The 2022 Winter Olympics is set to kick off in Beijing, China with the opening ceremony taking place on 4 February.
Four years on from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, counties such as Norway, the United States of America, Canada and Germany will look to dominate the medal table once again.
It was Norway who led the way with 14 golds and 39 medals overall four years ago with Great Britain winning one gold thanks to Lizze Yarnold’s defence of her skeleton title.
Great Britain will be sending a 50-strong team to Beijing, where they will be joined by countries from around the world.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.
What time is the Winter Olympics opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday 4 February at the Beijing National Stadium, with proceedings due to get underway at about midday GMT.
How do I watch it on TV in the UK?
Eurosport and the BBC share coverage of the Winter Olympics on TV in the United Kingdom. BBC Sport will broadcast more than 300 hours of live coverage across BBC One and BBC Two, while extra action will be shown on the BBC iPlayer, Red Button and BBC Sport website.
In addition to extensive TV coverage on Eurosport, every moment from the Winter Olympics will be available to watch live on discovery+.
When do the events start?
While the opening ceremony will be the official start of the Winter Olympics, there is action in curling, freestyle skiing and ice hockey before the ceremonial start. The round robin phase of the curling mixed doubles kick starts the Games on Wednesday 2 February.
When do the Games end?
The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday 20 February, with medals to be won in bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling and ice hockey on the final day in Beijing.
When are the Winter Paralympics?
The 2022 Winter Paralympics will also be held in Beijing and follow the Olympics, running between 4 March and 13 March.
What is the time difference?
The Beijing time zone, China Standard Time, is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time for those in the United Kingdom. It is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, 14 hours ahead of US Central time, 16 hours ahead of US Pacific Standard time.
Why is there a diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022?
Several competing nations, including the United States, Great Britain and Australia, have announced that they will not be sending delegates - typically members of a royal family or high-ranking politicians - to the 2022 Winter Olympics. This is due to widespread allegations of Chinese atrocities against the Uighur community.
Will fans be allowed to attend?
Organisers announced in January that only “selected” fans will be allowed to attend events in Beijing, and tickets will not go on sale to the general public.
