February 4, 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics news and results

By Aditi Sangal, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Ben Church, Patrick Sung and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 8:06 p.m. ET, February 4, 2022
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9:14 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

One is the loneliest number... unless you're an Olympian

From CNN's Patrick Sung and Ben Church

Flag bearer Nathan Crumpton of Team American Samoa carries their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China
Flag bearer Nathan Crumpton of Team American Samoa carries their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

While many nations have bumper teams to support each other during the Winter Olympics, spare a thought for those with just the one representative.

A total of 19 delegations have only one athlete competing at Beijing 2022 and they've been making their way out onto the floor at the Bird's Nest stadium.

Fortunately, those athletes have a crowd of enthusiastic volunteers to make the walk a little less lonely.

Full list of teams with just one representative:

  1. Albania
  2. American Samoa
  3. Cyprus
  4. Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
  5. Ecuador
  6. Eritrea
  7. Ghana
  8. Haiti
  9. India
  10. Kyrgyzstan
  11. Malta
  12. Morocco
  13. Nigeria
  14. Pakistan
  15. Peru
  16. Phillippines
  17. Saudi Arabia
  18. Uzbekistan
  19. US Virgin Islands
8:06 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Russia's Putin waves as competing athletes parade under the Russian Olympic Committee banner

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, stands waving in the stands during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China. 
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, stands waving in the stands during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China.  (Robert Michael/picture alliance/Getty Images)

President Vladimir Putin waved as the Russian athletes paraded at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing.

Putin traveled to China to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, before the ceremony began. The two leaders issued a call for NATO to halt further expansion, according to a joint statement released by the Kremlin. This comes as tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border remain at their highest in years.

But isn't Russia banned? Russian athletes are competing under the name ROC, which stands for the Russian Olympic Committee. This is an opportunity for clean Russian athletes to compete in the Olympics while their country remains banned from the Games because of a doping scandal.

They will be competing under the neutral banner for the second consecutive Games after they did so at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

7:57 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Winter Olympic athletes pass through "Gate of China"

From CNN's Matias Grez in London

Flag bearers Oleksandr Abramenko and Oleksandra Nazarova of Team Ukraine carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China.
Flag bearers Oleksandr Abramenko and Oleksandra Nazarova of Team Ukraine carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The athletes are making their way into Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium via a spectacular entrance, which is described as representing the "Gate of China" and "Window of China."

The special effects make both appear as though they are made of ice, with the motifs inspired by traditional gates and windows across the country.

"The 'Gate of China' symbolizes that China opens its doors to welcome the world to the Olympic Winter Games," the official Opening Ceremony explainer reads.

"The 'Window of China,' through which the magnificent scenery is showcased, expresses the idea of 'seeing China through an open window.'"

8:00 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Photos of the Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony

Performers dance under the Olympic Rings during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium in Beijing, on February 4.
Performers dance under the Olympic Rings during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium in Beijing, on February 4. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images)

As the athletes continue making their way into the Bird's Nest stadium, take a look at the best photos from the curtain raiser so far.

From an LED flower display to incredible lights shows, the ceremony has already proved spectacular.

Take a look here.

7:45 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Indian athlete parades at the Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony after officials boycott the Winter Games

From CNN's Aditi Sangal, Simone McCarthy and Rhea Mogul

The delegation from India takes part in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium in Beijing, China, on February 4.
The delegation from India takes part in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium in Beijing, China, on February 4. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

India has one athlete, alpine skier Arif Khan, competing in the Winter Olympics. He paraded at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing just days after India announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games.

This announcement came after a commander involved in 2020 border clashes between the two countries appeared as an Olympic torchbearer in the customary torch relay leading up to the Games.

The last-minute boycott, which will see India's top envoy in Beijing sit out Friday's Opening Ceremony, adds the world's most populous democracy to a list of Western nations who already have launched their own diplomatic no-shows, citing China's human rights record — setting the tone for a controversial Olympic Games. 

Following the official move, India's public broadcaster Doordarshan also announced it will not telecast the Opening and Closing Ceremonies live.

7:34 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Japan is parading at the Opening Ceremony but its government officials are not present

From CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo

Flag bearers Arisa Go and Akito Watabe of Team Japan carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 4 in Beijing, China.
Flag bearers Arisa Go and Akito Watabe of Team Japan carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 4 in Beijing, China. (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Japan announced in December that it will not be sending Cabinet ministers or senior officials to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics but stopped short of calling the decision a diplomatic boycott. 

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno made the announcement in a press conference, saying Japan “believes that respect for human rights is important. We made a decision comprehensively.”

Matsuno added that Tokyo Olympic chief Seiko Hashimoto, Japanese Olympic Committee chief Yasuhiro Yamashita and Japan Paralympic Chief Kazuyuki Mori will still be attending the event.

7:28 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Competition has already started before the Olympic Ceremony

From CNN's Ben Church

China's Ling Zhi competes during the curling mixed doubles round robin event of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and Sweden at National Aquatics Centre.
China's Ling Zhi competes during the curling mixed doubles round robin event of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and Sweden at National Aquatics Centre. (Liu Xu/Xinhua/Getty Images)

The Opening Ceremony may have just begun in Beijing but competition is already underway elsewhere.

A host of sports including ice hockey, luge and multiple ski events have already started ahead of what is a spectacular curtain raiser.

Curling is another of the sports to have already began its preliminary rounds and the sport has become a fan favorite every time the Games come around.

Read more about one the most popular events at the Winter Olympics here.

7:26 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

Athletes are now parading into the Olympics Ceremony

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Flag bearers Apostolos Angelis and Maria Ntanou of Team Greece carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China
Flag bearers Apostolos Angelis and Maria Ntanou of Team Greece carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Athletes of the participating countries have begun parading into the Olympics Opening Ceremony, starting with Greece.

Remember: They are not coming in Western alphabetical order.

The Chinese writing system has characters composed of strokes. The countries are ordered by the number of strokes that are counted in the first character of the Chinese name, from lowest to highest.

7:19 a.m. ET, February 4, 2022

President Xi Jinping waves to the crowd as he takes his seat at the Opening Ceremony

China's President Xi Jinping (L) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) are seen during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium in Beijing on February 4.
China's President Xi Jinping (L) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) are seen during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium in Beijing on February 4. (Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images)

President Xi Jinping sparked the loudest cheer of the night so far as he waved to the crowd as the Opening Ceremony began.

He also waved to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach before taking his seat.

He stood up once again to sing the national anthem as the Chinese flag was raised within the National Stadium.

Outside the arena, volunteers gather to watch what is so far a spectacular curtain raiser for this year's Winter Olympics.

President XI waves to the crowd as he makes his way to his seat.
President XI waves to the crowd as he makes his way to his seat.