Let’s get to the games!
The 2022 Beijing Olympics are set to officially kick off on Friday, Feb. 4, with the Opening Ceremony. As they get ready to compete, the competition will see teams representing their nations from all over the world.
While the ceremony comes amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and is likely to be more subdued given the health crisis, it’s shaping up to be more meaningful than ever. Curling star John ShusterSpeed skater Brittany Bowe will lead the U.S. team as flag bearers during the ceremony. Brittany was actually the flag bearer, and she replaced bobsledder Elana Meyers TaylorThe event was cancelled because of a positive test for coronavirus.
While in years past only one person was selected for this role, the International Olympic Committee made a change during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to promote inclusivity. Tokyo 2020 with its 49 percent female participation will be the first ever gender-equal Olympic Games,” the committee stated. For the first time in history, each team will include at least one male and a female participant in the Games.
Basketball superstar Sue BirdAnd a player Eddy AlvarezThey did it in Tokyo.