The hits just keep on coming for athletes in the Winter Olympic games in Beijing, China.  On top of disqualifications for uniform infractions, questionable judging calls, and doping issues; now there are questions surrounding sponsorships.

Sponsoring aspiring athletes is big business for companies.  They depend on the “free advertising” on outfits and equipment to bring in revenue.  But the International Olympic Committee has sponsors of their own and are not allowing those they do not approve of to be viewed.  Unapproved sponsors are being covered over all over the city…and on athletes equipment.

After American snowboarder Julia Marino was told to cover up her Prada logo because the IOC did not approve.  Marino had to cover over the logo with a sharpie – a board that is designed to have nothing but wax on the bottom; anything else alters the board’s function.  Marino said that after the board felt “off” and “unsteady” during the big air competition.  As a result, she withdrew from the competition.  Incidentally, the IOC had no issue with the snowboard during the slopestyle event.

The USOPC has filed an appeal, noting that covering the logo on the board alters the core characteristics.  The appeal was denied.

U.S. figure skater Vincent Zhou missed the men’s competition after being in isolation for a week with the Covid-19 virus.  He had just helped the U.S. earn the silver medal (for now) in the team competition when he received the news of the test.  But he does plan on skating as a part of the exhibition that is a part of the closing ceremonies.  Zhou said that he had no idea how or where he contracted the virus.


In the continuing saga surrounding the doping issue and the 15 year old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.  It has now been revealed that Valieva admitted to using two substances that are not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency – L-carnitine and Hypoxen.  Both substances are used to increase oxygen flow to the heart.

The revelation of the two new substances sheds some doubt on Valieva saying that she took the trimetazidine – the banned substance – by accident after getting things mixed up with her grandfather’s medications.

Previously the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency attempted to have Hypoxen banned but failed.  L-carnitine is allowed but only up to a certain amount.  According to Valieva’s mother, Kamila uses the Hypoxen to “treat heart variations”.

While Valieva is being allowed to skate in the women’s competition, WADA stated that Valieva’s explanation of how the trimetazidine got into her system was not enough to clear her of the doping charge.  The investigation is ongoing.

In the medal roundup for February 16:

In the men’s alpine skiing slalom event, Clement Noel of France came from sixth place to win the gold by more than half a second over Austrian Johannes Strolz.

In the women’s 4 X 6k biathlon relay, Sweden won the gold medal.

In the men’s team sprint cross-country skiing, Norway took the gold with the help of Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo who has the gold medal in both the individual and team events twice.

In the women’s team sprint event, Germany won the gold in 22:9.85.

In the men’s aerials freestyle skiing event, Qi Guangpu of China after including a quint-twisting triple back flip in his run.

In the men’s freestyle slopestyle event the United States won the gold and silver medals.  Gold medalist Alex Hall included a rotation that stopped in mid-air and then continued in the opposite direction.  Since the event’s debut in 2014, the Americans have won six of the nine medals.

In the women’s ice hockey event, the gold medal match will be between the United States and Canada once again.  The bronze medal went to Finland to earn its fourth Olympic medal

After being beaten by the team form Slovakia, the U.S. men’s hockey team are out of the Olympics.  After a serious outbreak of the Covid-19 virus in the NHL, the professional men were not able to attend the games.  As a result, the U.S. fielded a “junior” team.

In the men’s 5,000 meter speedskating relay, Canada took the gold to win their eighth medal in the event.

In the women’s 1,500 meters speedskating event, South Korean skater Choi Minjeong repeated as the gold medal winner with a time of 2:17.789.


There are now 13 countries who have reached double digits in the medal count with Norway leading the way. Norway and Germany have reached double digits in the gold medal count but Norway still holds the overall medal count with 28.

Ukraine joins the list of medal winners for a total of 27.

2022 Beijing Olympics February 11 medal count:
Norway – 28
ROC – Russian Olympic Committee – 24
Germany – 20
United States – 19
Canada – 18
Austria – 17
Italy – 15
Japan – 14
Netherlands – 14
Sweden – 14
People’s Republic of China – 13
France – 13
Switzerland – 10
Slovenia – 7
Republic of Korea – 7
Finland – 6
Australia – 4
Hungary – 3
Czech Republic – 2
Belarus – 2
New Zealand – 2
Poland – 1
Slovakia – 1
Spain – 1
Latvia – 1
Poland – 1
Belgium – 1
Estonia – 1
Ukraine – 1