Beijing-Bound: Chicago-Area Athletes Headed To Winter Olympics

ILLINOIS – With COVID-19 protocols restricting spectators to a select few in the 2022 Beijing Olympics starting Friday, the only way to cheer on 14 Winter Olympics athletes with ties to Illinois is from home.

The Olympic schedule shows competition beginning Wednesday, ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.

Athletes with ties to Illinois who are representing the United States in the Feb. 4-20 XXIV Olympiad are:

• Jason Brown, Figure Skating, Highland Park

The California native placed ninth individually and won a team bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Games and was an alternate in 2018 in PyeongChang.

• Alexa Knierim, Figure Skating (Pairs), Addison

Knierim is the first pairs skater to qualify for back-to-back Olympic Games after she and partner (and husband) Chris Knierim finished 19th individually and won a team bronze medal in 2018 in PyeongChang

• Megan Bozek, Women’s Hockey, Buffalo Grove

Bozek makes her second Olympic appearance after capturing a silver medal with the Americans in 2014. She has won six gold medals and a silver medal as a member of seven U.S. world championship teams.

• Jessica Compher, Women’s Hockey, Northbrook

The first-time Olympian has made the U.S. National team and was part of three U.S. world championship teams in 2019, 2020 and 2021, winning a gold and silver medal.

• Kendall Coyne Schofield, Women’s Hockey, Palos Heights

The captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team is appearing in her third Olympic Games after winning silver in 2014 and gold in 2018. Coyne Schofield has won eight gold medals as a member of nine U.S world championship teams. Previous Patch coverage

• Savannah Harmon, Women’s Hockey, Downers Grove

The former Clarkston University star is a two-time national champion and makes her Olympic debut after making two U.S. World Championship teams.

• Hilary Knight, Women’s Hockey, Lake Forest

The former University of Wisconsin star made her Olympic debut in 2010 when she won a silver medal. After another silver in 2014 and a gold medal in 2018, Knight makes her four Olympic appearance in Beijing.

• Abbey Murphy, Women’s Hockey, Evergreen Park

The first-time Olympian is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota and earned a silver medalist in 2019 as a member of the US. Women’s National Team. Previous Patch coverage

• Kevin Bickner, Ski Jumping, Wauconda

The Norge Ski Jumping team member finished eighth in the team standings, 11th on the large hill and 47th on the normal hill at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang. Previous Patch coverage.

• Patrick Gasienca, Ski Jumping, McHenry

The Spring Grove native travels to Beijing as a member of the Fox River Grove-based Norge ski jumping team.

• Casey Larson, Ski Jumping, Barrington

Representing the Norge Ski Jumping Club in Fox River Grove, Larson placed ninth in the team event, 39th on the normal hill and 53rd on the large hill at the 2018 Winter Games.

• Ethan Cepurcan, Speedskating, Glen Ellyn

The first-time Olympian won the gold medal in the 5,000-meter and team event at the 2021 U.S. Championships, where he also won a silver medal in the 10,000-meter race.

• Austin Kleba, Speedskating, St. Charles

The former hockey player finished first in the 500-meter race and the men’s sprint team sprint, and finished second in the 1,000-meter race at the 2021 Four Continents championships.

• Emery Lehman, Speedskating, Oak Park

The three-time Olympian finished eighth in the team standings and 21st in the 5,000-meter race in the 2018 Games. In 2014 at Sochi, Lehman, then 17, was the youngest male member on the U.S. roster and earned the team's best results with a 10th place finish in the 10,000-meter and a 16th place finish in the 5,000-meter event.

The Beijing Games are the second Olympics competition to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics were delayed until 2021, and athletes in Beijing will face similarly rigid protocols, as COVID-19 numbers remain high around the world.

Olympic organizers in mid-January suspended ticket sales to the general public, saying that selected groups of spectators would be invited on-site. International spectators cannot attend.

How To Watch The Olympics

NBCUniversal is the main broadcast partner and will offer 2022 Beijing Olympics programming across its cable, broadcast and digital platforms, including NBC, USA, CNBC and the Olympic Channel.

But what if you’ve cut the cord on cable? People with basic cable packages that include access to NBC can watch livestream coverage with the NBC Sports app.

Here are some other options:

• SlingTV’s Blue Plan includes access to channels broadcasting live Olympic coverage.
• Sling is offering a free trial of its Blue Plan, which includes access to channels broadcasting live Olympics coverage.
• fuboTV offers Olympic livestreams;
• Hulu + Live TV gives you access on TVs, tablets, laptops and other devices.
• NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, offers livestreaming via laptops, smartphones and smart TVs.

The Olympic athletes face a number of hurdles under a COVID-19 safety plan that includes daily testing of both athletes and workers. A positive test could sideline athletes, even if they’re no longer contagious, but Olympic organizers say the plan is flexible and allows for a case-by-case review on the need for isolation.

See more Winter Olympics coverage on Patch