Olympics

The first two competitions for the Winter Olympics figure skating team event took place on Thursday night in Beijing. 

The United States is in the lead with 20 points. The Russian Olympic Committee follows with 17 points and Italy rounds out the top three with 14.

First, Nathan Chen topped the men's short program with a brilliant run to earn 10 points for the United States. He scored a career-best 111.71, the second-highest short program score ever behind 111.82 by Yuzuru Hanyu at the 2020 Four Continents Championships.

Chen is chasing his first Olympics gold medal, the only gold medal that has eluded him throughout his senior career. After his run, he spoke about the difference in his mindset compared to 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"Last Olympics, I was just three senior internationals in, I hadn't really competed internationally, so just a very large lack of experience," Chen said. "But now coming into this, I'm really happy to be here, very excited to be here and surrounded by amazing teammates."

Next up was the rhythm dance competition, which was won by Team USA's Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, The three-time ice dance world medalists had a strong showing with a score of 86.56 to earn 10 more points for the United States. 

Russian Olympic Committee members and reigning world champions Viktoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov were the favorites coming into the competition and finished second with 85.05. Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri placed third with 83.83.

It's the third time that 10 countries have qualified for the team event. There will be men's, women's, pairs and ice dance competitions. Teams earn 1-10 points based on placement in each discipline, with first place earning 10 points and 10th place earning one point.

The five teams with the lowest scores after the short program will be eliminated. The top five teams will advance to the free skate to compete for the medals.

Figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing kicked off with the men's short program Thursday night.

Team USA's Nathan Chen placed in first place with a score of 111.71. With the finish, he gives the United States 10 points towards its team score.

There were nine skaters competing in the men's short program. Here's a full rundown of the scores along with a deeper look at the action.

Final Scores

1. Nathan Chen, USA - 111.71

2. Shoma Uno, Japan - 105.46.

3. Mark Kondratiuk, ROC - 95.81

4. Morisi Kvitelashvili, Georgia - 92.37

5. Daniel Grassl, Italy - 88.10

6. Jin Boyang, China - 82.87

7. Michal Brezina, Czech Republic - 76.77

8. Roman Sadovsky, Canada - 71.06

9. Paul Fentz, Germany - 68.64

The reigning and three-time world champion Chen was looking to improve on his fourth-place finish at the event in the 2018 Winter Games and he did just that. He started off his Olympics with a breathtaking run to record his best-ever score in this event.

It was the second-highest men's short program score ever behind only Yuzuru Hanyu's 111.82 in 2020.

Chen is still chasing his first Olympics gold medal. If he continues skating like this going forward, he could achieve the one thing that has eluded him throughout his storied career.

Japan's Shoma Uno was the first skater to earn a score above 100, placing second with 105.46. Mark Kondratiuk of the Russian Olympic Committee took third with 95.81.

Canada's Roman Sadovsky scored 71.06 to finish in eighth place. Canada placed first in the 2018 team event and has some work to do if it hopes make it to the free skate to defend its title.

The United States vs. Finland was one of the matchups women’s hockey fans wanted to open the preliminary round of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

What nobody wanted to see was USA alternate captain Brianna Decker writhing in pain minutes into the first period Thursday.

Decker, the all-time USA assists leader at the IIHF World Championships, got her legs tangled with Finnish defender Ronja Savolainen in front of USA goalie Maddie Rooney during the 5-2 win. Decker remained there audibly in pain until the medical staff stretchered her off the ice.

In her absence, Abby Roque centered the forward line alongside Amanda Kessel and Alex Carpenter. Both of Decker’s linemates scored to give the USA a 2-0 lead going into the second period. First-time Olympian Jesse Compher and Kelly Pannek also switched lines after Decker’s injury.

“I didn't think we missed a beat, and that's a credit to the depth that we have,” Team USA head coach Joel Johnson said after the victory.

Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield called it a next-player-up mentality.

“Our lines shifted when Brianna went down, but everyone did an amazing job stepping up. You know, there's no replacing Brianna Decker in that situation, but everyone stepped up to the plate in the way that they were asked to, and I think that's how we were successful tonight,” Coyne Schofield added.

The three-time Olympian scored two goals, including what proved to be the game-winning tallies, in the second period.

The United States displayed remarkable chemistry despite getting limited ice time since the 2018 Olympics. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded in 2019, and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) popped up in its place.

The barnstorming model keeps the post-graduate Olympians on the ice, but not nearly as consistently as in years past. To boot, COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the last three tuneups against Team Canada before the Beijing Olympics.

It will take skill and full buy-in if the United States is serious about punching its ticket to the gold-medal game. The fact that the U.S. found a way to overcome a midgame injury to one of its veteran leaders is a good sign. The competition in the women’s Olympic hockey tournament continues to rise, and the veteran leadership will be called upon to navigate the rest of the time in Beijing following Decker's setback.

The injury hit close to home for some players.

“It really—it breaks your heart, especially after being through a very similar thing,” Roque said. “I know how bad it hurts, and hearing that—she's a tough kid, like, she is tougher than anyone I know—to hear that, it's uh, it really does just break your heart.”

The U.S. has a scheduled Friday off. Coach Johnson said after the game he will await final confirmation on Decker’s injury and plan accordingly, although there was a statement from USA hockey confirming that she would be out for the rest of the tournament.

Federations are given the option to name alternates even before the tournament begins. While Canada brought four extra "taxi squad" players, the U.S. elected to bring none.

“I kind of have an idea, but I'm not going to speak because as soon as I do, I'll be wrong," Johnson told Bleacher Report before the team's announcement. "So we'll talk about that if we have to. Hopefully, Brianna is fine, and if she's not and there's a process to bring somebody in … that's been something that every team, every federation's had to plan for, and we're no different so there's a plan in place and we'll figure it out if we need to drill it.”

United States Players of the Game

Coyne Schofield: The USA captain scored two goals in the second period to give her team a comfortable lead.

Carpenter: She was unceremoniously left off the 2018 Olympic roster but also tallied two goals. After being cut from the Olympic team, Carpenter played for China in the Zhenskaya Hockey League for the KRS Vanke Rays. She credits this move for helping her appreciate the game again.

Finland Player of the Game

Susanna Tapani: The Finnish team displayed an anemic offense, getting outshot 52-12. Nevertheless, Tapani was a bright spot, scoring both of Finland's goals.

What's Next for the United States

The United States will take on the Russian Olympic Committee on Saturday in another preliminary game. It will be interesting to see what Johnson does about his lines against a team the U.S. is expected to do well against. 

“I think everything's TBD,” Johnson said when asked if we’ll see different combinations throughout the tournament. “We're looking forward to a little rest and recovery and then we'll kind of hit the reset button and figure out what to do from there.”

The opening ceremony for the 2022 Olympics isn't until Friday, but some of the competitions are already underway.

While the first medals of the Beijing Games are yet to be handed out, Thursday brought round-robin competition in mixed doubles curling, qualifying runs in moguls for both the men and the women, and preliminary round games in the women's hockey tournament.

Here is a look at Thursday's results, which can be found in full on the Olympics' official website.

Mixed Doubles Curling Round Robin Scores

• China def. Australia, 6-5

• Sweden def. Czech Republic, 7-4

• Italy def. USA, 8-4

• Great Britain def. Canada, 6-4

• Italy def. Switzerland, 8-7

• Norway def. USA, 11-6

• Canada def. Norway, 7-6

• Switzerland def. Great Britain, 8-7

• Sweden def. China, 7-6

• Czech Republic def. Australia, 8-2

Freestyle Skiing

Women's Moguls Qualification 1

1. Jakara Anthony (AUS), 83.75
2. Perrine Laffont (FRA), 81.11
3. Jaelin Kauf (USA), 79.15
   
4. Olivia Giaccio (USA), 78.11
   
5. Anri Kawamura (JPN), 76.36
   
6. Junko Hoshino (JPN), 75.38
   
7. Hannah Soar (USA), 74.53
   
8. Anastasiia Smirnova (ROC), 73.01
   
9. Britteny Cox (AUS), 72.26
   
10. Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN), 71.45
    

Men's Moguls Qualification 1

1. Mikael Kingsbury (CAN), 81.15
2. Walter Wallberg (SWE), 79.12
   
3. Benjamin Cavet (FRA), 78.40
   
4. Jimi Salonen (FIN), 76.39
   
5. Cole McDonald (USA), 76.27
   
6. Kosuke Sugimoto (JPN), 76.26
   
7. Ludvig Fjallstrom (SWE), 76.20
   
8. Daichi Hara (JPN), 76.11
   
9. Olli Penttala (FIN), 75.95
   
10. Dylan Walczyk (USA), 75.86
    

Women's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Scores

• Czech Republic def. China, 3-1

• Canada def. Switzerland, 12-1

• Japan def. Sweden, 3-1

• USA def. Finland, 5-2

One of the biggest storylines heading into the Winter Olympics is the race to the gold medal between the United States and Canada in the women's hockey tournament.

The powerhouses have faced each other in the gold-medal game in five of the six Olympic tournaments. While the United States is the defending Olympic champion from its 2018 victory that came in a shootout, Canada won the previous four gold medals in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.

The two nations have dominated the World Championship as well with Canada taking home 11 titles to the United States' nine.

The two sides have to reach the gold-medal game before they clash for the latest bragging rights in the rivalry, and both started their journey at this year's Games in strong fashion.

Canada looked like a juggernaut in a 12-1 victory over Switzerland as Sarah Fillier, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull and Laura Stacey each scored two goals. Lara Stalder scored the lone goal for the Swiss.

The Americans faced a bigger challenge to kick off their Olympics with a matchup against Finland, the bronze medalists from the 2018 Games.

Yet they had little problem in a 5-2 victory that saw Susanna Tapani score Finland's two goals after the game was well in hand in the third period. Alex Carpenter and Kendall Coyne Schofield each scored twice for the United States, while Amanda Kessel added the other goal.

The two North American rivals took care of business and took the first step toward an eventual meeting for gold.

The 2022 Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament got underway on Thursday with four group-stage games on the women's side. 

The women's tournament will be the only one in action for the next few days until the men's competition gets underway on Wednesday. 

The men's event was initially going to have NHL stars participate in Beijing, but the league withdrew players from the Games due to the disruption caused to its schedule by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Russian Olympic Committee is expected to be the favorite in the men's bracket because it boasts the best collection of professional players from the KHL.

On the women's side, the United States and Canada are expected to be on a collision course for the gold medal, and both teams opened their group-stage slates in China with victories. 

The Olympic hockey schedule can be found on the official Games website. All of the games can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.

Previews

Men's Tournament 

The Russian Olympic Committee should establish itself as the favored side in the men's tournament. 

ROC is the title used for the Russian athletes after the nation's name, anthem and flag were banned from Olympic competition after a doping scandal. 

It is aligned with Switzerland, Denmark and Czech Republic in Group B at the 2022 Winter Games and is expected to win all three of those contests. 

The top competition to ROC's gold-medal quest resides in Groups A and C, with Canada, Sweden and Finland all expected to be in the medal hunt. 

Canada will play the United States, China and Germany in Group A. The Canada-USA group-stage game lost a lot of its hype after the NHL players were withdrawn. Both teams are now using younger players and some experienced players who are not currently on league rosters. 

Sweden and Finland headline Group C with Slovakia and Latvia. The clash between the Swedes and the Finns might produce the best group-stage battle. 

The 12 teams will be seeded based off group position and points ahead of the knockout round. The top four teams will get byes into the quarterfinals. 

The ROC won gold in 2018 with NHL players included in the tournament. They competed under the Olympic Athletes from Russia banner in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Anything less than another gold medal for the defending champions on February 20 would be viewed as a surprise because most of the other rosters have been depleted by the absence of NHL players. 

Women's Tournament

The United States and Canada should play twice in Beijing. 

The first meeting of North American powers takes place on February 8 to conclude the group stage. 

Canada and the United States are expected to finish in the top two in Group A, which would place them on opposite sides of the knockout bracket. 

The Canadians opened their campaign in China with a 12-1 victory over Switzerland in which four different players scored multiple goals. 

The U.S. kicked off its schedule with a 5-2 triumph over Finland. The Americans broke out to a four-goal advantage in the first two periods. 

Czech Republic and Japan picked up victories to start Group B play over China and Sweden, respectively. Denmark is the fifth team in Group B, while the ROC is the other Group A squad. 

Canada is looking to avenge its gold-medal game loss from four years ago. It fell in a shootout to the Americans in Pyeongchang. 

Canada won the four previous Olympic titles and the Unites States won the inaugural women's tournament in 1998. Finland, Sweden and Switzerland are the only other countries to medal in the women's event. 

It was only the first day of the women's hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics, but longtime rivals Canada and the United States already appeared on another gold-medal collision course.

The Canadians were downright dominant in a 12-1 win over Switzerland, while the Americans took care of business against a medal contender in Finland 5-2.

Japan and the Czech Republic were the other winners from Thursday's action in Beijing.

Thursday's Results

Czech Republic 3, China 1

Canada 12, Switzerland 1

Japan 3, Sweden 1

United States 5, Finland 2

Day 1 Recap

Perhaps what's most impressive about Canada's rout of Switzerland is that it racked up a dozen goals without Marie-Philip Poulin, arguably the top women's player, finding the net and recording just a single assist. It's a testament to the team's depth.

Four players scored at least two goals (Sarah Fillier, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull and Laura Stacey) and a trio of skaters picked up at least three assists (Spooner, Claire Thompson and Rebecca Johnston) as Canada opened the scoring after just a minute and never looked back.

The Canadians finished the game with an eye-popping 70 shots on goal.

After a hard-fought opening 10 minutes, the United States was able to seize control of its opener with a pair of goals less than three minutes apart by Amanda Kessel and Alex Carpenter.

Team USA put the game out of reach with a strong second period when it outshot the Finns 19-2. Kendall Coyne Schofield scored both goals in the frame to increase the lead to 4-0.

Carpenter added her second of the day for the U.S. in the third, while Susanna Tapani scored twice for Finland on the power play.

One key question coming out of the contest is the health of Brianna Decker, who was stretchered off the ice in the first period after getting hit from behind. She didn't return to the contest.

China, as the host nation, is taking part in the women's hockey tournament for the first time since 2010. It received a strong performance from goalie Chen Tiya, who made 33 saves, to remain competitive against a Czech side with a shot at the podium.

Tereza Radova, Denisa Krizova and Michaela Pejzlova were the goal scorers for the Czech Republic. Mi Le netted the only goal for the hosts.

Japan provided the only upset of the day with its triumph over Sweden.

Shiori Koike opened the scoring late in the first period for the Japanese, who have never finished better than sixth in the Olympics. After Maja Nylen-Persson tied the game for the Swedes, Rui Ukita put Japan ahead for good. Haruna Yoneyama added an empty-netter to seal the win.

Play in the women's hockey tournament continues with a pair of games Friday: the Russian Olympic Committee vs. Switzerland and Denmark vs. China.

The United States women's hockey team got off to a winning start at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Thursday, beating Finland 5-2 in a preliminary-round game in Beijing.

Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and Alex Carpenter scored twice for Team USA in the victory, while Amanda Kessel found the back of the net as well.

After watching rival Canada rout Switzerland 12-1 in its first game of the tournament earlier that day, the Americans answered with a one-sided win of their own against a traditionally tough Finland team.

While the United States is the reigning gold medalist in women's Olympic hockey, Finland won bronze four years ago in Pyeongchang and has played for a medal in all but one of the six occasions that women's hockey has been contested at the Olympics.

Finland also won a silver medal at the 2019 world championships and bronze at the 2021 world championships, but it looked overmatched Thursday.

Team USA got the scoring started just past the midway point of the first period when Kessel took matters into her own hands by driving to the front of the net and beating Finnish goaltender Anni Keisala:

Kessel, the younger sister of longtime NHL forward Phil Kessel, is in search of her third career Olympic medal and her second gold.

The United States made it 2-0 before the first period was over, as Carpenter recorded a power-play goal off a beautiful cross-ice pass from Kelly Pannek:

After winning a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Carpenter was left off the 2018 Olympic team, but the Massachusetts native persevered and was selected this time around.

The speedy and crafty Coyne Schofield took over during the second period and doubled the Team USA lead to 4-0 with a pair of goals in 64-second span.

The forward roared down the wing and beat Keisala with a wicked wrister to extend the Americans' lead to 3-0:

Coyne Schofield then deflected a Savannah Harmon shot into the net to make it 4-0.

The Americans were dominant in the second period, and as pointed out by LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune, the Finns generated almost no scoring opportunities:

Finland finally got on the board and broke up goaltender Maddie Rooney's shutout just over three minutes into the third period on a power-play goal from Susanna Tapani.

The Americans answered just about five minutes later, though, when Carpenter scored for the second time in the game, making good on a quality pass from Abby Roque to restore a four-goal advantage:

It appeared as though the game would end with a 5-1 score, but a review took place after the final horn sounded, and it was determined that a shot by Tapani with 2:20 left went off the post and in, so the final 140 seconds had to be replayed.

Little changed, though, aside from the Americans winning 5-2 rather than 5-1.

Overall, the United States took the play to Finland, outshooting the Finns 52-12 and winning 66 percent of the faceoffs.

There was one negative for Team USA out of the contest in the form of an injury to a key player.

Forward Brianna Decker, who was playing in her third consecutive Olympics, suffered an apparent leg injury midway through the first period and had to be stretchered off the ice.

Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff explained how big of a loss Decker could potentially be:

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski later reported that Decker was seen on crutches and with her left leg in a walking boot after the game. USA Hockey also confirmed that Decker will miss the remainder of the Olympics.

Decker has been one of Team USA's top forwards for over a decade with 170 points in 146 career games for the national team, so replacing her production will be a huge challenge.

Still, the Americans played at a high level without Decker for most of Thursday's game, and there is no question that they are still the gold medal co-favorite along with Canada.

The United States and Canada have played for Olympic gold five out of six times, and they appear to be on a collision course again in Beijing.

Team USA will look to improve to 2-0 in Group A preliminary-round play Saturday when it faces the Russian Olympic Committee.