The World Athletics Council has decided to postpone the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 2023, scheduled for March 17–19, until March 2025.

The decision was made with the agreement of both the Nanjing organizing committee and the Chinese Athletics Association due to the ongoing pandemic conditions.

Nanjing was originally selected to host the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which were first postponed until March 2021, and then to March 2023, as the pandemic continued.

The next edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships will now be in Glasgow, Scotland, March 1–3, 2024, and the bid process has commenced for the 2026 edition of the championships, as 2025 has been designated as the year for Nanjing.

“We’re disappointed that we have had to postpone this event again due to circumstances beyond our control, but we have done so to give certainty to athletes and member federations preparing for the 2023 competition season,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said. “Unfortunately, the timeframe will prevent us from relocating the 2023 event, but the indoor championships will return in 2024 in Glasgow.

“We have offered Nanjing the 2025 edition because we are mindful of the substantial preparations the LOC has already done to host the event and we want to avoid potential financial losses for all parties. I want to thank CAA and the LOC for their cooperation in resolving this situation.”

Despite this postponement, athletes will have substantial competitive opportunities available in the early part of 2023 through the World Athletics Indoor Tour, which will offer a full calendar of events from late January to March across four different tiers of competition — Gold, Silver, Bronze and Challenger.

ASM Global and Clorox have announced a multiyear partnership to enhance health and wellness in venues across the United States, spanning ASM Global’s portfolio of arenas, stadiums, theaters and convention centers.

ASM Global and Clorox will officially launch the partnership at the Oakland Arena on June 1.

“Since the very start of the COVID pandemic, our focus has been on reimagining the future of live events and preparing clean and safe venues for the return of our team members, athletes, fans, partners and guests,” said ASM Global President Ron Bension. “Clorox’s industry-leading solutions allow us to continually enhance the quality of our event experiences and we’re excited to partner with them in honoring the heroic workers that have supported all of us as we’ve navigated through the pandemic.”

Clorox becomes the official cleaning and disinfecting product partner for ASM Global. Clorox products, including disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and electrostatic sprayers, will be used to help protect fans and guests. To honor COVID front-line responders and health care workers, Clorox will provide $1 million in tickets to sports and entertainment events across the country.

The use of Clorox products further enhances VenueShield, ASM Global’s comprehensive program that provides advanced hygienic safeguards to protect the live-event experience.

“Clorox is committed to supporting people’s health and well-being no matter whether they’re at home or out in the world, which is why we are incredibly excited to be working with ASM Global,” said Tad Kittredge, vice president and general manager at Clorox. “It’s especially rewarding to extend our support to those who have been on the frontlines during the pandemic with the well-earned thanks they deserve.”

Below is the full rundown on each NHL team’s fan policy when it comes to COVID-19, whether they require proof of full vaccination, either vaccination or a negative COVID test, or in some teams’ cases, no policy at all. Ten teams will mandate proof of vaccination for fans this season and eight more will allow proof of negative test for entrance if fans do not have vaccination. Every team in Canada will require at least proof of a negative test for fans to attend games.

The NHL’s protocols this season include the ability to suspend unvaccinated players without pay if they cannot participate in hockey activities, while fully vaccinated players will have any COVID-19 positives treated as injuries and still be paid.

Click here for daily updates on how the sports world is dealing with COVID.

Spectator regulations for each NHL team for the 2021–2022 season

Anaheim Ducks (Honda Center, 17,174): The Ducks require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Unvaccinated fans must wear a mask except when eating or drinking.

Arizona Coyotes (Gila River Arena, 17,125): The Coyotes do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Boston Bruins (TD Garden, 17,565): The Bruins do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Buffalo Sabres (KeyBank Center, 19,070): The Sabres do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Calgary Flames (Scotiabank Saddledome, 19,289): The Flames do not require fans to show proof of full vaccination to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Carolina Hurricanes (PNC Arena, 18,680): The Hurricanes do not require fans to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Chicago Blackhawks (United Center, 19,717): The Blackhawks do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Colorado Avalanche (Ball Arena, 17,809): The Avalanche do not require fans to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Columbus Blue Jackets (Nationwide Arena, 18,144): The Blue Jackets do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Dallas Stars (American Airlines Center, 18,352): The Stars do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Detroit Red Wings (Little Caesars Arena, 19,515): The Red Wings do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Edmonton Oilers (Rogers Place, 18,347): The Oilers do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Florida Panthers (FLA Live Arena, 19,250): The Panthers do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Los Angeles Kings (crypto.com Arena, 18,230): The Kings require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Unvaccinated fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Minnesota Wild (Xcel Energy Center, 17,954): The Wild do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Montreal Canadiens (Bell Centre, 21,302): The Canadiens do not require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Nashville Predators (Bridgestone Arena, 17,113): The Predators do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

New Jersey Devils (Prudential Center, 16,514): The Devils do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

New York Islanders (UBS Arena, 17,113): The Islanders do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

New York Rangers (Madison Square Garden, 18,006): The Rangers require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Ottawa Senators (Canadian Tire Centre, 17,373): The Senators do not require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Philadelphia Flyers (Wells Fargo Center, 19,543): The Flyers do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Pittsburgh Penguins (PPG Paints Arena, 18,387): The Penguins do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

San Jose Sharks (SAP Center, 17,562): The Sharks require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Seattle Kraken (Climate Pledge Arena, 17,100): The Kraken do not require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

St. Louis Blues (Enterprise Center, 18,096): The Blues require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test  to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Tampa Bay Lightning (Amalie Arena, 19,902): The Lightning do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Toronto Maple Leafs (Scotiabank Arena, 18,819): The Maple Leafs do not require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Vancouver Canucks (Rogers Arena, 18,910): The Canucks require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Vegas Golden Knights (T-Mobile Arena, 17,368): The Golden Knights do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Washington Capitals (Capital One Arena, 18,506): The Capitals do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Winnipeg Jets (Canada Life Centre, 15,321): The Jets do not require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Below is the full rundown on each NBA team’s fan policy when it comes to COVID-19 whether they require proof of full vaccination, either vaccination or a negative COVID test, or in some teams’ cases, no policy at all.

The NBA has mandated that at every arena, regardless of other protocols, fans sitting within 15 feet of the court will have to show proof of vaccination or return a negative COVID-19 test before the game and will have to wear masks at all times, except when eating or drinking. Local regulations in New York City and San Francisco require that Nets, Knicks and Warriors players be vaccinated to gain access to indoor public gatherings, which includes practice and games.

Click here for daily updates on how the sports world is dealing with COVID.

Spectator regulations for each NBA team for the 2021–2022 season

Atlanta Hawks (State Farm Arena, 18,118): The Hawks do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Boston Celtics (TD Garden, 18,624): The Celtics do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Brooklyn Nets (Barclays Center, 17,732): The Nets do not require proof of vaccination for fans to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Charlotte Hornets (Spectrum Center, 19,077): The Hornets do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Cleveland Cavaliers (Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, 19,432): The Cavaliers do not require fans to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Chicago Bulls (United Center, 20,917): The Bulls do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Dallas Mavericks (American Airlines Center, 19,200): The Mavericks do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Denver Nuggets (Ball Arena, 19,520): The Nuggets do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Detroit Pistons (Little Caesars Arena, 20,332): The Pistons do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Golden State Warriors (Chase Center, 18,064): The Warriors require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend until April 1. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Houston Rockets (Toyota Center, 18,055): The Rockets do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Indiana Pacers (Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 17,923): The Pacers do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Los Angeles Clippers (crypto.com Arena, 19,068): The Clippers require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. Unvaccinated fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Los Angeles Lakers (crypton.com Arena, 19,068): The Lakers require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. Unvaccinated fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Memphis Grizzlies (FedEx Forum, 17,794): The Grizzlies do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Miami Heat (FTX Arena, 19,600): The Heat do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Milwaukee Bucks (Fiserv Forum, 17,500): The Bucks do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. Unvaccinated fans are asked to wear a mask.

Minnesota Timberwolves (Target Center, 18,978): The Timberwolves do not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

New Orleans Pelicans (Smoothie King Center, 16,867): The Pelicans do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

New York Knicks (Madison Square Garden, 19,812): The Knicks do not require proof of vaccination for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Oklahoma City Thunder (Paycom Center, 18,203): The Thunder do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Orlando Magic (Amway Center, 18,846): The Magic do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Philadelphia 76ers (Wells Fargo Center, 20,478): The 76ers do not require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Phoenix Suns (Footprint Center, 18,055): The Suns do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Portland Trail Blazers (Moda Center, 19,441): The Trail Blazers do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

San Antonio Spurs (AT&T Center, 18,418): The Spurs do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Sacramento Kings (Golden 1 Center, 17,583): The Kings do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. Unvaccinated fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Toronto Raptors (Scotiabank Arena, 19,800): The Raptors do not require proof of vaccination for fans to attend. Fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking.

Utah Jazz (Vivint Arena, 18,306): The Jazz do not require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to attend. There is no mask mandate.

Washington Wizards (Capital One Arena, 20,356): The Wizards do not require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend. There is no mask mandate.

The Asian Football Confederation is looking for a new host for the 2023 Asian Cup after China withdrew because of COVID-related conditions within the country.

“The AFC acknowledges the exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the relinquishment by China PR of its hosting rights,” the confederation said, adding it will decide on a new host in due course. The event was scheduled to start June 16, 2023, with 24 countries participating.

“The AFC appreciates that China PR, the CFA and the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 LOC have made this very difficult but necessary decision in the collective interests of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which has also provided the AFC the required time to assess the situation regarding the hosting of the AFC Asian Cup 2023,” the confederation also said in a statement.

The 2023 Cup is the latest major sporting event that was scheduled to be in China but has since been postponed or cancelled. While the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were held in February with a ‘closed loop’ system, China has since withdrawn as host from the 2022 Asian Games and the World University Games scheduled for this summer will be postponed until 2023. The Asian Youth Games scheduled for December 20–28 in Shantou, has also been cancelled. The Formula 1 Grand Prix in China has been not been held since 2019.

Shanghai has been under lockdown for more than a month and was about to ease its COVID restrictionsat the start of June while other cities, including Beijing, are facing targeted lockdowns among other measures. International travel restrictions have been tightened recently as well.

Scott Howson was named president of the American Hockey League in February 2020 with plans for a short transition period before assuming control ahead of the 2020–2021 season. Obviously the sports landscape, along with the world landscape, looks a lot different now than it did a little more than two years ago. Howson worked during the pandemic to steer the league through a shortened 2020–2021 season that saw no Calder Cup playoffs. This season, the AHL has steered through the winter difficulties of the omicron variant to put itself on track for a full regular season and playoffs thanks to the support of medical experts and the National Hockey League as well. The AHL’s future also looks bright with the incoming addition of a team in the Coachella Valley starting next season in a new venue.

In this episode, Howson talks with SportsTravel managing editor Matt Traub about how a kid who grew up loving hockey turned it into not just a playing career but a post-playing career as a sports executive.

Among the topics featured in this episode:

• What the past two years have been like as a sports executive (2:24)
• Surviving the 2021 season that saw teams opt out, relocate and play in altered playoffs (3:55)
• How the current season compares to the previous one (5:49)
• The frustrations of a rough December because of the omicron variant (7:15)
• How the AHL has survived financially through the pandemic (9:20)
• The incentives of gambling and other revenue streams for the AHL (11:05)
• Why he was interested in the job of AHL president (12:08)
• His view of league when he was a player in the mid-1980s and later as an NHL team executive (13:35)
• The growth of the AHL which now has teams from coast to coast (15:02)
• How AHL franchises have been able to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded entertainment landscape (16:50)
• The AHL’s relationship with the NHL and its member clubs (18:17)
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion throughout the league on and off the ice (20:16)
• Standardizing the AHL’s schedule for all 32 teams starting next season (22:10)
• The anticipation of having the Calder Cup Playoffs return (23:52)
• The league’s future priorities (24:45)
• What his younger self would think having had a playing and post-playing career in hockey (26:08)

This episode is sponsored by:

USA Boxing has agreed to a partnership with Lucira Health that will make the medical technology company the national governing body’s first official COVID-19 test provider for the 2022 season.

Lucira will provide its Check-It COVID-19 test kits to USA Boxing athletes, coaches and staff. The company will also sponsor the USA Boxing national qualifier April 23–30 in Cleveland, the National Junior Olympics and Summer Festival July 9–16 in Wichita, Kansas, and the National Championships in Lubbock, Texas, December 3–10.

“After providing remote and in-person supervision for over 4,000 athletes and staff taking Lucira COVID-19 tests to ensure they travel safely to the summer games in Tokyo last year, I am confident it is the right test to keep my boxers, coaches and staff safe from COVID-19 throughout their international travels and tournaments,” said Dr. Kirk O’Donnell, high performance medical director for USA Boxing.

Additionally, Lucira has agreed to donate $5 for every COVID-19 test sold to USA Boxing fans, donating proceeds up to $50,000 in support of the non-profit sports organization.  

“We are pleased to partner with USA Boxing this season,” said Erik Engelson, president and chief executive officer of Lucira Health. “Providing a fast and easy-to-use at-home COVID-19 test is one of the best ways to mitigate the spread of infection and keep athletes safe from COVID-19.” 

The Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis was the biggest gathering in women’s college basketball since the pandemic began more than two years ago. And in the light of last year’s NCAA gender equity report, all eyes were on the destination to make sure that women’s sports were celebrated not only on the court and in the Target Center, but that the experience extended beyond the arena to every detail including how the city and NCAA partners treated the event — including where people stayed during the weekend.

Julius Robinson, the chief sales and marketing officer, U.S. and Canada, for Marriott, joined SportsTravel managing editor Matt Traub on location in Minneapolis to discuss how Marriott plans for big events like the Women’s Final Four, what it’s like working with the NCAA as its official hotel partner, how important sports-related travel has been to Marriott’s business the past two years, sports tourism trends the hotel chain has seen lately and what the one big sports event he still would like to check off his bucket list.

Among the topics featured in this episode:

• How long it takes for Marriott to work with the NCAA on the Women’s Final Four (2:08)
• The advantages that Marriott gets as the official host partner of the NCAA (3:00)
• The importance of the NCAA’s partnership to Marriott for future national championships (3:57)
• Working with the NCAA on COVID-related health and safety protocols (5:04)
• Partnering local activations with host destinations such as Minneapolis (6:06)
• Making sure the host experience for the Women’s Final Four was equitable to the experiences in New Orleans (7:08)
• Using the attention in Minneapolis to promote Marriott’s support of women’s sports initiatives (8:00)
• Leveraging the NCAA partnership to grow Marriott’s business beyond sporting events (8:42)
• The importance of sports-related travel to Marriott’s bottom line (10:06)
• How the return of sports-related travel in the past year-plus has helped Marriott (11:26)
• Preparing respective hotel staffs ahead of major events (12:36)
• Marriott’s role during Final Four weekends to help the NCAA and host destinations plan for the weekend (14:19)
• How sports-related travel has changed Marriott’s approach to the industry (15:13)
• His favorite sporting event to attend and why (17:16)
• The biggest remaining sports event on his bucket list (18:11)

Related Video — Marriott International: Evolving to Meet Planners’ Needs

This episode is sponsored by:

Between the controversies surrounding the host to a pandemic still ongoing after two years, there has never been an Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games like this.

In the Olympic coverage preceding this year’s Games, very little of it has been focused on the athletes. Even NBC has been downgrading some of its ratings guarantees to commercial sponsors; when the 100-day milestone was celebrated, a Morning Consult poll showed 26 percent of U.S. adults were aware the next Olympic Games were scheduled for 2022, while only 21 percent correctly identified Beijing as the host.

SportsTravel’s Olympic coverage — which will include on-site reports — addresses several storylines ahead of the Opening Ceremonies on February 4. And there’s nowhere to start other than the biggest storyline of all …

The controversial host country

Beginning with the 2024 Paris Olympics, host cities must adhere to the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. But China is not subject to those rules, and the International Olympic Committee has steadfastly refused to acknowledge any human rights issues in China.

While the IOC has turned a blind eye to it, the rest of the world has not. The United States called China’s treatment of the Uyghurs genocide. Forced labor, mass detentions and torture have been widely reported by human rights groups. China — and by extension the IOC — have been widely criticized over the near-disappearance from public view of tennis star Peng Shuai after she accused a former senior member of the Communist Party of sexual assault.

Multiple countries, including the United States, have announced diplomatic boycotts of the Games, which seems to suit both China and the IOC just fine.

“The IOC deserves all of the disdain and disgust that comes their way for going back to China yet again,” former Olympic host Bob Costas told CNN’s Reliable Sources recently. “They were in Beijing in 2008. They go to Sochi in 2014. They’re shameless about this stuff.”

(When Beijing was awarded the 2022 Games, it barely edged out Almaty, Kazakhstan, one of the few places in the world even more autocratic than China. The 2022 bid race may have been the most depressing in Olympic history.) 

Human rights advocates have called what athletes will face in China an “Orwellian surveillance state” and are encouraging athletes to stay silent for fear of prosecution. While the IOC has said athletes will have freedom of speech when talking to the media or posting on social media, the IOC’s rules prohibit political protests at medal ceremonies and requires “applicable public law” to be followed.

“Any expression that is in line with the Olympic spirit I’m sure will be protected,” Yang Shu, deputy director general of international relations for the Beijing Organizing Committee, said in January. “Any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment.”

That … does not sound encouraging.

Not only are there concerns about the welfare of athletes who speak out, there are fears of surveillance. The British Olympic Association will offer temporary phones to athletes and staff and those who do not take up the BOA on the offer have been told Chinese authorities could install spyware to extract private information or track future activity. The Canadian cybersecurity research group Citizen Lab says a Games-required health-tracking app has security flaws that make users’ personal data vulnerable.

It’s another COVID Olympics

Last summer’s Tokyo Olympics were held under what was thought to be fairly strict quarantine requirements. Tokyo is nothing like what the Chinese have prepared for those who compete, attend and cover the Winter Games.

All athletes, team officials and journalists need to provide two recent negative tests before heading to China. They will be tested again at the airport upon arrival and everyone will get daily throat swabs for PCR lab tests, with results coming back within a day.

If anybody tests positive during the Games, there will be a confirmatory test. Should that test also be positive, anyone who has symptoms will go to a hospital while those without symptoms go to a hotel for isolation. To get out of isolation, people will need two consecutive days of negative tests and no symptoms.

The uncertainty over how long isolation might last is fueling worries since PCR lab tests can detect tiny amounts of virus, which means a test can come back positive long after a person is likely to spread the virus.

“We have always said the target is not zero cases; the target is zero spread,” said Dr. Brian McCloskey, chair of the Beijing 2022 Medical Expert Panel. “Because we test every day, even if somebody turns positive on the test, we know they were negative the day before and in 24 hours they will not have had time to become infectious.”

Through Wednesday, there have been 39 positive results at the airport among those who arrived. None of the positives involved athletes and the average time spent in isolation for most has been around six days. Once inside the “closed loop” system, no one will be able to leave a network of official venues. Unlike when Beijing hosted the Summer Games in 2008, sightseeing is not available.

“It’s really sad because in (Pyeongchang in 2018) we were able to move around and explore and that was one of the best parts about traveling,” U.S. short-track speedskater Maame Biney said in December. “Not being able to do that in Beijing kind of sucks. At least I’ll have four of my teammates with me.”

A mandate that isn’t controversial

Given the polarization throughout the U.S., it is extraordinary that when the USOPC announced its vaccine mandate, nobody tried to challenge it legally and no athletes went on a public anti-mandate screed.

“This is all about the safety and health of our team,” USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said. “The presence of this virus makes the challenge greater for all of us in a Games environment, but we’re committed to doing everything we can in our power to mitigate illness and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan Finnoff told The Associated Press last week that no U.S. athlete asked for a medical exemption.

“Within our general population, there are some people who are extremely happy that we introduced this policy and they feel like it’s in the best interest for their health and safety and those around them,” Finnoff said in the fall. “And then there are others that are upset and would like to not have any type of mandate regarding vaccinations. But I would say that the latter is a very small minority.”

During the USOPC media summit in the fall, no athlete was asked about their vaccination status — contrasted to multiple questions ahead of the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo. Now, could Beijing’s 21-day quarantine mandate for unvaccinated people have had something to do with it? Possibly. Is it commendable for the USOPC to have mandated vaccination? Absolutely.

Quiet stands again at Games

Beijing’s ban of foreign fans was assumed months before an official policy was put in place, which cited COVID-19 but was widely seen as a political gesture with health and safety being a convenient excuse. Further restrictions among Chinese citizens were put in place in recent weeks.

“It’s devastating and it’s heartbreaking because of course we’re competing for ourselves, but we’re competing for our country and our family, friends, fans,” U.S. speedskater Brittany Bowe said. “To not be able to hopefully celebrate the most important time in your life without all those people that have been along with you on your journey, it’s sad.”

Much like for Tokyo, there will be plenty of viewing parties organized by families and sponsors, although the time difference between Beijing and the U.S. will make for some temporary insomnia. And no matter the size of the viewing screen for fans, there’s nothing like being there — for the athletes, too.

“We’ll have 30,000 spectators live in non-COVID times watching our races,” biathlete Susan Dunklee said. “When a race favorite comes into shoot, they get on the shooting mat, they get set up, the stadium behind them goes dead quiet. And then they take the first shot and if they hit, 30,000 voices all in unison go, ‘Yay!’ And then it gets dead quiet and taking the next shot. If they miss, 30,000 voices, all at once. It’s this wild, wild energy. … it’s going to be a shame to not have that.”

The U.S. vs. Canada women’s hockey rivalry returns

The men’s gold medal hockey game will be February 20, three days after the women’s gold medal game. While the men’s competition was highly anticipated with the return of NHL players to the Games for the first time since 2014, the NHL’s decision to withdraw its participation after a series of COVID outbreaks only increases what was already guaranteed to be a spotlight on the women’s rivalry between the United States and Canada.

The U.S. is the defending champion after beating Canada in a shootout in 2018 to end Canada’s run of four Olympic titles. Canada is the reigning world champion after an overtime win in August to end the Americans’ run of five consecutive titles. A series of exhibitions between the teams was suspended by COVID concerns after six games — four won by Canada.

Could a spoiler crash the party? It’s unlikely. The U.S. and Canada have met in 19 of the 20 women’s world championships and all but one of the six Olympic gold medal games.

Female athletes dominate the Olympic spotlight

Women’s hockey superstar Hilary Knight is heading into her fourth Olympics. Mikaela Shiffrin has won gold medals at her previous two Olympics (the slalom in 2014 and giant slalom in 2018) and is the face of American skiing.

Chloe Kim returns four years after she became the youngest woman to win a snowboarding gold medal at 17. In 2018, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall won the cross-country team sprint to give the United States its first gold medal in the event; while Randall has retired, Diggins this year became the first American to win the overall World Cup.

Of the 222-member U.S. team, 107 are women, the most ever for a Winter Games. In 2018, women won 12 of the 23 American medals, including five golds. This year’s U.S. team includes Kaillie Humphries, the world’s most successful female bobsled racer with three medals for Canada before becoming a U.S. citizen in December.

One more name to remember: Jamie Anderson the only two U.S. women’s snowboard slopestyle gold medals in Olympic history.

Climate changing the Games’ future

Anderson, during the USOPC Winter media summit, recounted how she and other snowboarders watched glaciers in Switzerland this fall break off in huge chunks. Keith Gabel, remembers how “it sounds like avalanches every day and you’ll just see snow waterfalls coming down the cliffs. And to see how much the ice has shifted just in the last few years, it’s mind-boggling.”

“I grew up in Utah, where the snow was higher than the mailboxes,” Gabel added. “And you could guarantee that on Christmas, there was going to be snow. And most of the resorts don’t open until Thanksgiving, if you’re lucky, and it’s probably just a ribbon of snow. We’ve got to take things seriously.”

The IOC will emphasize climate in the future. Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada say failure to reduce global emissions may mean of the previous 21 Winter Games hosts, only Sapporo by the end of the 21^st century would be considered an appropriate winter host.

Enough about the problems, enjoy the present

We got all the way to this point without highlighting Nathan Chen, the world’s top male figure skater whose rivalry with Yuzuru Hanyu will be reignited in Beijing! It just shows there has never been an Olympics where, at its conclusion, a viewer thinks “there wasn’t anything that happened that I haven’t seen before” whether it stems from an athlete you know, or an athlete you’ve never heard of before.

It’s going to be different, no doubt. But when the music ends at the Closing Ceremony and the flame is extinguished on February 20, there will be performances that last lifetimes.

 Skiing and snowboarding have always been among the spotlight sports at the Olympic Winter Games and the 2022 Games in Beijing will be no different with Mikaela Shiffrin and Chloe Kim being among the biggest names for Team USA. But getting to Beijing and passing strict COVID protocols has been a hot topic in the Olympic world, among many others as China hosts another major sporting event. Named as the president and chief executive officer for U.S. Ski and Snowboard in September, Sophie Goldschmidt joined the national governing body off a stint as CEO of the World Surf League, with international experience ranging from the NBA to the WTA Tour and the Rugby Football Union.

Goldschmidt joined SportsTravel Senior Editor Matt Traub recently for a conversation about the logistical hurdles that athletes will face to get to Beijing, health and safety protocols the organization has implemented this winter ahead of the Olympics, being the first female president and CEO of the national governing body, balancing the needs of high-performance athletes and growing the sport at the grassroots level, and more.

Among the topics featured in this episode:

• Participating for an event amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and how U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will get to Beijing (2:25)
• Her own personal preparation before going to China as part of the USOPC delegation (3:45)
• How her experiences at World Surf League compare to planning for the Olympics (5:35)
• Keeping athletes healthy during World Cup competition around the world ahead of Beijing’s closed-loop system (7:15)
• Preparing athletes heading to Beijing, where political turmoil surrounds the Games. (9:37)
• Why she joining U.S. Ski & Snowboard and her initial impressions (11:10)
• Meeting with key stakeholders while living through a pandemic (15:33)
• Being the NGB’s first female president and chief executive officer (17:21)
• Balancing the high-performance program with the growth of the grass-roots level (19:43)
• The NGB’s efforts to improve access to the sport and increase diversity among its participants (21:24)
• The popularity of Big Air and World Pro Ski Tour and its ability to move the sport to new venues (23:05)
• Her skills on the slopes (24:00)

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