Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, day 1 live: Shaun White announces his retirement

One of the greatest and most popular Olympians ever is going to hang up the snowboard — but lets hope it doesn’t derail our Scotty James.

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 4: Torch bearers Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Jiawen Zhao of Team China light up the Olympic flame during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on February 4, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images,)

The Winter Olympics are officially underway and it’s been a top day of action.

While our curlers Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt still weren't able to claim a win, Australia had two men in Cooper Woods-Topalovic and Brodie Summers make the finals, with Woods going all the way to the Super Final, while Matt Graham brutally missed the finals.

Friday’s Opening Ceremony was a beautiful spectacle, but Aussies who stayed up late to watch the ceremony had to wait a while.

Aussie stuns as king is dethroned

Aussie Cooper Woods-Topalovic has pulled off the unthinkable, making the final six of the moguls competition in his Olympic debut.

The 21-year-old Woods scored 78.88 in a brilliant performance to claim sixth as Walter Wallberg stunned to come away with the gold.

The Swedish 21-year-old stood atop the podium, breaking Swedens medal duck in the event.

And he had to beat one of the most decorated mogul skiers of all-time in Mikael Kingsbury, who became the first moguls athlete to win three Olympic medals, adding his silver to a silver in Sochi and gold in PyeongChang.

That goes with 11 World Championship medals and 101 World Cup medals.

It was a massive upset however.

Third went to Japans Ikuma Horishima, although his performance raised a few eyebrows.

While the event is a judged event and many people don’t understand the intricacies of the event, there were a few eyebrows raised as the commentators picked up several mistakes from the Japanese star.

The men’s mogul skiing must have the same judges as the NHL’s shootout competition. Somehow the guy who made three mistakes jumped ahead of three skiers who were pretty much perfect.

— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) February 5, 2022

I’m by no means a freestyle mogul expert but this doesn’t seem right

— Mick Carroll (@sundayteleed) February 5, 2022

Speaking after his stunning performance, Woods was left stunned when told that his favourite athlete Mick Fanning had left him a message.

His response was pure gold.

“What? That's mad. Oh my god. I’m gonna have to watch that. That’s unbelievable. I am so excited to see that. He’s an absolute champion, that’s sweet,” he said.

What a reaction. Photo: twitter

Aussie star’s brutal exit in moguls

Matt Graham was the story of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics when he claimed a shock silver medal, but the dream comeback has fallen apart in Beijing.

Graham had come back after a broken collarbone in December but somehow made it back to compete in Beijing after returning to training in January and qualifying for his third Olympic Games.

His quick recovery was incredible, but Graham didn’t appear to be himself on the mountain.

After a DNF in his first effort earlier in the week, Graham had one chance to get into the finals.

But his score of 65.13 was only worth 19th after a brutal run.

After a wobble on the first jump, he had a sloppy middle section as he bounced high on the moguls and struggled to stay upright.

At the bottom of the mountain, he looked distraught before getting the score.

When the score came through, the 27-year-old looked on the verge of tears as he threw his skis down and waved at the camera.

Two Aussies made it through however as Brodie Summers finished second and debutant Cooper Woods-Topalovic was fourth and will go through the to finals.

James Matheson also missed out and revealed he was going to retire.

Olympic legend calls it quits

American snowboard legend Shaun White has revealed that these Olympics would be his final Games as the 35-year-old chases his fourth halfpipe gold medal.

With Aussie Scotty James set to be one of the big guns to spoil the party for White, it’ll be hard to bet against the legendary American.

I mean, he’s literally the Shane Warne or Tony Hawke of his sport with Shaun White Snowboarding the video game of the sport.

But he will retire from the sport after these games as he defends his 2018 PyeongChang title, revealing he had been getting “little signs” from his 35-year-old body.

The three-time halfpipe champion said he intends to “squeeze every bit of fun and excitement” out of his fifth and final Games before bringing the curtain down on his storied career.

“In my mind, I think I’ve decided this will be the last competition,” he said.

“It’s this now, it’s that now -- it’s all these little things adding up that’s taking away from days of practice that I would normally have.”

Shaun White won gold in PyeongChang. Photo by Martin BUREAU / AFP

White added that watching other riders - some half his age - pull off “heavier and heavier” tricks was also a factor

He acknowledged that “everyone is catching up” to his level, and said just getting to Beijing was an achievement in itself.

And he said he finally had the crystalising moment he was done when he was on a chairlift in Austria.

“I was watching… the sun go down and it just hit me,” he said. “A sad and surreal moment. But joyous, as well. I kind of reflected on things I’ve done and looked at the sun going down and went, ‘Wow, next time I’m here, I won’t be stressed about learning tricks or worried about some competition thing.

“It was really amazing. I broke down a little. Got very emotional.”

White only booked his spot in the US team at the last moment, after injuries and a bout of Covid hampered his progress.

Bursting onto the Olympic scene in 2006, White was known as the “Flying Tomato” for his lustrous long red locks and explosive riding style.

He won gold in 2006 and 2010 before missing out on a medal in a shock upset at the 2014 Sochi Games.

But he regained his crown four years later in Pyeongchang with a dramatic last ride.

Aussie Scotty James paid tribute to the superstar of his sport, describing the American as an “incredible athlete”.

“I obviously grew up watching Shaun,” he said, adding that it was “quite cool” they became compettitors.

Shaun White just said he's retiring from all snowboarding contests, not just Olympics. He said he's been struggling with lingering injuries, including tweaking his back in the gym, which was the "stupidest" way to injure himself. As another 30-something year old I can relate.

— Mari Saito (@saitomri) February 5, 2022

The tomato to fly no more... @shaunwhite tells reporters here that #Beijing2022 will be his final competition #snowboarding#flyingtomatopic.twitter.com/TMhD34DO0h

— Ossian Shine (@ossianshine) February 5, 2022

Beware the retiring GOAT. Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images

BBC snowboard expert Ed Leigh said his last hurrah would mean that White would be hugely dangerous.

“Never, ever write off Shaun White,” said Leigh. “Technically, he’s not quite there, but his consistency and his experience means his presence alone at the top of that halfpipe will put enough pressure on the rest of the athletes and make them think.

“His presence will be enough that he is very much in the mix for a medal.

“Whether it’s a gold will be a big ask.

“He got pushed to his outer limits to take gold in Pyeongchang and there are younger, more explosive riders coming through.

“Pound for pound, there are five, maybe six riders in the mix and it means you have this wonderful narrative.

“We have the technical brilliance of the three Japanese riders — the two brothers, Ayumu and Kaishu Hirano, and Yuto Totsuka — who have all mastered the Triple Cork.

“Scotty James, the veteran Australian… he has spent millions, I’d imagine it’s millions of Red Bull’s money, on a private halfpipe on a Swiss glacier and he came out of this hibernation for the X Games a couple of weeks ago and beat the Japanese even when they used the Triple.

“James, who could have been a Shakespearean tragedy of a snowboarder, in that he utterly dominated nearly two years of snowboard competition from late 2018 to early 2020, he won every competition but then Totsuka got the better of him.

“But then somehow the graft has meant he has fought his way back into this fight and it’s an even battle now.

“Then you have the last hurrah of White.

“Of all the events this is the one I’m looking forward to most.

“Pyeongchang, without doubt, was the best men’s snowboard competition I have ever watched.

“But this has the potential to be even better.”

— with AFP

First Olympic Medal handed out

Norway’s Therese Johaug won the first gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Saturday, storming ahead of the competition in the women’s 7.5km-plus-7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing.

Johaug, the clear favourite ahead of the event, finished the course in 44min 13.7sec to take what is expected to be the first of many cross-country skiing medals for Norway at these Games.

Natalia Nepryaeva battled it out with Austria’s Teresa Stadlober for second place, with the Russian prevailing to finish 0.3 seconds ahead to clinch silver.

It was a triumphant Olympic comeback for Johaug. She won relay gold at the 2010 Olympics and a bronze and silver in 2014, but missed the 2018 Pyeongchang Games because of a doping suspension.

She had tested positive for a steroid which she said was in a lip balm given to her by a team doctor.

Aussie Jessica Yeaton finished 31st.

It was a huge improvement for the 30-year-old who finished in 50th in PyeongChang in 2018.

Yeaton has a massive five events this Olympics, including the 10km Classic, 30km Freestyle Mass Start, Sprint Freestyle and Team Sprint

— with AFP

Aussie snowboarder into slopestyle final

Australian snowboarder Tess Coady has made her Olympic debut in the women’s snowboard freestyle.

Coady scored 55.98 on a conservative first run but improved on her second attempt, with her score of 71.13 putting her in fifth. With several riders still to run, she will have a nervous wait to see if she is one of the top 12 athletes to go through to tomorrow’s final.

New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott scored a massive score of 86.75, qualifying in first as the nation looks to earn its first every Winter Olympic gold medal.

Previously, New Zealand claimed a silver in 1992 in Albertville and two bronzes in 2018 in PyeongChang.

Aussie Tess Coady’s score was good enough for eighth.

Bizarre reaction to banned Olympics judge

Fans in Beijing have bizarrely applauded the return of a Chinese figure skating official who was suspended for biased judging.

Huang Feng copped a one-year suspension after he was accused of biased judging during the pairs event at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.

“The seriousness of his misconduct is aggravated by the fact that it was committed at the Olympic Winter Games, the doubtlessly most important and prestigious competition that exists in figure skating,” the said at the time.

Huang was cleared to work at Beijing 2022, and will serve as a technical controller.

He received a loud round of applause from hundreds of fans at Capital Indoor Stadium when Friday’s events got underway. Huang stood and waved at the crowd in response.

Meagan Duhamel and partner Eric Radford, who won bronze at the 2018 Games, questioned the decision to allow Huang to adjudicate at the Olympics again.

“You should not be allowed to be suspended and your reward is working the next Olympics,” Duhamel said.

“We as a sport have been trying to clear those people out, not welcome them back in.”

Fans in Beijing have bizarrely applauded the return of a Chinese figure skating official who has suspended for biased judging.

Day 1 Schedule (Aussies in action)

12.05pm – Curling mixed doubles round robin, Australia vs Norway (Tahli Gill & Dean Hewitt)

From 1.45pm – Women’s snowboard slopestyle, qualifying (Tess Coady)

5.05pm – Curling mixed doubles round robin, Australia vs Italy (Tahli Gill & Dean Hewitt)

6.45pm – Women’s 15km skiathlon (Jessica Yeaton)

From 9pm – Men’s moguls freestyle skiing, qualification 2 (Brodie Summers, Cooper Woods, James Matheson & Matt Graham)

From 10.10pm – Men’s singles luge, run 1 (Alexander Ferlazzo)

From 10.30pm – Men’s moguls freestyle skiing, finals (Brodie Summers, Cooper Woods, James Matheson & Matt Graham)

After 10.38pm – Men’s 1000m short-track speed skating, heat 8 (Brendan Croey)

*All times AEDT

Aussie curling duo annihilated

Australian mixed doubles curling pair Dean Hewitt and Tahli Gill have been toppled by Norway in their round robin clash at National Aquatics Centre.

Hewitt and Gill, who are still searching for their first victory at the Beijing Games, were bettered 10-4 at the end of six ends, forcing the mercy rule.

The Aussie duo will next face Italy at 5.05pm AEDT.

Unfortunately, Norway bounce back strongly and hands are shaken after the sixth end.

🇦🇺 4 - 🇳🇴 10#Beijing2022

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) February 5, 2022

Putin’s embarrassing Beijing Olympics blunder

Vladimir Putin’s not losing any sleep over the Ukraine conflict.

The Russian president appeared to doze off during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Friday as Ukraine’s national team marched through the stadium.

The world leader was caught on camera slumped in his chair with his eyes closed as the athletes were introduced and their national anthem blared, according to the UK Independent.

Aussie teen’s bold injury call

Australian freestyle skier Abi Harrigan has made the bold decision to compete in the Winter Olympics despite suffering a fractured fibula.

On Friday, the 19-year-old announced that she wad withdrawn from the Beijing 2022 big air event due to the injury.

However, Harrigan is still hoping to take part in the slopestyle competition, qualification for which start on February 13.

The teenager has nine days to prove her fitness.

“Pretty upset to say I will be pulling out of big air due to a fractured fibula,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Trying to give it the best chance to be ready for slopestyle.

“So stoked to be able to be here and also watch the big air in a few days time. Get it boys and girls!”

Harrigan is also listed to compete in the half-pipe on February 17.

Winter Olympics start under shadow

President Xi Jinping declared the Beijing Winter Olympics open on Friday as China tried to turn the page on a build-up overshadowed by human rights concerns, Covid-19 and a US-led diplomatic boycott.

Fireworks exploded over the “Bird’s Nest” as the lattice-shaped stadium took centre stage, just as it did at the 2008 Games, as Beijing becomes the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics.

Xi, under whose rule China has adopted a more muscular attitude internationally compared to 14 years ago, was given a rapturous welcome by the socially-distanced crowd wearing face masks, for what his ruling Communist Party hopes will be a soft-power triumph.

The ceremony was dazzling, but less spectacular than the extravaganza 14 years ago.

At the end of the ceremony, the Olympic torch was secured to the centre of a giant snowflake, which was then illuminated to become the cauldron and hoisted above the stadium.

One of the final two torchbearers was Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Chinese cross-country skier from the troubled Xinjiang region.

Campaigners say at least one million people from the Muslim Uyghur minority have been incarcerated in “re-education camps” in Xinjiang.

Xi was joined by world leaders including Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two having met earlier in the day.

China and Russia have both seen ties with Washington deteriorate markedly, and with tensions rising in Europe over Russia’s troop build-up on the Ukrainian border, Putin hailed the “truly unprecedented nature” of relations with his hosts.

The United States, Britain, Canada and Australia are among countries staging a diplomatic boycott of the Games over China’s rights record, particularly the fate of the Uyghurs.

Those nations’ athletes will still compete at the Games, which run until February 20 and are taking place inside a vast “closed loop” bubble designed to thwart the virus.

– with AFP and the New York Post