Winter Olympics 2022 day eight: biathlon, cross-country skiing and more – live! | Sport

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7.46am GMT 07:46

Cross-country: There’s no baton in this relay, obviously, as cross-country skiers use both their hands to hold poles. There’s an approach lane, and the next skier can start moving as long as they don’t pass a certain point, and the approaching skier has to touch them in the back to constitute a handover. ROC handover first, Germany and Japan next.

7.43am GMT 07:43

Cross-country: The women’s 5km relay has begun. We’re on the first leg, with the leaders approaching the handover.

7.40am GMT 07:40

Curling: Shuster again has the final stone and a chance to make a save, but his shot slides just a bit too long, and that leaves Norway two scoring stones. They lead the USA 6-3 now as we start the seventh end.

7.18am GMT 07:18

Curling: China leading 5-4 over Italy, Sweden 2-0 over Canada, Switzerland 4-3 over Denmark, Norway 4-3 over the USA.

7.07am GMT 07:07

Curling: One stone in the rings for Norway with three to play, sitting behind the button, and they’ve assembled a big defensive wall in front of that. Hoping to save that one in place, then drift their last stone in for a second score? Not sure. They send down another that sits in front of the button. Not sure if the US could use that top stone to knock the other one out. They attempt something else though, and it doesn’t work, striking one of the guards. But Norway botch their last stone, looking to set one more guard in place but not landing it right. It allows John Shuster to set up a series of ricochets that knocks out the middle Norway stone and lands his own stone a tiny margin closer to the button. Instead of two points for Norway, it’s one point for USA. They lead 3-2.

Updated at 7.16am GMT

6.52am GMT 06:52

Curling: The Norwegians level it up, 2-2 and playing the fourth end now.

Updated at 7.17am GMT

6.29am GMT 06:29

Lots of curling starting now for the men’s round robin. China v Italy, Canada v Sweden, Denmark v Switzerland, USA v Norway.

6.27am GMT 06:27

As for the men’s Group A match, same score, USA beating Canada 4-2.

6.20am GMT 06:20

Switzerland are through to the women’s ice hockey semis

The ROC take off their tender and throw an extra skater on in a desperate bid for an equaliser, and as so often happens the other team scores an empty net goal instead, Muller firing almost the full length of the rink and right into the middle of the target. Switzerland win 4-2.

6.15am GMT 06:15

One! Two! The Russians equalise through Luchnikova, but 30 seconds later Muller comes flying down the length of the rink, passes a couple of defenders, passes right to Stalder, skates left herself, and is there on the left side of goal when Stalder flicks a pass across for Muller to send home. It’s 3-2 to the Swiss. A couple of minutes to play.

6.02am GMT 06:02

Now the Swiss have a penalty against them for a cross-check, which is when a player uses the handle of the stick between both hands to check an opponent. Nicole Bullo is off, so the Russians have a chance with five on four on the ice.

Updated at 6.02am GMT

5.55am GMT 05:55

The Swiss go ahead! Dominque Ruegg scores to make it 2-1, and then seconds later the Russians have Polina Luchnikova sent off for two minutes to rob them of a chance at a quick counter.

5.42am GMT 05:42

Ice hockey: We’re at the start of the third period in both matches now. It’s 1-1 in the women’s quarters between the Swiss and the Russians. USA still leading Canada 3-2 in the men’s group match.

5.41am GMT 05:41

The Mikaela Shiffrin story has been one of the most compelling at these Games, and Bryan Graham wrote on it from Beijing.

5.37am GMT 05:37

Also, apparently people are mad about results in the skeleton? Each to their own I guess.

5.33am GMT 05:33

Ice hockey: Approaching the end of the second period, the USA lead Canada 3-2.

5.32am GMT 05:32

And here’s a bit more on the silver in that event for Scotty James.

5.25am GMT 05:25

Here is the report about the positive doping test recorded by Kamila Valieva.

5.21am GMT 05:21

Given we mentioned national human rights failures, let’s start with the looming possibility of another one.

5.18am GMT 05:18

What is on today?

I’ll give you the events in GMT, given most of our readers are in the UK. Add eight hours for China, eleven hours for Australia. Subtract five hours for the USA’s east coast, eight hours for the west coast.

Currently the only event happening is the ice-hockey: a women’s quarter-final between the ROC and the Swiss, and a men’s pool match between Canada and the USA. The mixed team snowboard cross final has already been… boarded? USA took gold, Italy and Canada next in.

6am: Men’s round robin curling matches, including USA v Norway.

7:30am: Women’s 5km cross-country ski relay final.

8:40am: Women’s ice hockey quarter-final, Japan v Finland. Men’s pool match, Germany v China.

8:53am exactly: Men’s 500m speed skating final

9am: Men’s biathlon 10 kilometer sprint final.

11am: Couples ice dance – rhythm dance.

Midday: Women’s curling round robin, including GB v USA. Men’s large hill individual ski jumping.

1pm: Men’s ice hockey pool matches, ROC v Czechia and Switzerland v Denmark.

1:50pm: Women’s skeleton final.

5.06am GMT 05:06

Geoff Lemon

Hello all, the weekend has begun at the Olympics, and it’s time to start off another day in the fake snow of Beijing. We have of action ahead with medals up for grabs in a number of sports, and we also have a lot of news out of an controversial Games. Not that there was a lack of controversy going into it, with China’s human rights landscape under the microscope. I’ll tell you everything that’s coming up shortly.

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