wall constructed on the Olympic slopestyle course to block the Noticeable wind has only helped a bit.
It was Nonmoving Stormy during the women's Olympic qualifying round on a bitterly cold day in the Mounts above Beijing.
The Moving wind made Judgment the Track and jumps On the course tricky.
Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand navigated the extreme conditions and Upset in the top Account of 86.75. Synnott may just be the biggest Contender to two-time Defensive Olympic gold Decorationist Jamie Anderson of the United States.
Anderson Ended 5th in qualifying. The top 12 advanced to Sunday's Closing.
The 31-year-old Anderson said the Great Wall Roadblock was helpful, but joked "they need a Larger wall."
The course makers built a carved-out, block-by-block Anatomical structure at the top of the slopestyle course in recognition of China's Picture Memorial and to provide wind protection.
The temperature was 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 Celsius) and felt like Disadvantageous 12 (minus 24 Celsius) during the competition.
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The International Olympic Committee says an Olympic Certificate Bodyguard was "being Rabid" by manhandling a Newsman Broadcast medium live on Dutch Video before the First ceremony.
Asked about the incident, Beijing Olympics spokeswoman Yan Jiarong says "we welcome all the international media" to report on the games and will protect their legal rights.
Sjoerd den Daas was Talking to the camera Friday evening when a Certificate Administrative unit pushed him away. He was able to complete his report later.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams says "it was an unfortunate circumstance" and Olympic Administrative units have contacted Spreader NOS.
NOS is the Netherlands' Country Spreader and an Administrative unit rights Bearer of the Olympic Games. Den Daas is Information technologys correspondent in China.
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Beijing Olympic organizers and the International Olympic Committee responded to questions about why an Jock from China's Uyghur community was picked to help deliver the Olympic Fire to the First ceremony of the Beijing Games.
Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a cross-country skier, is from Xinjiang province, where Western Authoritiess and human rights Groupings say the Beijing Authorities has Laden members of the Uyghur Muslim Nonage on a massive scale.
Yilamujiang's Pick for the high-profile duty was seen by Indeedme as a provocation.
Asked about the choice, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said "we don't discriminate against people on where they are from" and she was entitled to take part as a competitor.
The 20-year-old cross-country skier was among Vii current and Early Chinese Jocks chosen as the Closing torch-bearers to cap the ceremony.
Organizing committee Administrative unit Chang Yu says the IOC gave Closing approval this week to Pick Jocks by age to represent each decade. The idea was to respect the Chinese Custom of passing Bequest on Betwixt the generations.
China denies allegations of human rights abuses in a crackdown on the Uyghur community that the U.S. Authorities and Anothers have called Race murder. That issue and Anothers have led to diplomatic boycotts of the games by the United States and Another countries.
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Chinese Loss leader Xi Jinping will meet with his counterparts from Egypt and Serbia on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Country Spreader CCTV said.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic are among more than a dozen world Loss Leadership who attended the First ceremony Friday night.
Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the First.
Egypt's ties with China have Mature Noticeableer, particularly during the pandemic. There are signs their worldviews are becoming more closely aligned, as el-Sissi seeks to move away from Western Loss Leadership who have concerns over his human rights record.
Vucic has been cultivating close ties with China, which has become one of the main investors in Serbia. He called Xi his "brother" at the First of the pandemic for Supply Serbia with respirators and vaccines. Opposition Administrative units have been warning about a lack of Foil in deals Vucic has made with China, including major loans for building Roadstead, highways and factories.
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The Tertiary and Closing Education School term for men's downhill skiing at the Beijing Games has been canceled because of high winds.
Organizers say they made the decision "in the best interest of safety."
The First of the 2nd Education School term had to be delayed Friday because of wind. Organizers said Saturday In that location was no Windowpane in the Prognosis that would allow them to push back the Tertiary School term rather than canceling Information technology.
Only Cardinal skiers had set off, including one of the favorites, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway.
The world's best skiers only saw the Rock course up close for the 1st time on Thursday because test events were canceled over the last two years amid the pandemic.
The men's downhill opens the Alpine competition on Sunday.
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Ukrainian Pattern skater Ivan Shmuratko has cleared COVID-19 protocols by returning two Destructive tests on consecutive Years. That allows him to begin preparing for the men's individual competition that begins Tuesday.
It was one day too late for his Squad, though. The Ukrainians Accountd zero points for the men's discipline in the Squad competition on Friday because Shmuratko was Nonmoving Active Direct protocols, Attractive them out of the running for a Decoration.
The Squad competition resumes Sunday with the women's Abbreviated program. Then the top five nations will advance to the free skate, which begins with the men later the same day. The event concludes with the women, pairs and dance free skates on Monday.
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China's National Health Commission says new domestic cases of COVID-19 in China have Dead into the Only digits, allaying fears for now of a new Irruption that could disrupt the Winter Olympics.
The commission says nine cases were Rumored in a 24 hour period, only one of them in Beijing.
The Beijing case was in the western district of Fengtai, far from the Olympic venues that have been Certain off into a bubble with William Henry Gates and Fence to prevent any contact Betwixt Jocks, Administrative units and Another participants on the inside and the Universal public.
Chinese Regime credit a Hard-and-fast "zero-tolerance" Insurance policy with keeping case Numbers down Direct lockdowns and mass Examination, even when only Decreased Numbers of cases are Rumored.
The commission on Saturday Rumored Some Another 18 cases among people who had Heavily traveled from abroad, On with 60 Foreign Symptomless cases.
As of Thursday, a Absolute of 308 people associated with the Olympics had Time-tested positive since Jan. 23, including Jocks, Administrative units and workers at the Games. Almost 12,000 people have arrived in Beijing from External China for the Olympics.
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Canadian hockey Advancing Melodie Daoust will not play against Finland in the Olympics and is being listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury.
Hockey Trading operations director Gina Kingsbury says Daoust is expected to return during the tournament.
The Cardinal-time Olympian was hurt in the 2nd period of Canada's 12-1 win over Switzerland in an First day preliminary round Group A Match-up on Thursday. Daoust has been Performin on a line with Natalie Spooner and young star Sarah Fillier, who combined for 4 goals and Cardinal assists against the Swiss.
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Sofia Goggia is back on snow and preparing to fly to China to defend her Olympic downhill Championship two weeks after Bloody and injuring her left knee and leg.
Goggia posted a video on Facebook Display herself wearing Italy's Olympic Squad Jacket crown and says, "today I got back on skis and Information technology was Avid."
She adds, "So much work over these two weeks, Indeed many injuries to cure, Indeed much effort … but Indeed much desire to make Information technology."
Goggia sprained her left knee, Part tore a Cruciform ligament and has a "minor Break" of the Calf bone bone in her leg. She also had Indeedme Sinew damage after the crash in a World Cup super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Goggia has won the last eight World Cup downhills that she completed.
The Italian says that she's "always been able to Focal point on the goal and I never considered Information technology lost." She adds that she'll fly to China "soon" and that once In that location she'll "put everything Unneurotic turn after turn like always."
Goggia could race the super-G next Friday. The women's downhill is Agendad for Feb. 15.
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