AUSTRALIAN athletes will be vying for the first medals of the games with the men’s mogul event finals competition Saturday night (AEDT) in what is officially Day 1 of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
Australia will have a mix of athletes competing today in six disciplines including moguls, snowboard slopestyle, curling, cross country skiing, luge and short track speed skating. All action on Channel 7 or 7plus for online.
Men’s Moguls Medal Event
9pm to 9.30pm qualification and 10.30 pm to 12.10am finals (All times AEDT)
Silver medallist from PyeongChang, Matt Graham will have his work cut out to make the final after a disastrous start to his campaign in mogul qualifying. With ten positions already secured for the finals, and Australian’s not part of that number, there are now only ten positions left. Graham has always been a competitor, so his run from qualifying will be put behind him and will now focus on reaching the final twenty skiers, and then progress from there.
Brodie Summers placed 11th in his qualifying run and admitted he was not at his best. He needs to tidy up a few aspects of his previous run to extend his campaign.
Cooper Woods-Topalovic and James Matheson both will need to lay down solid runs with good scores to continue their games. It is not beyond them, but there are many eager skiers also fighting to reach the final twenty.
Other disciplines also make their debut today after the opening ceremony festivities are now over.
Snowboard Slopestyle Women
1.45pm to 3.50pm (AEDT)
Tess Coady will contest the snowboard slopestyle qualifications on Saturday afternoon where she will have two runs and her best score counting. Coady has been in strong form leading into the games and will feel she has the repertoire to mix it with best. Qualifying for the finals will be her first task with the top 12 making finals.
The snowboard course looks spectacular and this discipline will be an exciting event to watch.
Curling
12.05pm to 2.00pm and 2.05pm to 4.00pm
Although already missing out on the semi finals, the mixed curling team of Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt are in action again today with the final two matches of the round robin series. With the Australian team debuting in the sport at the Winter Olympics, they have showed great skill and only narrowly missed out on wins in their first few games and can be proud of their achievements.
Cross Country Skiing
6.45pm t0 7.45pm
We get our first glimpse of cross country today with Jessica Yeaton starting in the 15km Skiathlon from 6.45pm. The 30 year old Yeaton is competing in her second games and will need at her absolute best to stay in touch with the leaders in what is a taxing sport on the body.
Short Track Speed Skating
10.00pm to 12.50pm
One of Australia’s fondest Winter Olympic memories came in this discipline in 2002 with Steven Bradbury winning our first ever winter games gold medal and fans have loved watching the excitement ever since. Brendan Corey makes his Olympic debut in the 1000m event and will start in heat 8. The top two from each heat progress to the quarter finals, plus skaters who have the fourth fastest times will progress.
Luge
10.10pm to 1am
Alex Ferlazzo will contest his third Winter Olympic games in the men’s singles run 1 and 2 and will start with bib number 22 from 35 starters. Runs 3 and 4 will be contested on Sunday evening. You can’t imagine the speed these athletes generate until you sit trackside and experience a bout of neck whiplash trying to follow them closely.