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The 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing — 13 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone in the U.S. — began on Wednesday night on our local airwaves with my every-four-year fixation on the great sport of curling, with the Opening Ceremonies slated to take place on Friday.

There are plenty of intriguing competitive storylines to follow over the next two weeks, beyond the politics of the United States and other countries not sending non-athlete diplomatic delegations to China and, of course, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and the various rules and restrictions put in place to ensure the 24th Winter Games are completed with as little disruption as possible.

Here’s a primer for some of the key storylines and athletes we will be keeping tabs on from halfway around the world: