THOMAS BACH

“As always before Olympic Games, there are challenges — in particular light of this new emerging world order and the financial and economic crisis,” Bach said Friday. “But we have overcome some challenges in the last couple of years," Bach added, referring to games held in Tokyo and Beijing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Italian authorities have set aside more than 80 million euros ($80 million) to renovate the historic sliding track in Cortina for bobsled, luge and skeleton races. “Thanks to the new rules we were able to imagine a candidacy like Milan-Cortina,” 2026 committee coordinator Diana Bianchedi told Bach. The IOC recently created a panel for cost cutting, which makes the move to keep sliding in Cortina surprising.

Costly construction delays, a leadership vacancy linked to a volatile political climate and a lack of sponsors amid a spreading financial crisis has prompted International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach to acknowledge the “challenges” facing organizers of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Olympics Tokyo 1 Year Ago FILE - "Ariagato" is displayed at the end of the closing ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File) (Vincent Thian)TOKYO — (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics survived the COVID-19 postponement, soaring expenses and some public opposition. Organizers said the Games would drive tourism, showcase Japan's technological prowess, and create memories similar to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. And it's trying to use the Tokyo Games to drive the bid. “We're already working toward that," Seiko Hashimoto, the head of the Tokyo Games, said last month.

The COVID-delayed Tokyo Olympics opened a year ago on July 23, 2021.

It took three days by car for high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh to escape from Ukraine.

Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm.

The leader of global track and field said it would have been “inconceivable” to have allowed Russians into this week’s world championships given the country’s war against Ukraine.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the country’s central figure in landing the 2020 Olympics for Tokyo.

The International Olympic Committee is expected to make a decision next week about whether to allow women to compete in Nordic combined at the 2026 Games.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — (AP) — Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has continued to speak with Olympic officials since the Beijing Winter Games and wants to visit Europe soon, IOC president Thomas Bach said on Friday. A social media hashtag "Where Is Peng Shuai?" Asked about Peng's wellbeing in an online news conference, Bach said a phone call Peng had with IOC athletes commission members this month was a “second or third” contact with her since the Olympics. “She is looking forward to be able to come to Europe and to visit Lausanne, apparently in particular the Olympic Museum," the IOC leader said. “Then also maybe to watch one or the other tennis tournament.”Bach noted the strict public health and quarantine policies in China during the COVID-19 pandemic could complicate Peng's travel plans.

APTOPIX Russia Putin Olympics Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Russian athletes during an awarding ceremony for the Russian Olympic Committee's medalists of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and members of the Russian Paralympic team in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Most sports bodies have followed the IOC guidance given on Feb. 28 — four days after Russia began its invasion — by taking teams and athletes out of their international competitions. Measures to protect the integrity of competitions,” Bach told IOC members in an online meeting. Weeks before the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February, United Nations member states, including Russia, approved a truce document to last until mid-March, after the Winter Paralympics. Bach moved to protect Russia’s active and honorary IOC members, who were allowed to take part online in Friday’s meeting.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach says Russian athletes and officials who have been banned from international sporting events because of the war in Ukraine are being protected rather than punished.

The Beijing Winter Olympics closed just over two months ago and the focus now turns to awarding a host city for the 2030 Winter Games.

Russian Olympic gold medalist swimmer Evgeny Rylov has been banned from the sport for nine months for appearing at a rally in support of President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Eya Guezguez was training with her twin sister Sarra alongside their national team when their boat capsized due to strong winds.

Qatar is the next stop on the global tour of major sports events to nations led by autocratic governments who are often decried by human rights activists.

Olympics and Politics FILE - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, left, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a meeting at the United Nations headquarters Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. Olympic athletes are pressing for a larger slice of the pie, aware their careers are fragile (only 30% of them attend the Olympics more than once). To participate in the Olympics, athletes must sign away image and likeness rights, limit their freedom of expression and also sign waivers. “We have to realize that our decisions at events like Olympic Games, they have political implications. The U.S. Olympic Committee kicked them off the team, but in 2019 they were inducted into the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame.

The International Olympic Committee has always been political, from the sheikhs and royals in its membership to a seat at the United Nations to pushing for peace talks between the Koreas.

Russia stepped up its legal fight against isolation in sports because of the war in Ukraine when its national Olympic body made an urgent appeal Friday to overturn a ban on its athletes competing at a European youth winter sports festival. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it was setting a timetable for the case ahead of the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival being held in Finland from March 20-25. The International Skating Union is organizing that event in Montpellier, France.

The Russian Paralympic Committee will leave Beijing and has no immediate plans for legal action. The RPC issued a statement Friday criticizing the decision to exclude Russian athletes from the Paralympics and said the move was "absolutely politicized.” It said its lawyers had determined that the Court of Arbitration for Sport would not be able to render a decision “during the accelerated proceedings.”

The International Paralympic Committee says Russians and Belarusians at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing will compete as “neutral athletes” because of their countries’ roles in the war against Ukraine.

With Russian troops encircling the capital of Kyiv, more than 60 athletes from Ukraine and elsewhere sent an open letter to Olympic and Paralympic leaders urging them to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarussian Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

Ukraine Invasion Russian Sports FILE - A man walking past the Russian Olympic Committee building casts a shadow on a window in Moscow, Russia on Nov. 18, 2015. The invasion of Ukraine could further undermine Russia's status as an elite sports dynasty, which already has been weakened by deception and doping scandals but often punished only by a tepid pushback from international sports bodies. If a further reckoning comes, it would damage Russia's ability to host events domestically and dominate them abroad. World Athletics is unique in that it has taken a tough stance in the Russian doping saga since 2015. The biggest test, however, will be how the IOC responds to Russia's eligibility for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

The invasion of Ukraine could further undermine Russia's status as an elite sports dynasty, which already has been weakened by deception and doping scandals but often punished only by a tepid pushback from international sports bodies.

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach waves during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing. Russia breached the Olympic Truce by invading Ukraine on Thursday, only four days after the closing ceremony of the Winter Games in Beijing. Russia invaded Georgia during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and annexed Crimea shortly after the end of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The IOC has ultimate authority over the Olympics but recognizes the independence of the governing bodies of individual sports to organize their own events and pick hosts. On Friday, the IOC said the flags and national anthems of Russia and Belarus should not be used at any international sports events.

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach waves during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Jae C. Hong)LAUSANNE, Switzerland — (AP) — The International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies Friday to cancel or move all events they plan to hold in Russia and Belarus, and stop using the countries' flags and national anthems. Russia breached the Olympic Truce by invading Ukraine on Thursday, only four days after the closing ceremony of the Winter Games in Beijing. It was the third Russian breach of the Olympic Truce in the past 14 years. Russia invaded Georgia during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and annexed Crimea shortly after the end of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The International Olympic Committee has urged sports bodies to cancel or move all events they plan to hold in Russia and Belarus and stop using the countries’ flags and national anthems.

The terrarium of a Winter Games that has been Beijing 2022​ came to its end Sunday.

After 16 days and 109 events, the Winter Olympics officially ended Sunday with the traditional closing ceremony. Team U.S.A. finished with 25 medals in all.

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony The logo for the 2026 Winter Olympics is displayed during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (Brynn Anderson)BEIJING — (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:___The Olympic flame has been extinguished in Beijing, marking the end of the most locked-down games in history. Alexander Bolshunov of the Russian Olympic Committee earned his third gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Saturday. In the women's race on Sunday, Norwegian great Therese Johaug won her third gold medal of the Beijing Olympics. ___The closing ceremony for the Beijing Games has begun, signaling the end to the second Olympics of the pandemic era.

Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics came to an end Sunday, sending the planet's most global sporting event off to the West for the foreseeable future.

A pile of figure-skating rubble created by Russian misbehavior.

The Olympic figure skating program at the Beijing Games probably won't be remembered for the soaring performances of American gold medalist Nathan Chen, French ice dancers Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron or the Chinese pairs team of Sui Wenjing and Han Cong.

The Olympic flame has been extinguished in Beijing, marking the end of the most locked-down games in history.

Beijing Olympics Figure Skating Silver medalists Karen Chen and Nathan Chen pose for a photo after the team event in the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)ZHANGJIAKOU, China — (AP) — The U.S. figure skaters whose Olympic silver medals are being withheld have filed an appeal to have them awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, with a decision expected before the closing ceremony. Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event, and the U.S. finished second. This case involves the team event held the previous week. They deserve that.”Frazier and Knierim are among the nine U.S. skaters who would receive medals, though neither were directly involved in the appeal as they prepared for Saturday night's competition.

Medals are currently being withheld in events where Kamila Valieva placed, after a positive doping test for the 15-year-old skater was disclosed.

The team is requesting the Court of Arbitration for Sport rule so its skaters can receive their medals while they await the results of a wider investigation into the Kamila Valieva doping scandal

Beijing Olympics Figure Skating Silver medalists Karen Chen and Nathan Chen pose for a photo after the team event in the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event, and the U.S. finished second. This case involves the team event held the previous week. The attorneys said they hoped the IOC would reconsider but that because of the urgency, they were filing the appeal. Figure Skating executive director Ramsey Baker sent the AP a statement standing in support of the skaters.

Beijing Olympics Figure Skating Silver medalists Karen Chen and Nathan Chen pose for a photo after the team event in the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)ZHANGJIAKOU, China — (AP) — Attorneys for the U.S. figure skaters whose Olympic silver medals are being withheld have notified the IOC that they have filed an appeal to have them awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, The Associated Press has learned. Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event, and the U.S. finished second. The attorneys said they hoped the IOC would reconsider but that because of the urgency, they were filing the appeal. Figure Skating executive director Ramsey Baker sent the AP a statement standing in support of the skaters.

Arbitrators have rejected a last-ditch request by American figure skaters to have their silver medals awarded before the end of the Olympics.

Beijing Olympics Figure Skating Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, of China, compete in the pairs short program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in Beijing. ___The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast. His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze. Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska. The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.

___The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast. ___Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze. His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze. Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska. The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.

After the 15-year-old appeared to crumble under pressure in her final performance, her coach asked, "Why did you let it go?"

His tone surprised Olympic observers - accustomed to hearing Bach defend Russian athletes despite the massive 2014 doping scandal - and drew a quick rebuke from Moscow. Bach said he felt the same way, spending much of his news conference taking rare swipes at Russia. She is the International Skating Union's coach of the year and the most powerful figure in Russian skating. Over the years, Bach has defended decisions and rulings that allowed Russian athletes continue to compete. Minutes after Bach's comments about Valieva's team, a journalist wearing a Russian Olympic Committee team jacket questioned the IOC.

A worldwide wave of sympathy has flowed to Kamila Valieva for the ordeal she endured at the Beijing Olympics.

Beijing Olympics Freestyle Skiing Switzerland's Ryan Regez, right, celebrates after winning a gold medal in the men's cross at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) (Francisco Seco)BEIJING — (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:___Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park. Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska. The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography. ___More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

The quadruple jumps that sent Russian world champ Anna Shcherbakova to the gold medal and teammate Alexandra Trusova to the silver could be a thing of the past by the 2026 Games.

IOC president Thomas Bach insists the ‘chilling’ atmosphere and treatment that followed the 15-year-old’s error-strewn performance needs investigating

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach resisted implementing any immediate changes despite speaking of concerns for minor athletes like Valieva.

Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics. It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska. The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography. ___More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Sui Wenjing and Han Chan of China shattered their own world record for a short program at the Beijing Games on Friday night, giving them the narrowest of leads over Russian rivals Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov heading into the free skate to decide the Olympic champion.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics. Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women's short program earlier in the week.

Canadian figure skater Madeline Schizas could end up a medalist at the Beijing Games, though she isn’t holding her breath for the results of the Russian doping scandal that has cast a shadow over figure skating at the Winter Olympics.

Anna Shcherbakova won a stunning gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Beijing Games while Russian teammate Kamila Valieva tumbled all the way out of the medals after a mistake-filled end to her controversial Olympics.

Beijing Olympics Figure Skating Silver medalists Karen Chen and Nathan Chen pose for a photo after the team event in the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)ZHANGJIAKOU, China — (AP) — IOC president Thomas Bach offered U.S. figure skaters Olympic torches as holdover gifts while they await a resolution of the Russian doping case that is preventing them from receiving their silver medals, The Associated Press has learned. Officials from the International Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to an email query from AP. The skaters had already received boxes for storing their medals when they learned the ceremony was off. Figure Skating immediately responded to emails from AP seeking comment.

IOC president Thomas Bach has offered U.S. figure skaters Olympic torches as holdover gifts while they await a resolution of the Russian doping case preventing them from receiving their silver medals.

The doping scandal around Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been a Games-changer at the Beijing Olympics.

So athletes from countries where COVID-19 has raged can compete, China's Winter Games workforce is making a giant sacrifice.

Beijing Olympics Winter Explainer FILE - The Beijing National Stadium, a venue for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2022 Winter Olympics, is seen from the main media center Jan. 25, 2022, in Beijing. So why is the sprawling city — famed internationally for roast duck, maze-like "hutong" courtyard neighborhoods and its battle with air pollution — holding the Winter Olympics? WHY ARE THE WINTER OLYMPICS A DIFFICULT SELL? Bach acknowledged in a 2014 interview that the Winter Olympics were a tough sell. The 2026 Winter Olympics have been awarded to Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Nobody views Beijing as a winter sports capital.

One of the most anticipated events at the Beijing Olympics is the imminent legal hearing in Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s doping case.

American snowboarder Chloe Kim turned in a strong opening run to easily defend her Olympic halfpipe title.

Beijing Olympics Truce Explainer FILE - The Olympic flag is carried into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) (Jae C. Hong)BEIJING — (AP) — "Observe your commitment to this Olympic Truce," International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach beseeched the international community at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. It begins seven days before the start of each Olympic Games and ends seven days after the conclusion of the Paralympics. The modern Olympic Truce was first established in 1993, for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. Instead of “openly flouting the Olympic Truce, they may say it doesn't apply.

A U.N. resolution upholding the Olympic Truce has been passed 15 times.

A French journalist says his exclusive interview with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai this week did not prove that she is OK.

Beijing Olympics Freestyle Skiing China's Peng Shuai, right, watches the women's freestyle skiing big air finals with Thomas Bach, center, President of the International Olympic Committee at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing. In 2014, NBC agreed to a $7.75 billion deal with the International Olympic Committee for rights through 2032. The Finnish Olympic Committee confirmed Olkinuora was taken Monday and that Anttila remains there. A spokesman for the Finnish Olympic Committee says Olkinuora and Anttila recovered from COVID-19 last month and tested negative to travel to Beijing. The Finnish Olympic Committee is unsure when either player could be released.

Beijing Olympics Freestyle Skiing China's Peng Shuai, right, watches the women's freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Jae C. Hong)BEIJING — (AP) — Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai sat with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and watched American-born Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu win gold at the women's big air event Tuesday. Her answers — delivered in front of a Chinese Olympic official — left unanswered questions about her well-being and what exactly happened. Bach said Peng told him that she was going into quarantine later Tuesday and planned to exit the closed Olympic coronavirus bubble. That led to “where is Peng Shuai?” questions online and from players and fans outside of China, in part because the country has a history of disappearing people who run afoul of its leaders.

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai sat with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and watched American-born Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu win gold at the women’s big air event.

China returned to work Monday after a weeklong Lunar New Year holiday muted by the pandemic — and even more so for the thousands of people inside a Winter Olympics bubble.

Peng also denied to a French newspaper that she ever accused a Chinese official of sexual assault, calling it an "enormous misunderstanding."

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has given a controlled interview to a French newspaper about the social media posting that sparked a storm of international concern over her well-being.

Beijing Olympics Peng Shuai FILE - China's Peng Shuai serves to Japan's Nao Hibino during their first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2020. The whereabout of Peng remains a pressing question at the Beijing Olympics. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill, File) (Andy Brownbill)BEIJING — (AP) — The question that won't go away for the International Olympic Committee and Beijing Olympic organizers: Where is Peng Shuai? Peng is absent from the news headlines in China, but the IOC got two questions about her at Sunday's Olympic daily briefing. “For the time being, that's all I can tell you.”___More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

The whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai remain a pressing question at the Beijing Olympics.

Patrice Motsepe is approaching the end of his first year as Confederation of African Football president.

BEIJING — (AP) — The ever-present slogan that governs these Winter Olympics is meant to evoke the ideal of one world. Bus shelters, buildings and the walls that form the membrane of the Olympic bubble all exhort: “Together for a shared future." At the opening ceremony, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach declared that the mission of the Olympics rested in "always building bridges, never erecting walls." ___New York-based Associated Press journalist Mallika Sen is on assignment at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports.

Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, says the Olympic ideals show that even in a world full of conflict, people can build bridges and live in peace.

Beijing Olympics A torchbearer transfers flame to another during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. ___Saudi Arabia has made its first appearance at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony after alpine skier Fayik Abdi qualified to compete. ___Finland women’s hockey coach Pasi Mustonen is leaving the Beijing Winter Games to return home and attend to a family emergency. ___The third round of training for women's ski jumpers at the Beijing Olympics has been cancelled due to windy conditions. ___Organizers have delayed the start of the second men’s downhill training session at the Beijing Olympics due to strong winds.

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony Nathan Crumpton, of American Samoa, carries his country flag during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (Petr David Josek)BEIJING — (AP) — The latest on the Beijing Olympics:___The Olympic flame has now officially arrived at the Beijing Games. Bach also addressed the athletes of the Beijing Games directly, saying: “Dear fellow Olympians, your Olympic stage is set. 2 in the world, also tested positive for COVID-19 and seemed to indicate he was out for the Beijing Games. ___Finland women’s hockey coach Pasi Mustonen is leaving the Beijing Winter Games to return home and attend to a family emergency.

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony Nathan Crumpton, of American Samoa, carries his country flag during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. ___Saudi Arabia has made its first appearance at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony after alpine skier Fayik Abdi qualified to compete. 2 in the world, also tested positive for COVID-19 and seemed to indicate he was out for the Beijing Games. Riiber posted on Instagram “the (gold) is yours guys.”The first Nordic combined event at the Beijing Games is Wednesday. ___Finland women’s hockey coach Pasi Mustonen is leaving the Beijing Winter Games to return home and attend to a family emergency.

China invited the world back — sort of — for the pandemic era’s second Olympics.

A correspondent in Beijing for Dutch national broadcaster NOS was manhandled away from his camera during a live news show shortly before the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Soccer FIFA World Cup Plan FILE - FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks during the Confederation of African Football general assembly in Cairo, Egypt, July 18, 2019. Infantino has linked his plan for biennial World Cups to giving more hope to African people who currently risk their lives crossing the sea to Europe. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, file) (Hassan Ammar)BEIJING — (AP) — FIFA’s fading plan for biennial World Cups was labeled a threat from soccer to all other sports by the International Olympic Committee on Thursday. The FIFA president has been pushing a plan to stage World Cups for men and women every two years instead of four. The FIFA plan has "no chance" of succeeding, South American soccer president Alejandro Dominguez told The Associated Press last week.

Beijing Olympics Ice Hockey United States' Brianna Decker (14) is taken off the ice after being injured during a preliminary round women's hockey game against Finland at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (Petr David Josek)BEIJING — (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Olympics:___Brianna Decker has been stretchered off the ice with what appeared to be a severe leg injury in the U.S. women's hockey team's opening game at the Beijing Olympics. ___Nordic combined star Jarl Magnus Riiber of Norway has tested positive for COVID-19. ___Strong winds could delay the start of the second downhill training session on Friday at the Beijing Olympics. The team event requires each country to put forward an entrant in each discipline: men, women, pairs and ice dance.

Peng disappeared from public view in November, 2021, after accusing former Communist Party official Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. Peng last year accused a former senior Chinese Community Party official of sexual assault. IOC president Thomas Bach is among the few people outside China to have spoken with Peng in the past three months in calls by video link with IOC staff. The two-time Grand Slam doubles champion used a social media post to accuse a former member of China’s ruling Standing Committee, Zhang Gaoli, of sexual assault several years earlier. Peng then appeared to have vanished from public view, but soon made a brief appearance at a youth tennis event.

The president of the International Olympic Committee has sought to play down concerns about the safety of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai while also saying he planned to go ahead with their long-promised dinner during the Beijing Games.

(AP Photo/Lisa Leutner) (Lisa Leutner)BEIJING — (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Olympics:___Nordic combined star Jarl Magnus Riiber of Norway has tested positive for COVID-19. ___The Czech Republic team says ski jumpers Viktor Polášek and Čestmír Kožíšek have tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Beijing. The German Olympic Sports Confederation says Seegert tested positive upon his arrival in Beijing and wasn't experiencing any symptoms. The team event requires each country to put forward an entrant in each discipline: men, women, pairs and ice dance. Seegert could still compete in the pairs event if he returns the necessary negative tests.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach avoided taking positions on any political controversies ahead of the beginning of the Beijing Winter Games.

The controversy surrounding Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's accusations of sexual assault against a former top politician continues to cast a shadow over the Beijing Winter Olympic Games that officially begin on Friday.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are opening with the same concerns that loomed over the 2008 Beijing Olympics: China's record on human rights and its treatment of Tibetans and Uyghur Muslims in western China.

FIFA’s fading plan for biennial World Cups has been labeled a threat from soccer to all other sports by the International Olympic Committee.

An activist plans to hand out 1,000 T-shirts with the slogan “Where is Peng Shuai?"

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics open in just over a week.

The Beijing Winter Olympics are fraught with potential hazards for major sponsors.

North Korea says it will skip next month’s Beijing Olympics because of the COVID-19 pandemic and “hostile forces’ moves."

China Beijing Peng Effect Tennis FILE - China's Peng Shuai reacts during her first round singles match against Japan's Nao Hibino at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 21, 2020. IOC President Thomas Bach can't escape repeated questions about Peng and suspicions around two video calls the IOC has had with her. The paper said it interviewed Peng at a promotional event for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games which begin Feb. 4. It was the strongest public stand against China taken by a sports body — and one that could cost the WTA millions of dollars. The IOC has taken a different tack, with top officials saying they believe Peng is fine after video chatting with her.

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied saying she was sexually assaulted, despite a November social media post attributed to her that accused a former top Communist Party official of forcing her into sex.

Brazil Nuzman Sentenced FILE - President of Brazil's Olympic Committee Carlos Arthur Nuzman, left, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, right, visit Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Jan. 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) (Felipe Dana)GENEVA — (AP) — Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon were set a target of about 18 months on Thursday to make changes in order to keep their status as Olympic sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The governing bodies of boxing and weightlifting were described as problem children by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, who has long voiced concerns with the leadership of those sports and issues with corruption and doping. The current cycle of men’s World Cups would put any biennial tournament in a direct clash with the Los Angeles Olympics. They were added by organizers to the Tokyo Olympics, along with karate, to appeal to Japanese fans.

China Beijing Peng Effect Tennis FILE - China's Peng Shuai reacts during her first round singles match against Japan's Nao Hibino at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 21, 2020. IOC President Thomas Bach can't escape repeated questions about Peng and suspicions around two video calls the IOC has had with her. "And in such a fragile situation (that) Peng Shuai is in, you have to make all the efforts to build trust. “Why don’t you respect Peng Shuai in this and let her decide where her priorities are," Bach said. “Of course, Peng Shuai is not safe," Teng said in a recent interview on CNN.

China Tennis Star Metoo Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai reacts during a tennis match in Beijing, China on Oct. 6, 2009. When Peng disappeared from public view this month after accusing a senior Chinese politician of sexual assault, it caused an international uproar. The Beijing Games are set to open on Feb. 4, the second Olympics to be staged during the coronavirus pandemic. “The integrity of the games are about the integrity of the sports competitions.”The situation surrounding Peng, however, has led to suspicions that the IOC is colluding with China. “Why don’t you respect Peng Shuai in this,” Bach said, “and let her decide where her priorities are?”___More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

The Beijing Winter Olympics open in just under two months and are now the target to a diplomatic boycott by the United States with others likely to follow. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul, File) (Joshua Paul)The Beijing Winter Olympics open in just under two months and are now the target of a diplomatic boycott by the United States, with others likely to follow. So how did Beijing land the Winter Olympics, so soon after it was host to the Summer Olympics in 2008? The only open slot is the 2030 Winter Olympics, in which Sapporo, Japan, seems to be the leading candidate. ___More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.