Beijing 2022 Australia daily top picks: When to catch Australia's stars in action during the Winter Olympics

It's time for the world's best winter athletes to gather once more as the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 roll around.

Australia is sending its third biggest team to an Olympic Winter Games and will be strongly represented by 44 athletes, competing across 10 events. The 23 women selected makes up 52.3 per cent of the Australian team, which is the highest female representation in Australian Olympic Winter Games history.

But what are the top Australian Team picks you can look forward to from each sport right across the 17 days of the Games – plus two additional days of competition before the day of the Opening Ceremony?

Olympics.com has picked out daily highlights featuring Australian athletes to watch. All times below are in China Standard Time (add three hours for Australian Eastern Daylight Time). Schedule details are subject to change at short notice.

2 February 2022

Australia’s Olympic Winter Games begins two days before the Opening Ceremony with the mixed doubles curling.

The curlers will be in action on the ice sheets at the modified Beijing National Aquatics Centre, or ‘Ice Cube’ (formerly the ‘Water Cube’), which hosted the swimming events during the Olympic Summer Games Beijing 2008.

Curling – Australia makes its debut

Strap yourself in Australia because for the first time in the nation’s history, a curling team has qualified to compete at the Olympic Winter Games.

That’s courtesy of curling mixed doubles duo Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt, who won all seven of their matches at the mixed doubles Olympic qualification event at Leeuwarden, Netherlands, in December 2021.

Their Beijing 2022 tournament starts with a game against Vicky Persinger and Chris Plys from the United States of America, who are ranked number 16 in the world. Gill/Hewitt are ranked number 14 in the world, so a win to start their Olympic Winter Games is certainly possible.

Catch Team Gill/Hewitt in action at 20:05 (23:05 AEDT).

3 February 2022

There’s more curling mixed doubles today with Australia’s Olympic debutants Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt playing two games in their mixed doubles charge; first against People’s Republic of China at 09:05 (12:05 AEDT), then against the Czech Republic at 20:05 (23:05 AEDT).

Qualification for the moguls, in which Australia should feature prominently, takes place today.

Freestyle skiing – Australian medal hopes start their moguls campaigns

Australia has an eight-strong moguls team at Beijing 2022 (the maximum a nation can send) and it’s a quality lineup set to hit the bumps, with women’s moguls qualification starting at 18:00 and men’s moguls qualification scheduled for 19:45 (22:45 AEDT).

Britteny Cox, who finished fifth at PyeongChang 2018 and at Sochi 2014, becomes just the second moguls athlete selected for her fourth Australian Olympic team.

Jakara Anthony is at her second Games. After a fourth-place finish at PyeongChang 2018 when she was 19, she has been in great form in this season’s World Cup.

Heading up the men’s team is PyeongChang 2018 silver medallist Matt Graham, who is competing at his third Games. The 27-year-old has only recently returned to training on a water ramp after snapping his collar bone and needing surgery because of a fall at the Idre Fjall World Cup event in Sweden in December.

4 February 2022

Curling – Australian pair face the big guns

Australia’s Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt will be tested at the ‘Ice Cube’ today in the curling mixed doubles.

They’ll barely have had a chance to run the sleep from their eyes before they face 2021 World Championship bronze medallists Almida de Val and Oskar Eriksson of curling powerhouse Sweden at 08:35 (11:35 AEDT).

Yet the competition only gets tougher: at 13:35 (16:35 AEDT), they meet Great Britain’s reigning world champions Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat.

Gill showed off her nerveless disposition at the death in the pair’s nail-biting Olympic qualifier though, so don’t expect the Aussies to be cowed.

5 February 2022

Australian eyes will mostly be on the moguls today, but there are also Aussies on show in the mixed doubles curling, the first two heats of the men’s luge, and the women’s snowboard slopestyle qualification.

Curlers Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt take on heavyweights Norway at 09:05 (12:05 AEDT), with a likely easier match-up against Italy at 14:05 (17:05 AEDT).

Luger Alexander Ferlazzo features for Australia from 19:10 (22:10 AEDT), with Tess Coady in the snowboard slopestyle from 10:45 (AEDT).

Freestyle skiing – Can the Australian Team get off to a golden start?

“Winning silver (at PyeongChang 2018) was a career highlight. I'd love to go one better,” says moguls skier Matt Graham.

Graham finished the 2020-21 season ranked number one, but arrives off the back of just 22 days’ training after breaking his collarbone in December.

Brodie Summers has just completed his best World Cup moguls season yet, finishing 2020/21 ranked fifth.

Australia’s impressive moguls lineup is completed by rising star Cooper Woods, 21, and James Matheson.

Qualification gets under way at 18:00 (21:00 AEDT), with the finals from 19:30 (22:30 AEDT).

All medal events

Biathlon

17:00–18:15: Mixed relay 4x6km

Cross-country skiing

15:45–16:35: W 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon

Freestyle skiing

19:30–20:55: M moguls final

Ski jumping

18:45–19:20: W normal hill individual 1st round; 19:35–20:08: W normal hill individual final round

Speed skating

16:30–17:51: W 3000m

Short track speed skating

20:23–21:34: Mixed team relay quarter-finals, semi-finals, Final B, Final A

6 February 2022

Australia’s best chances are on the slopes today, but there’s also more mixed doubles curling action, while the Australian Team’s lone luger completes his competition.

Curlers Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt take on Switzerland at 14:05 (17:05 AEDT), with an even stiffer challenge against Canada, ranked number one in mixed doubles, at 20:05 (23:05 AEDT).

Hewitt has Canadian curling blood in his veins thanks to his mother, however, and the pair did put one over Canada at the World Championship in May 2021.

Alexander Ferlazzo of tropical Townsville competes in the third and fourth runs of the men’s singles luge at 19:30 (22:30 AEDT).

Freestyle skiing – Australians sniffing round the podium

Britteny Cox has made 75 World Cup starts in the women’s moguls, finishing on the podium 16 times and winning nine golds. But after participating in three editions of the Games, the Olympic podium has just eluded Cox, who is still only 27.

Jakara Anthony is also highly decorated on the world stage and currently ranked third in the women’s World Cup standings.

Sophie Ash and Taylah O’Neill should also be competitive in the event, which kicks off at 18:00 (21:00 AEDT), with the finals taking place from 19:30 (22:30 AEDT).

Snowboard – youngster poised to step up

At PyeongChang 2018, Tess Coady, then 17, was announced as Australia’s youngest team member, only to suffer an accident in training that ended her Games and her season.

Coady, who will also compete in the big air, now looks in fine form, after a bronze at the 2021 World Championship and a win in the Laax Open in January.

The women’s snowboard slopestyle final runs begin at 09:30 (12:30 AEDT).

All medal events

Alpine skiing

11:00–13:19: M downhill

Cross-country skiing

15:00–16:35: M 15km + 15km skiathlon

Freestyle skiing

19:30–20:55: W moguls final

Luge

21:15–21:59: M singles run 4

Ski jumping

19:00–19:45: M normal hill individual 1st round; 20:00–20:33: M normal hill individual final round

Snowboard

09:30–10:49: W snowboard slopestyle final

Speed skating

16:30–18:15: M 5000m

7 February 2022

Australians will be pinning their hopes on snowboarder Matthew Cox today, but there’s plenty of other Aussie action.

The mixed doubles curling, which has featured Australia’s first ever Olympic curlers, Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt, progresses to the semi-finals at 20:05 (23:05 AEDT).

Meanwhile a trio of Aussie alpine skiers will attack the gates in the women’s giant slalom. Run 1 begins at 10:15 (13:15 AEDT) and run 2 at 13:45 (16:45 AEDT).

Greta Small skis at her third Games, and will hope to put a series of anterior cruciate ligament injuries behind her. Olympic debutant Katie Parker complete the giant slalom contingent.

Freestyle skier Abi Harrigan will go in the women’s big air qualification from 09:30 (12:30 AEDT), but the men’s snowboard slopestyle is the focus of Australian hopes today.

Snowboard – Cox on the edge of success

The men’s snowboard slopestyle final runs are scheduled from 12:00 (15:00 AEDT), with Australia’s Matthew Cox an outside chance. A strong finish to the 2020/21 season, including second place in the International Ski Federation’s Perisher Valley event in August 2021, should bolster his confidence in Beijing.

All medal events

Alpine skiing

10:15–11:55: W giant slalom run 1; 13:45–15:39: W giant slalom run 2

Biathlon

17:00–18:40: W 15km individual

Figure skating

09:22–10:09: Team event, pairs free skate; 10:36–11:15: Team event, ice dance free dance; 11:37–12:21: Team event, women's singles free skate

Snowboard

12:00–13:19: M snowboard slopestyle final

Ski jumping

19:45–20:36: Mixed team 1st round; 20:51–21:27: Mixed team final round

Speed skating

16:30–17:50: Women's 1500m

Short track speed skating

19:30–20:51: Women's 500m quarter-finals, semi-finals, Final B, Final A; 19:44–21:04: Men's 1000m quarter-finals, semi-finals, Final B, Final A

8 February 2022

While you may not see an Aussie on the podium today, there’s quite the smorgasboard of events with Australian interest.

Abi Harrigan, 19, features in three freestyle skiing events in Beijing. Today, Harrigan, who has been on skis since she was two, shows off her tricks in the big air from 10:00 (13:00 AEDT).

Following her 18th place in the 2021 World Championships, she’ll hope to rattle the top jumpers.

The women’s and men’s cross-country skiing individual sprint (freestyle) will be completed today, with qualification starting at 16:00 (19:00 AEDT) and the finals from 19:47 (22:47 AEDT).

Australia will field Casey Wright and Jessica Yeaton, both veterans from PyeongChang 2018, in the women’s event. The men’s event features youngsters Hugo Hinckfuss, Lars Young Vik and Seve de Campo, as well as mature competitor Phillip Bellingham.

The curling mixed doubles reaches the pointy end of the competition today, with the bronze medal game at 14:05 (17:05 AEDT) and the gold medal game at 20:05 (23:05).

It will be some achievement if Aussie pair Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt are still in the mix. But they only just missed the podium at the 2019 World Curling Championships before the coronavirus pandemic curtailed their competition opportunities, so don’t count them out.

Figure skater Brendan Kerry is the only Aussie ever to have completed two different quadruple jumps.

He’s unlikely to trouble superstar Hanyu Yuzuru of Japan as the men’s singles gets underway with the short program at 09:15 (12:15 AEDT), but he recently recorded a personal best score in a short-program free skate, so he’s primed for Beijing.

All medal events

Alpine skiing

11:00–13:14: M super-G

Biathlon

16:30–18:15: M 20km individual

Cross-country skiing

18:30–20:00: W sprint freestyle quarter-finals, semi-finals, final; 18:55–20:14: M sprint freestyle quarter-finals, semi-finals, final

Curling

14:05–16:00: Mixed doubles bronze medal game; 20:05–22:00: Mixed doubles gold medal game

Freestyle skiing

10:00–11:05: W freeski big air final

Luge

21:35–22:19: W singles run 4

Snowboard

14:30–15:57: W parallel giant slalom 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final; 14:48–16:03: M parallel giant slalom 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Speed skating

18:30–19:50: M 1500m

9 February 2022

Fingernails will be bitten today as Australians watch medal hope Belle Brockhoff attempt to race her way safely through the snowboard cross chaos towards the podium.

Australia’s female alpine skiers are also back in action after their efforts in the giant slalom two days ago. The Aussie duo of Greta Small, Katie Parker compete in the slalom.

Run 1 starts at 10:15 (13:15 AEDT) and run 2 at 13:45 (16:45 AEDT).

But can Brockhoff improve her Olympic luck?

Snowboard – Brockhoff joins the high-octane medal scramble

In her third consecutive appearance at the Olympic Winter Games, Brockhoff will be intent on winning the medal she deserves after long featuring in the top spots of the snowboard cross world rankings and on World Cup podiums.

The women’s snowboard cross event takes place over the course of the day from 09:30 (12:30 AEDT), with the small then big finals from 15:45 (18:45 AEDT).

Brockhoff competed at PyeongChang 2018 despite a shot anterior cruciate ligament, only to crash in the semi-finals.

After her knee underwent repair and rehabilitation, Brockhoff has since shown every sign of returning to top form, finishing fourth at the 2021 World Championships.

She’ll have to outmanoeuvre the likes of Eva Samková of the Czech Republic, Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes and Michela Moioli of Italy without a repeat mishap to make that step up.

Brockhoff’s possible successor is in the pipeline and on show in Beijing: Josie Baff, 19, won Australia’s first ever gold at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne.

Alpine skiing

10:15–11:50: W slalom run 1; 13:45–15:29: W slalom run 2

Freestyle skiing

11:00–12:05: M freeski big air final

Luge

20:20–20:56: Doubles run 1; 21:35–22:14: Doubles run 2

Nordic combined

16:00–16:51: Individual Gundersen normal hill/10km ski jumping; 19:00–19:35: Individual Gundersen normal hill/10km cross-country

Snowboard

14:30–16:00: W snowboard cross 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Short track speed skating

19:00–21:28: M 1500m quarter-finals, semi-finals, final B, final A

10 February 2022

Following Belle Brockhoff’s efforts the day before, the men’s snowboard cross will draw Australian attention today.

Australians will also compete in the snowboard women’s halfpipe from 09:30 (12:30 AEDT) – look out for Emily Arthur – and in the cross-country skiing women’s 10km classic – keep your eyes on Jessica Yeaton and Casey Wright at 15:00 (18:00 AEDT).

If he qualifies from the short programme, Brendan Kerry will aim to improve on his 20th place at PyongChang 2018 in the men’s singles figure skating free skate at 09:30 (AEDT).

But what price snowboard success?

Snowboard – gold up for grabs

France’s Pierre Vaultier bagged snowboard cross gold at the last two Olympic Winter Games but has now retired.

Does that leave the way open for Australia’s Jarryd Hughes, silver medallist at PyeongChang 2018?

Hughes was the first Australian to win Winter X-Games gold in 2016. However, he underwent ankle surgery in late 2021, and his ankle may not be 100% for Beijing.

But, says Hughes, “What good story doesn’t have a bit of adversity? I’m going to make sure that at the start of the Olympics I’ll be standing there with no excuses.”

Don’t discount Cameron Bolton from the running either. Bolton was in fine form before taking the 2020/21 season off due to the pandemic. He will be highly motivated after semi-final crashes at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018.

Adam Dickson and Adam Lambert complete the Australian men’s snowboard cross contingent.

The competition starts at 11:15 (14:15 AEDT) with the small and big finals from 15:15 (18:15 AEDT).

All medal events

Alpine skiing

10:30–12:45: M combined downhill; 14:15–15:59: M combined slalom

Cross-country skiing

15:00–16:30: W 10km classic

Freestyle skiing

19:00–20:15: Mixed team aerials final

Figure skating

09:30–13:27: M singles free skating

Luge

21:30–22:38: Team relay

Snowboard

09:30–10:49: W snowboard halfpipe final; 14:00–15:25: M snowboard cross 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Speed skating

20:00–21:16: W 5000m

11 February 2022

Australia’s winter sports poster boy Scotty James headlines today’s Australian action in the snowboard men’s halfpipe.

Cross-country skiers Hugo Hinckfuss, Lars Young Vik and Phillip Bellingham all compete for Australia in the men’s 15km classic at 15:00 (18:00 AEDT), while Nick Timmings will be hoping to build on a recent uptick in form in the men’s skeleton from 20:20 (23:20 AEDT).

Snowboard – James promises a halfpipe humdinger

James takes on three-time Olympic gold medallist Shaun White of the United States of America and Japan’s Hirano Ayumu, silver medallist at the last two Games.

The men’s halfpipe gets underway at 09:30 (12:30 AEDT).

White has finally begun to look human, however. And three-time world champion James will aim to harness his experience to vanquish youngster Hirano.

James’ X-Games gold medal, won just 18 days before the Beijing halfpipe competition, will send a message to his rivals too.

After three Olympic Winter Games and a bronze medal at PyeongChang 2018, it’s time for James to step up.

Hot on his heels comes 16-year-old Aussie Valentino Guseli. The halfpipe air world record holder made his World Cup and World Championship debuts last season and has had a number of finishes in the upper echelons.

All medal events

Alpine skiing

11:00–13:09: W super-G

Biathlon

17:00–18:10: W 7.5km sprint

Cross-country skiing

15:00–16:35: M 15km classic

Snowboard

09:30–10:49: M snowboard halfpipe final

Skeleton

21:55–22:40: M heat 4

Speed skating

16:00–17:55: M 10000m

Short track speed skating

19:00–20:49: W 1000m quarter-finals, semi-finals, final B, final A

12 February 2022

Australian athletes feature in just two events today, giving viewers the chance to focus on two intriguing prospects.

Jaclyn Narracott finished 16th at PyeongChang 2018, but, 28 days before today’s event, she won Australia’s first ever skeleton World Cup gold – and her first two runs broke the St Moritz track record.

The women’s skeleton takes place from 20:20 (23:20 AEDT).

But the Aussie highlight promises to be the mixed team snowboard cross.

Snowboard – Can Brockhoff and Hughes do it again?

From 10:00 (13:00 AEDT), Belle Brockhoff and Jarryd Hughes will aim to repeat their 2021 World Championship gold medal in the mixed team snowboard cross.

The exciting event makes its Olympic debut in PyeongChang. The man in each team begins the race. When he crosses the line, the time advantage he holds over the next competitor is transferred to his female teammate.

“As an individual, if you screw up, it's your fault completely,” says Brockhoff.

“But with the mixed team event you share that responsibility a little bit more.

“Jarryd has the ability to find opportunities on a track and just take them.”

All medal events

Biathlon

17:00–18:15: M 10km sprint

Cross-country skiing

15:30–16:45: W 4x5km relay

Snowboard

10:00–11:05: Mixed team snowboard cross quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Ski jumping

19:00–19:45: M large hill individual 1st round; 20:00–20:33: M large hill individual final round

Skeleton

21:55–22:40: W heat 4

Speed skating

16:53–17:34: M 500m

13 February 2022

The podium prospects for Australia may be slim today, with alpine skier Louis Muhlen-Schulte unlikely to challenge the top contenders in the men’s giant slalom from 10:15 (13:15 AEDT), but a clutch of Aussies will get their Games underway in the qualification rounds.

First up is bobsleigh, with the women’s monobob heats from 09:30 (12:30 AEDT), featuring Australian medal hope Bree Walker.

The freestyle skiing action begins shortly afterwards. The women’s slopestyle qualification starting at 10:00 (13:00 AEDT) features Abi Harrigan.

The freestyle skiing fun continues in the evening, with women’s aerials qualification from 19:00 (22:00 AEDT). Australia’s competitive team comprises strong medal hope Laura Peel, along with Gabi Ash and Danielle Scott.

All medal events

Alpine skiing

10:15–12:15: M giant slalom run 1; 13:45–15:49: M giant slalom run 2

Biathlon

17:00–17:40: W 10km pursuit; 18:45–19:25: M 12.5km pursuit

Cross-country skiing

15:00–16:40: M 4x10km relay

Speed skating

21:56–22:37: W 500m

Short track speed skating

19:00–20:19: M 500m quarter-finals, semi-finals, final B, final A; 19:35–19:55: W 3000m relay final B, final A

14 February 2022

Laura Peel is top of the Australian billboard today, with every chance of a freestyle skiing gold medal in the women’s aerials this evening.

Bree Walker, aka ‘Monobob Bree’ also has a decent chance of making the bobsleigh podium in the women’s monobob.

There’s an early start at 09:30 (12:30 AEDT) for Abi Harrigan in the freestyle skiing as she aims to build on her 13th place in the women’s slopestyle at the 2021 World Championships.

Freestyle skiing – Peel joins elite aerials club

Peel could hardly arrive in Beijing in better form. At the Deer Valley Aerials World Cup in January, she won gold with a huge score of 118.05, far outstripping her rivals.

During training for the event, she had become only the third woman to land a quadruple twisting triple backflip, one to look out for in Beijing.

All this comes off the back of her 2021 World Championship gold medal.

Watch Peel and fellow Australians Gabi Ash and Danielle Scott in action at 19:00 (22:00 AEDT).

Bobsleigh – Can Walker overcome her latest hurdle?

After injuries put paid to Walker’s career as a 400m hurdler, she googled ‘winter sport’ and duly became a bobsleigher.

Now, Walker is ranked fifth in the world, and has clocked one gold medal, three silvers, and a bronze from her seven races this season.

Heats 3 and 4 of the women’s monobob will take place at 09:30 (12:30 AEDT) and 11:00 (14:00 AEDT).

All medal events

Bobsleigh

11:00–11:50: W monobob heat 4

Freestyle skiing

09:30–10:49: W freeski slopestyle final; 19:00–20:15: W aerials final

Figure skating

09:15–12:36: Ice dance free dance

Ski jumping

19:00–19:51: M team 1st round; 20:06–20:42: M team final round

15 February 2022

Young Tess Coady is probably Australia’s best shot at the podium today as the snowboarder follows up her slopestyle event earlier in the Games with a run in the big air from 09:30 (12:30 AEDT).

Coady clocked a fifth place in the 2021 World Championships. Can Coady, who won big air gold at the 2017 Junior Snowboard World Championships, make the step up?

Matthew Cox, who placed 10th at the 2021 World Championships, flies the snowboarding flag for Australian in the men’s big air final from 13:00 (16:00 AEDT).

Meanwhile, from 11:00 (14:00 AEDT), alpine skier Greta Small will aim to improve on the 20th place she achieved in the downhill at PyeongChang 2018 – the best by an Aussie woman in the Olympic discipline.

Kailani Crane begins her figure skating women’s singles competition with the short program at 18:00 (21:00 AEDT).

All medal events

Alpine skiing

11:00–12:59: W downhill

Bobsleigh

21:50–22:35: Two-man heat 4

Biathlon

17:00–18:15: M 4x7.5km relay

Freestyle skiing

09:30–10:50: M freeski slopestyle final

Nordic combined

16:00–16:51: Individual Gundersen large hill/10km ski jumping; 19:00–19:35: Individual Gundersen large hill/10km cross-country

Snowboard

09:30–10:35: W snowboard big air final; 13:00–14:05: M snowboard big air final

Speed skating

16:22–16:34: W team pursuit final B, final A; 16:41–16:53: M team pursuit final B, final A

16 February 2022

Three Australian competitors don their skis today. In alpine skiing, Louis Muhlen-Schulte tackles the men’s slalom. In cross-country skiing, Jessica Yeaton and Casey Wright will combine in the women’s team sprint.

Run 1 of the slalom beings at 10:15 (13:15 AEDT), with run 2 at 13:45 (16:45 AEDT).

The field is wide open, with a carousel of names featuring in the top echelons of competition so far this season.

Muhlen-Schulte of Victoria, who is based in the United States, make his Olympic debut, but is unlikely to be in the running for the higher placements.

The women’s team sprint (classic) semi-finals are scheduled for 17:00 (20:00 AEDT), with the final at 19:00 (22:00 AEDT).

Jessica Yeaton achieved 12th place in the team sprint at PyeongChang 2018 with Barbara Jezersek, Australia’s best Olympic cross-country result. Here she teams up with Casey Wright from the Yarra Valley, also a veteran of PyeongChang.

The event sees both skiers alternate over six laps of a 7.5km course. Ten teams will advance from the semi-finals.

All medal events

Alpine skiing

10:15–12:10: M slalom run 1; 13:45–15:39: M slalom run 2

Biathlon

15:45–17:00: W 4x6km relay

Cross-country skiing

19:00–19:20: W team sprint classic final; 19:30–20:00: M team sprint classic final

Freestyle skiing

19:00–20:15: M aerials final

Ice hockey

19:30–21:45: W bronze-medal game

Short track speed skating

20:32–20:57: M 5000m relay final B, final A; 21:11–21:26: W 1500m final B, final A

17 February 2022

It might take a little luck for Sami Kennedy-Sim to make it onto the ski cross podium in Beijing, but with racing incidents aplenty, her sport is certainly not short of luck, good and bad.

Kailani Crane will feature in the women’s singles figure skating at 18:00 (21:00 AEDT) if she qualifies from the short programme, in an event where ROC's European champion Kamila Valieva is the hot favourite.

And qualification for the freestyle skiing women’s halfpipe begins from 09:30 (12:30 AEDT), an event which features Abi Harrigan.

Freestyle skiing – Can Kennedy-Sim dig deep?

At 33, Kennedy-Sim is a veteran of both Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, where she finished 8th in the women’s ski cross.

A dislocated elbow put paid to her 2020/21 season, and she returned to international competition in November, clocking two top-20 finishes this season.

The interruption must seem like a blip. Kennedy-Sim is an ambassador for Australia’s National Stroke Foundation, having rehabilitated her skiing career following a stroke when she was 24.

The ski cross 1/8 finals begin at 14:00 (17:00 AEDT), with the small and big finals taking place from 15:10 (18:10 AEDT).

All medal events

Alpine skiing

10:30–12:00: W combined downhill; 14:00–15:19: W combined slalom

Freestyle skiing

14:00–15:25: W ski cross 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Figure skating

18:00–21:57: W singles free skating

Ice hockey

12:10–14:25: W gold medal game

Nordic combined

16:00–16:40: Team Gundersen large hill/4x5km ski jumping; 19:00–19:55: Team Gundersen large hill/4x5km cross-country

Speed skating

16:30–17:42: W 1000m

18 February 2022

Australians might need to watch today’s freestyle skiing women’s halfpipe action with an eye on the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, with Beijing perhaps coming a little soon for Abi Harrigan.

The halfpipe will be the third event for Harrigan, 19, at these Games. She achieved 10th spot in the event at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games but is unlikely to win a medal here.

Watch out for Canada’s Cassie Sharpe and China’s 17-year-old Ailing Eileen Gu, the halfpipe gold medallist in the 2021 World Championships. The event begins at 09:30 (12:30 AEDT).

Meanwhile Australians Bree Walker and Kiara Reddingius begin their two-women bobsleigh campaign, with heats 1 and 2 taking place from 20:00 (23:00 AEDT).

All medal events

Biathlon

17:00–17:45: M 15km mass start

Curling

14:05–17:00: M bronze medal game

Freestyle skiing

09:30–10:49: W freeski halfpipe final; 14:45–16:10: M ski cross 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Speed skating

16:30–17:40: M 1000m

19 February 2022

Cross-country skiers Phillip Bellingham and Seve de Campo will put themselves through the gruelling 50km (freestyle) ordeal at 14:00 (17:00 AEDT).

But Australia’s best shot at success will be in the two-woman bobsleigh from 20:00 (23:00 AEDT).

Bobsleigh – Winter-sport converts to pull off something special?

Both pilot Bree Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius are former track athletes. Reddingius, who hails from the Western Australian goldfields, only converted to bobsleigh in the past year.

But at their current rate of improvement, who knows what they could achieve in Beijing? In the two months prior to the Games, they achieved two top-10 World Cup finishes. Their seventh place was Australia’s best ever.

Walker has been inspired by Jana Pittman, another Australian 400m hurdler-turned-bobsledder. Perhaps the only thing holding Walker back is her avowed dislike of the cold.

All medal events

Alpine skiing

11:00–12:54: Mixed team parallel event 1/8 finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, small final, big final

Bobsleigh

21:30–22:15: Two-woman heat 4

Biathlon

17:00–17:45: W 12.5km mass start

Cross-country skiing

14:00–16:45: M 50km mass start freestyle Bellingham, De Campo

Curling

14:05–17:00: M gold medal game; 20:05–23:00: W bronze medal game

Freestyle skiing

09:30–10:49: M freeski halfpipe final

Figure skating

19:00–21:53: Pairs free skating

Ice hockey

21:10–23:25: M bronze medal game

Speed skating

16:30–16:45: M mass start final; 17:00–17:15: W mass start final

20 February 2022

Australians Jessica Yeaton and Casey Wright take on the longest event on the cross-country skiing schedule today at 14:30 (17:30 AEDT), but are unlikely to be in with a medal shout.

Gold in this event is traditionally won by a Norwegian. Norway has won all 12 women’s 30km races (free and classic) in major competitions (World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Winter Games), since Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk took gold at Vancouver 2010.

Veteran Therese Johaug will spearhead the Norwegian charge in Beijing.

All medal events

Bobsleigh
11:20–12:10: Four-man heat 4

Cross-country skiing
14:30–16:30: W 30km mass start freestyle Casey Write, Jessica Yeaton

Curling
09:05–12:00: W gold medal game

Ice hockey
12:10–14:25: M gold medal game