The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics officially had its closing ceremony on Feb. 20, 2022, after many wins, losses, and controversies. After all was said and done, the United States ended the games with eight gold medals, ten silver medals, and seven bronze medals. This puts the U.S. fourth overall, just behind China, Germany, and Norway.
One of the biggest stars of the 2022 Olympics was U.S figure skater Nathan Chen. The 22-year-old athlete made some noise in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, helping to win bronze in the Men’s Team Event. However, he underperformed in the Men’s Singles Event, placing fifth overall, a mistake he made sure not to repeat. Chen returned to the Olympics and won gold for the Single’s Event and helped Team USA achieve silver in the Team Event.
Another standout Team USA athlete was Chloe Kim, who won gold in the Women’s Snowboarding Halfpipe Event. Kim was actually returning to defend her title, as she also won the event in Pyeongchang at just 17-years-old.
While the Olympics is meant to symbolize the connection and unity of the countries of the world, this year’s Olympics made headlines for more than just sports. Even before the event, countries were announcing official boycotts due to China’s treatment of the Uyghur people, and even more, controversies followed soon after.
One of the major ones surrounds 15-year-old Russian Kamila Valieva. On February 8, it was revealed that Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, which is known for lowering changes in blood pressure. This was revealed after the athlete already skated in the Team Event for the Russian Olympic Committee, which won gold. After an investigation, she was then cleared to perform in the Individual Event. Despite being predicted to win gold, Valieva only placed fourth overall. The decision to let her play was heavily criticized, with many considering it unfair.
This scandal comes less than ten years after the infamous Russian doping scandal which made headlines in 2016. Fair competition is pivotal in an event like the Olympics, and when that is in question, it can make people very upset. It remains to be seen how substance abuse violations will be treated in the future, along with any further action against Valieva and her team.
Now that the 2022 Winter Olympics are over, it is now time for the 2022 Winter Paralympics to kick off. The 2022 Winter Paralympics start March 4 and finish March 13.
Alex Cutler
Reporter