Massachusetts Athletes Gear Up For The Beijing Winter Olympics

BOSTON — With COVID-19 protocols restricting spectators to a select few in the 2022 Beijing Olympics starting Friday, the only way to cheer on the nine Winter Olympics athletes with ties to Massachusetts is from home.

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

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

• Matty Beniers - Ice Hockey - from Hingham, MA. Beniers' first game is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time against the People's Republic of China.
• Alexandra Carpenter - Ice Hockey - from North Reading, MA. Carpenter's first competition with the Women's Ice Hockey Team is Thursday, Feb. 3, at 8:10 a.m Eastern Time against Finland.
• Drew Commesso - Ice Hockey - from Norwell, MA. Commesso's first game is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time against the People's Republic of China.
• Zachary Di Gregorio - Luge - Medway, MA. Di Gregorio's first competition is on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 2:06 a.m. Eastern Time at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre.
• Sean Farrell - Ice Hockey - from Hopkinton, MA. Farrell's first game is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time against the People's Republic of China.
• Kristopher Horn - Bobsledding - from Pembroke, MA. Horn's first competition will be populated once the official start list is available.
• Julia Kern - Cross-Country Skiiing - from Waltham, MA. Kern's first competition has not been scheduled yet.
• Marc Mclaughlin - Ice Hockey - from Billerica, MA. Mclaughlin's first game is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time against the People's Republic of China.
• David Warsofsky - Ice Hockey - from Marshfield, MA. Warsofsky's first game is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time against the People's Republic of China.

Beniers, Commesso, Farrell, Mclaughlin, and Warsofsky are all members of Group A for the USA men's ice hockey team.

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 live stream 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 live streaming 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.

Patch has you covered on when and how to watch the nine athletes from Massachusetts competing for Team USA in the 2022 Winter Olympics.