Several Minnesota and Wisconsin Athletes Representing Team USA in Winter Olympics

The 2022 Olympic Winter Games begin EARLY Friday morning from Beijing, China. The opening ceremonies will be televised on NBC starting at 5:30am. However, if you’re not an early riser, NBC will re-air the ceremonies in primetime at 7PM.

Wisconsin will send twelve athletes to the games. They will partake in competitions such as curling, women’s ice hockey and the biathlon. The state is well represented with athletes coming from cities like Eau Claire, Appleton, Madison and McFarland which gets the nod for most representation from the Badger state with three athletes. Read more about them here.

Minnesota will have thirty athletes tied to the state. The contingent with connections to the state on Team USA is the largest since the Turin games in 2006, and includes nine gold medalists from four years ago. John Shuster from Chisholm, will carry the United States flag in the opening ceremonies. Shuster, who won gold in curling in 2018, will be the third person from Minnesota carry the U.S. flag in any Olympic opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Read more on the Minnesota athletes here.

Some facts about the Winter Olympic games.

1.  The estimated budget of the Beijing Winter Olympics is $3.9 billion, which is a LOT, but WAY LESS than the record-setting 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, which cost an estimated $50 BILLION.

2.  There are 223 athletes on the U.S. team, which is a Winter Olympics record.

3.  It’s been 14 years since China has hosted the Olympics. The 2008 Summer Olympics were also in Beijing which is now the first city to host both a Summer AND Winter Olympics.

4.  The Games will take place across 25 venues in Beijing and the neighboring city Zhangjiakou, and all will be powered with 100% renewable energy.

5.  Five venues will be reused from the 2008 Summer Games.

6.  2,900 athletes are expected to attend the 2022 Games, and 45.4% of them are women. That makes it the most gender balanced Olympic Games in history.

7.  91 countries will participate in a record 109 events across 15 sports.

8.  There will be SEVEN new events:  Women’s monobob, which is a solo bobsledding event, big air skiing, mixed team snowboard cross, mixed team aerials in freestyle skiing, mixed team relay in short track speedskating, and mixed team ski jumping. 

NBC Universal remains the main broadcast partner and will offer 2022 Beijing Olympics programming across cable, broadcast and streaming platforms. NBC, USA, CNBC and the Olympic Channel will have the games.

Cover Photo: AP Photo/Francisco Seco