A Fraser Valley guide to the 2022 Beijing Olympics

It’s time to cheer on our local athletes once again, as they compete with others from around the world in the Olympic games. If it feels like we just did that, it’s because we did; the winter and summer Olympics are traditionally held a year and a half apart, however the COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be held in the summer of 2021 instead.

Now, we’re four days into the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where competition is fierce in sports such as ice hockey, snowboarding, figure skating, and bobsledding. This year, there are only two Fraser Valley athletes competing, and we’ve put together a small guide to help you follow along as they work their way towards medal status. CBC is televising the games. Those without cable can use the CBC Gem app to watch Olympics coverage.

Kevin Hill — Snowboard cross

Chilliwack-born snowboarder Kevin Hill wanted to compete for the Olympics since the first time he saw it on TV—and originally hoped to be one of the inaugural BMX champions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. When that failed, he switched paths to snowboard cross, and just missed becoming a winter Olympian on home turf in 2010. He did qualify for Sochi in 2014 and PyeongChang in 2018, although the 35-year-old has yet to come home with an Olympic medal. However, he has taken home gold, silver, and bronze at world championships between 2011 and 2019.

Upcoming: Men’s snowboard cross seeding will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7:15pm local time (Thursday, Feb. 10 at 11:15am in Beijing), with the small final taking place at 11:15pm that night. The big final for gold, silver, and bronze will take place after the small final. Hill may also be competing in the mixed team snowboard cross, where a male and female snowboarder team up in a joint competition. This will be the first time the event is being held at the Olympics, although it has been common in other snowboarding competitions for more than a decade. A maximum of 16 teams will compete in the quarterfinals, which start on Friday, Feb. 11 at 6pm (Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10am in Beijing). The small final will take place the same day at 6:50pm, and the big final for gold, silver, and bronze will take place just afterwards.

Reece Howden — Freestyle skiing: ski cross

When Reece Howden was just two years old, he was already on a pair of skis. Now, the 23-year-old Cultus Lake native is at his first Olympic games, representing Canada in ski cross, a timed race that includes big air jumps and high-banked turns. He has already won gold in the 2016 Youth Olympic Games for ski cross, and won four gold medals and two silvers during the 2020-21 World Cup season alone.

Upcoming: Men’s ski cross seeding will begin on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7:45pm local time (Friday, Feb. 18 at 11:45am in Beijing), with the small final taking place at 11:10pm that night. The big final for gold, silver, and bronze will take place after the small final.