Winter Olympics: Host nation China wins its first gold at the Beijing Games

Issued on: 05/02/2022 – 17:28Modified: 05/02/2022 – 17:30

“You can always trust China” began trending in posts on social media platform Weibo after the country’s short track skaters won the mixed team relay, an event making its Olympic debut and one that China has dominated in international competition.

The golden finish was almost cut short in the semifinal when the United States crossed the finish line ahead of the hosts, only to be disqualified along with the Russian Olympic Committee after a lengthy video review.

“My heart was almost jumping out of my throat!” wrote “egg’s heartbeating diary” on Weibo.

Six gold medals were up for grabs on Saturday as athletes overcame pandemic obstacles to shine on the world stage, even as political storylines continued to swirl around the Games.

Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe, forced to isolate from his teammates because of a Covid-19 close contact, proved there were few Winter Games spectacles quite like his.

A blistering skiing effort by the beloved biathlete brought his team back from the dead to triumph. Next to Boe, France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet took the silver medal, while the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee secured the bronze.

Boe, Maillet and Eduard Latypov of the Russian team raced for position after the last round of shooting until the final stretch, when Boe sprinted for the win.

Close contact restrictions were still in place as the winners were presented with their floral bouquets, and Boe stood apart from his team at the ceremony.

An upset in the men’s freestyle moguls saw Walter Wallberg of Sweden pip Canadian Michael Kingsbury for gold.

Dutch favourite Irene Schouten came from behind in the women’s 3,000-metres speed skating to beat Italian Francesca Lollobrigida, a great-niece of 1950s film star Gina Lollobrigida.

Ursa Bogataj sparked Slovenian joy when she won the women’s normal hill ski-jump gold. Her compatriot Nika Kriznar claimed bronze as Germany’s Katharina Althaus had to settle for silver.

Norway won the very first gold medal at the Games when Therese Johaug powered to victory in the women’s skiathlon race, well ahead of Russian Natalia Nepryaeva and Austria’s Teresa Stadlober, who won the bronze.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AP)