Australia has won gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicked off on Friday with a dazzling opening ceremony and in freezing conditions.

The Games are being staged as the Omicron variant sweeps the globe, but officials are adamant their hardline zero-COVID approach will keep athletes and crews safe.

Authorities have intercepted hundreds of athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 and sent them into isolation, but conditions are even stricter outside the bubble.

On Sunday Chinese authorities sent the city of Baise – home to more than 3.5 million people – into lockdown after 98 cases were recorded.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Bianca Hall to talk about these unique Winter Olympics.

Australia has won gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicked off on Friday with a dazzling opening ceremony and in freezing conditions.
The Games are being staged as the Omicron variant sweeps the globe, but officials are adamant their hardline zero-COVID approach will keep athletes and crews safe.
Authorities have intercepted hundreds of athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 and sent them into isolation, but conditions are even stricter outside the bubble.
On Sunday Chinese authorities sent the city of Baise &ndash; home to more than 3.5 million people &ndash; into lockdown after 98 cases were recorded.
Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Bianca Hall to talk about these unique Winter Olympics.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

Advertisement