The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are about to begin, and there has never been an Olympic Games like this before. Today, we dive into the political controversies around the host nation, China, including their atrocious record of human rights abuses, as well as their approach to staging the games during the pandemic. Then, on a happier note, we look at some the most interesting storylines and athletes on Team USA, including which athletes are likely to medal, and an early contender for heartwarming story of the Olympics. Our guests are Sean Fitz-Gerald, senior national writer for The Athletic, and Zack Pierce, managing editor for The Athletic Minnesota.

Sean Fitz-Gerald's story about China's grim shadow over the Games:

https://theathletic.com/3099762/2022/01/31/as-2022-olympics-begin-chinas-human-rights-abuses-cast-a-grim-shadow/

Zack Pierce's full rundown on Team USA:

https://theathletic.com/3067167/2022/01/28/team-usa-at-the-2022-olympics-every-athlete-every-event-schedules-and-what-to-know-for-beijing/

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