Let the Games begin! 🏅 Your weekend long reads

Cue the trumpets and unfurl the Red, White and Blue: The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are underway.

Good morning, friends of The Short List. It's John, helping you warm up for the Games with some of the best work from the Paste BN Network. Ready, go!

►First, the basics: What you need to know about Beijing, the venues, new sports, weather and more.

►The athletes: Here's 23 Team USA athletes you need to know before you watch. And here's our searchable database of all the athletes.

►China in control: Can China keep the Olympics safe in the COVID era? What will happen when athletes speak out about human right abuses?

►Climate change: Global warming poses a long-term threat to winter sports.

►Olympic memories: Finally, Paste BN's Christine Brennan shares her top 10 favorite Winter Olympics moments.

There are more great Olympics reads below.👇 Enjoy the Games! ⛷️