Athletic siblings, returning gold medallists and more B.C. Olympic athletes to watch this year
CBC
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games have officially kicked off in Beijing, China.
The opening ceremony began at 3:30 a.m. PST — making it tough for many British Columbians to catch live — but there are now two and a half weeks for B.C. to cheer on their favourite hometown competitors.
Among dozens of B.C. athletes selected for Team Canada, here are some to look out for as the Games unfold, all with unique stories: a pair of athletic siblings, returning gold-medallists, and an entire team that will look a lot different from years past.
Summerland's Justin Kripps tied for Olympic gold in bobsleigh in 2018, and he's a favourite to reach the podium once again in his fourth Olympic appearance.
Kripps, 35, won four World Cup two-man medals this season, with one silver and three bronze. Kripps also captured a two-man Crystal Globe by finishing top three in the World Cup standings.
Last month he set a new track record during the World Cup in Switzerland.
Men's bobsleigh events begin on Feb. 14.
Vancouver Island's Cassie Sharpe won gold in Pyeongchang in 2018 for women's ski halfpipe, and aims to do the same this year.
In 2021, Sharpe was seriously injured in a crash at the X Games. She had reconstructive surgery on her knee two weeks after, and has had to push to be able to compete again.
She acknowledges it'll be a tough competition this year, with young athletes new to the Games hungry for a medal.
Catch Sharpe in action on Feb. 16 and 17.
Cassie Sharpe isn't the only member of the Sharpe family headed to China — her younger brother Darcy will be joining her in Beijing this year, competing in slopestyle and big air.
"I'm really excited," he told All Points West host Robyn Burns.
"I feel like it doesn't happen very often where siblings get to go and hang out at the Olympics together, competing and let alone in completely different disciplines."
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Some Canadian seniors say they're feeling abandoned by the Liberal government's latest inflation relief measure after learning they don't qualify for it.
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
The weather has certainly been gloomy, damp and windy over the past 10 days in Nova Scotia and it's going to continue this weekend.
Premier Susan Holt says the federal tax holiday on some goods announced Thursday could cost New Brunswick $62 million in revenue.
Thousands in Quebec's Montérégie region will not get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine directly at their seniors' residence anymore.
A 17-year-old boy is dead after he was shot by an RCMP officer in Norway House Cree Nation on Friday.
Saskatchewan road crews and residents alike are getting ready for another icy blast of winter this weekend.
Student leaders at the University of Alberta are criticizing the school's plan to hike tuition — particularly for international students.
Environment Canada says a new fall storm will bring winds gusting up to 110 km/h to southwestern British Columbia on Friday, potentially causing more outages and travel disruption.
Environment Canada says strong winds could cause damage to roofs and windows in P.E.I.'s Kings County and Prince County this weekend, with power outages possible from fallen tree branches.