The stars are out at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, including snowboarders Julia Marino, Jamie Anderson and Red Gerard, and figure skaters Vincent Zhou and Karen Chen.
We’ve got updates on tonight’s action:
Marino wins first U.S. medal at these Games
American Julia Marino earned a surprise silver in snowboard slopestyle, jumping to the lead with her second-run score of 87.68, then holding on for the silver medal.
Gold-medal favorite Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand took the top spot with a dramatic 92.88 on her final run. It’s her country’s first gold in a Winter Olympics. Australian Tess Coady earned the bronze with a 84.15, while two-time defending Olympic champion Jamie Anderson finished ninth. More, from Alyssa Roenigk, here.
What an amazing competition!!!! Congrats to all but especially @julia_marino on the first medal for @TeamUSA !!!! https://t.co/K6HPv6g7cB
— Elana Meyers Taylor OLY (@eamslider24) February 6, 2022
JULIA MARINO. 🇺🇸
The Westport, CT native takes the lead in the women’s slopestyle!
TV: @USA_Network and @PeacockTV#WinterOlympics // #WatchWithUS pic.twitter.com/rJ8HoB1ayw
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 6, 2022
Sean Fitzsimons and Red Gerard advance; Su Yiming surprises
Defending Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard was the first rider to drop during men’s snowboard slopestyle qualifiers Sunday morning in Beijing, and easily qualified for Monday’s final. Gerard’s first-run score of 78.20 held in the top position until his U.S. teammate, Sean Fitzsimons, took his first run and leapfrogged Gerard at the top of the leaderboard. Fitzsimons and Gerard eventually qualified in the No. 3 and 5 spots. American Chris Corning finished 11th and will join them in Monday’s final.
Don’t sleep on Sean FitzSimons. 🤯 #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/zoxS2KLhpE
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 6, 2022
The defending gold medalist is back. 🤙@redgerard x #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/Q1fXfKl9Vm
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 6, 2022
The biggest surprise of the day, though, was 17-year-old Su Yiming of China, who broke into the sport’s upper echelons earlier this season with a win at the Visa Big Air at Steamboat in December. In doing so, he became the first Chinese rider to win a World Cup big air event. On Monday morning in Beijing, he can become the first non-American rider to win Olympic slopestyle gold.
The third-to-last rider to drop in the lineup, Su landed a massive first run that included the first triple cork of the competition and then swore on live TV when his score appeared on the board and he realized it was the highest of the night. We’ll send you to Twitter to hear what he said.
Three-time Olympian Mark McMorris of Canada landed a beauty of a second run that included two triple corks and qualified second. American Dusty Henricksen, who turned 19 after arriving in Beijing on Feb. 2, finished 17th and will not move on to Monday’s final. –Alyssa Roenigk
Team USA slips to second in team figure skating
After a near-perfect start on the first day of team competition, Team USA suffered a setback on Day 2. In the women’s short program, Karen Chen, the 2017 U.S. champion, fell on her final jump, a triple loop, and came in fifth. She earned six points for Team USA, which dropped from first to second, behind the Russian Olympic Committee.
. @Karebearsk8 is always stunning when she hits the ice. #WinterOlympics
pic.twitter.com/LoxImvD0uD— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 6, 2022
The competition then moved to its second phase, the free skate, with the top five teams competing: ROC, USA, Japan, Canada and China.
Three-time U.S. silver medalist Vincent Zhou, subbing in for Nathan Chen, had a chance to make up the gap, as the ROC’s skater, Mark Kondratiuk, is generally considered their weakest competitor in the event. But Zhou, skating last, looked nervous at the start and did not complete one of his quad jumps. He held on despite the early setback and grew stronger as the program continued. But it wasn’t enough to overtake Kondratiuk, who landed all of his jumps in a program more technical than artistic.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, making his Olympic debut, skated flawlessly to score 208.94 points, 27 more than Kondratiuk. The 18-year-old will be a serious contender for the podium in the individual competition.
ROC remains top, with 45 points. Team USA follows closely behind with 42. Japan sits in third, with 39 points.
Although Chen and Zhou were on the 2018 Olympic team, they did not compete in the team event in Pyeongchang, where the U.S. took bronze. But Chen will have another chance in the free skate tomorrow.
“There were some positive takeaways for sure, and then some things that were silly mistakes that I haven’t been making in practice,” Chen said. “My practices have been feeling really solid but today, once I realized I’m competing, it felt a little bit different.” — Elaine Teng
Figure skating superstar Valieva wows
Kamila Valieva made her eagerly-anticipated Olympic debut on Sunday in Beijing, as the final competitor in the women’s short program of the team event. Valieva showed off her unparalleled artistry, technical mastery and her triple axel. She became the fourth woman in Olympic history to successfully land the jump.
Valieva, the overwhelming favorite for individual gold, received a 90.18 — more than 15 points ahead of the second-place finisher and a few-tenths-of-a-point off of her own world record score. Valieva earned 10 points for the ROC team with her efforts, and the team advanced to the second phase of the competition in first place. — D’Arcy Maine
Kamila Valiyeva in slow motion is unbelievable. :exploding_head: #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/io9IdTP1vR
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 6, 2022
I don’t think I’ve ever watched an event where one skater was so ahead of everyone else. Watching Kamila in person is a *moment*. WHAT CAN YOU EVEN SAY?!! Incredible.
— Adam Rippon (@AdamRippon) February 6, 2022
Upcoming events (all times ET)
3:30 a.m.: Men’s speedskating 5,000 meters
5 a.m.: Men’s normal hill ski jumping final
6:30 a.m.: Women’s freestyle skiing moguls final
6:30 a.m.: Men’s singles luge final
8:10 a.m.: Women’s hockey preliminary — Switzerland vs. USA
