It's Your Week. Here's who to watch in the Winter Olympics

Analis Bailey | Paste BN

Just seven months ago I was sitting at my desk watching 11,000 athletes compete in Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics – played in 2021 because of the pandemic.

I was in awe.

I watched Allyson Felix become the most decorated female track-and-field athlete ever, inspired by her daughter Camryn, who gave her the courage and strength to continue racing after becoming a mother.

I observed Simone Biles bow out gracefully from multiple gymnastic events citing her mental health – a shocking and eye-opening move that shed a light on the importance of taking care of yourself no matter what.

I cheered as world records were shattered and young stars were crowned.

Now, the Olympics are BACK and we didn't have to wait two years. How exciting?

I'm Analis Bailey (pronounced Anna-lease), and welcome to Your Week, a newsletter just for you subscribers. This week is an Olympics takeover and I am so excited to be here.

This edition is full of premium stories from Paste BN on the Beijing Games. It's about a six-minute read and so worth it. Let's go, y'all!

On the ground in Beijing

Nancy Armour came to Paste BN in January 2014, making this her fifth Olympic Games with us. Before that, she covered nine Olympics with the Associated Press.

In other words, Nancy is a pro at this.

Flying from her home in Chicago with a stop in Paris and a drive from Yanqing, Nancy arrived at her hotel in Beijing after almost 29 hours of travel.

"Most of the Paste BN crew flew on Air France, which is running flights from Paris to Beijing that are restricted to athletes, coaches, team staff, Games staff and media. We had members of the French ski team on ours," Nancy told me.

Covering alpine skiing, Nancy is excited to see what Mikaela Shiffrin accomplishes.

"(Shiffrin) has said she wants to do all five events, though the weather and her training could change that, and she will be a medal contender in all of them and a heavy contender for gold in two, possibly three," she said.

Nancy also loves watching the men's downhill, jokingly stating that it would take her about two days to ski down the course, meanwhile, these professionals take about two minutes.

"I’m also looking forward to women’s bobsled," Nancy shared with me. "Kaillie Humphries won two gold medals for Canada but switched to the United States after an abusive coaching situation. She’s been a U.S. citizen for just about two months now and is very excited to stand on the podium as an American.

"Elana Meyers Taylor has been in quarantine after testing positive for COVID two days after arriving," continues Nancy. "She’d been in great shape when she got to Beijing – ranked No. 1 in the world in both monobob and two-man – and though she’s been doing what she can to stay in shape, it doesn’t compare to what she’d be doing normally."

Advocating for equity within the sport of bobsleigh, Nancy tells us that both Meyers Taylor and Humphries are a large part of why monobob was added as an event.

Nancy is also looking forward to seeing Jessie Diggins possibly become the first American to win an individual gold in cross-country skiing. And she would be remiss not to mention how the sport captivates her attention at every Winter Olympics.

Which sport are you most excited to watch? Let us know by emailing yourweek@usatoday.com

'Olympic movement has sold its soul by not challenging China on human rights abuses'

This week Nancy wrote about how the International Olympic Committee has sold the people of China out, refusing to hold the hosts of the Winter Olympics accountable for "a litany of human rights abuses and, worse, providing cover for some of the atrocities."

"One of the things that angers me most about the IOC’s refusal to challenge China is that it might be the only entity that has leverage, and it has used it before," Nancy shared with us. "It banned South Africa, rightly, for its apartheid regime. It essentially told South Korea to enact democratic reforms ahead of the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. It brokered a truce between North and South Korea four years ago."

"This isn’t simply a matter of differing styles of government or communism vs. democracy. China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. It is sending people to camps. Forcing women to have abortions or be sterilized. Using slave labor. I don’t care what country you’re from, this is reprehensible and everyone should be objecting to it. But the IOC won’t because it wants China’s money."

It's Your Week. Here's who to watch in the Winter Olympics

On the ground in Beijing

'Olympic movement has sold its soul by not challenging China on human rights abuses'

More of our best stories for subscribers like you