Sporting action gets under way at the Beijing Winter Olympics, overshadowed by diplomatic boycotts and concerns over Covid-19
China has been keen to stress that its capital will make Olympic history, becoming the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Games, and saying the Games will be"safe and splendid".
Among the controversies are fears for the safety of Peng Shuai, warnings about snooping by the Chinese government and the environmental impact of an Olympics which will rely almost entirely on man-made snow. When Washington said it would stage a diplomatic boycott because of rights concerns — with Australia, Britain and Canada among those following suit — China warned the United States would "pay the price".
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China — a group of Washington lawmakers and White House officials — asked US Olympics authorities for an "urgent effort" to protect their stars if they speak out.IOC president Thomas Bach says that while in Beijing he will meet Peng, a Grand Slam-winning tennis player who alleged in November that she had been sexually assaulted by a former vice-premier. Peng was not heard from for nearly three weeks, only to reappear.