Winter Olympics 2022: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un congratultes China

China has found a powerful ally amid criticism of its hosting of the Winter Olympics, with North Korea’s leader issuing this message despite his country being banned from the event.

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 03: Rina Yoshika of Team Japan receives medical attention after crashing during the Snowboard Slopestyle Training session ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Genting Snow Park on February 03, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

North Korea sent “warm congratulations” Friday to ally China ahead of the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, a message analysts said likely signals it will stop test-firing missiles during the event.

Pyongyang conducted an unprecedented seven weapons tests in January, including launching its most powerful missile since 2017 as it hinted it could restart long-range and nuclear testing.

The sabre-rattling raised tensions on the Korean peninsula and forced Beijing — Pyongyang’s main diplomatic ally and economic benefactor — to block a US push for new UN sanctions over the barrage.

North Korea is barred from competing at the Beijing Games, which have been clouded by human rights and coronavirus concerns and subject to a diplomatic boycott by Washington and its allies.

On Friday, state media in North Korea reported leader Kim Jong Un “warmly congratulated” China’s President Xi Jinping on successfully opening the Beijing Winter Olympics “despite the worldwide health crisis and unprecedented severe circumstances”.

“The Olympic torch flaring up in Beijing clearly proves that no difficulty and challenge can ever prevent the Chinese people from vigorously advancing,” Kim’s message said, according to state-run KCNA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has congratulated China.

North Korea’s string of sanctions-busting weapons tests in January would have made Beijing “very uncomfortable”, Cheong Seong-chang of the Center for North Korea Studies at Sejong Institute told AFP.

“But as Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping today, China can now expect that Pyongyang will refrain from weapons tests during the Olympics,” he said.

It is “highly unlikely” Pyongyang would “annoy” Beijing by test-firing a missile during the Olympics, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.

“China clearly doesn’t want any military tension during the Games. Also, the UN has urged all countries to observe a truce during the Olympics -- which adds another layer of pressure,” he said.

North Korea stayed away from last year’s pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, refusing to send its athletes over Covid-19 concerns.

The International Olympic Committee punished the no-show by suspending it from competing in the Beijing Winter Games.

North Korea’s Kwang Bom Jong crashes out during the 2018 Olympic Games.

Despite being barred, North Korea has depicted its absence as the result of the pandemic and “hostile forces”.

The IOC said in September 2021, when announcing the punishment, that Pyongyang had rejected all coronavirus safety proposals — including the provision of vaccines -- ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

North Korea imposed a rigid Covid-19 blockade -- among the strictest in the world — in the early days of the pandemic and has barely eased it since.

The country’s absence from Beijing marks a huge shift from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, where it had the attention of the world.

Leader Kim Jong Un’s sister attended the Pyeongchang Games as his envoy in a blaze of publicity, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in seized the opportunity to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

But negotiations between Kim and then US president Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 and have languished ever since, as Pyongyang doubles down on efforts to modernise its military.

SNOWBOARDER OUT AFTER CRASH ON ‘BULLETPROOF ICE’

Japanese snowboarder Rina Yoshika is out of the Beijing Olympics after injuring her spine in a heavy fall in practice on Thursday, the Japanese Olympic Committee said.

Yoshika was taken away in an ambulance after crash-landing coming off a jump on the snowboard slopestyle course at the Genting Snow Park.

The JOC later said the 22-year-old had suffered a spinal injury but was not paralysed.

She will not compete in the slopestyle or Big Air events at the Games as planned, and will return to Japan once she has received the necessary medical care.

Rina Yoshika is out of the Beijing Olympics after injuring her spine in a heavy fall in practice. Picture: Getty Images

The Beijing Games, which open on Friday, are taking place in one of the driest regions of China and rely almost entirely on man-made snow.

American snowboarder Jamie Anderson, a reigning two-time Olympic champion, said Wednesday she had been scared trying out the slopestyle course and its artificially made surface, calling it “bulletproof ice”.

“I think the majority of it is artificial snow so it’s not quite ideal,” Anderson said, adding “you definitely don’t want to fall”.

The women’s snowboard slopestyle competition is set to begin with qualifying on Saturday.

Rina Yoshika receives medical attention after crashing during the Snowboard Slopestyle training session in Zhangjiakou, China. Picture: Getty Images

Aussie sensation’s stunning start in hunt for gold

By Julian Linden

Australia’s Jakara Anthony has sent an ominous warning to her rivals at the Beijing Winter Olympics by qualifying first for the women’s moguls final.

The Aussie sensation, who finished fourth at the last Olympics when she was just a teenager, has let everyone know she’s gunning for gold this time after a stunning performance in Thursday’s qualifiers.

The 23-year-old topped the qualifiers with a score of 83.75 points, that included a double rotation on the jumps, to finish well clear of her nearest competitor and major medal rival, France’s Perrine Laffont.

Jakara Anthony surged into medal contention after topping the charts in qualifying for the women’s moguls. Picture: Ben Stansall/AFP

Australia’s Britt Cox also turned in a brilliant display to qualify ninth, with the top 10 all advancing directly to Sunday’s three-stage finals series.

Australia’s Sophie Ash, on her Olympic debut, finished 13th, but Taylah O’Neill, who recently tore her ACL, did not complete her run.

Each of the competitors who failed to advance directly to the first round of finals will get a second chance on Sunday night with 10 more going through to the evening finals.

From there, the field will be reduced to 12 then again to the last six for the final run that will decide the medals.

Australia has a strong record in Olympic moguls, winning one gold and two silver medals in men’s events but none so far in women’s competition.

Anthony has emerged as Australia’s best hope of ending the drought after winning silver at the last world championships two years ago and dominating this season’s World Cup series, finishing on the podium in six of the seven events.

“I was so excited to finally get to compete under the lights,” Anthony told Channel Seven.

“It’s been a big four year build up and the last week’s been crazy with a lot of training days, a lot more than normal so stoked to finally get to ski it.

Jakara Anthony was “stoked” with her qualifying run. Picture: Marco Bertorello/AFP

“It’s really great to have so many people behind us and supporting me and the whole mogul team. We really do appreciate it.

“I was pretty stoked with the run. There were definitely bits that I trained a lot better.

“Ideally I’ll clean out that ski out a little bit and work my sides out on the top air but I’m so happy with that as a starting position, it’s a great position to be in going into a finals in a couple of days with room to improve.”

AUSSIES PROVE METTLE IN HISTORIC OLYMPICS FIRST

Australia’s first Winter Olympic curlers have suffered a heartbreaking loss to the United States in the opening round of mixed doubles.

Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt, who defied incredible odds just by qualifying for the Olympics, led the Americans 5–3 with two ends remaining only to go down 6-5.

Gill had the chance to win the match for the Aussies with her final throw but her attempt to remove the US stone just missed by centimetres at the Ice Cube.

Australia's Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt suffered a heartbreaking loss to the United States, Picture: AFP

“It was definitely a tight battle. They played really well and we played well too,” Gill told Channel 7.

“It just came down to that last rock, and that’s how we always want to play.

“It didn’t quite come off the way we wanted it to but we’re just going to park it and have so much confidence going into the next game.”

It was an encouraging performance from the Australians who feared they were going to be ruled out of the competition before it began when Gill tested positive for Covid on arrival at Beijing airport only to be cleared by two subsequent tests that were negative.

Hewitt said the narrow loss to the highly rated American pair of Vicky Persinger and Chris Plys showed the Australians were right up to pace.

Tahli Gill had the chance to win the match for the Aussies with her final throw. Picture: Getty Images

“Throughout the game it was kind of back and forth all the way,” Hewitt said.

“We tried to barrel it. The sixth end was really key for us trying to build towards the final end.

“We’re happy with the way we played but we need to finish off the games now because we’re close.”

The first event to kick off ahead of Friday’s Opening Ceremony, mixed doubles continues on Thursday with Australia taking on China at lunch time then Czech Republic in the evening.

Originally published as Winter Olympics 2022: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un congratultes China