Winter Olympics kick off in Beijing

The 2022 Winter Olympics will open in Beijing this coming week amid ongoing concerns over human rights in China and COVID-19.

Then there’s the escalating tension between the United States and Russia over Ukraine.

But once the Games open on Friday, much of the focus will turn to the athletes.

As of Wednesday, 224 athletes make up the U.S. Olympic team — the second largest American contingent ever for the Winter Games. Among them are four athletes making their fifth Olympics: snowboarders Shaun White and Lindsey Jacobellis, skeleton slider Katie Uhlaender and curler John Shuster.

Some other tidbits about the U.S. team:

▪ There are 108 women, 115 men and one nonbinary athlete;

▪ Thirty-one states will be represented, but not North Carolina. The largest contingents come from California (29), Colorado (23) and Minnesota (23);

▪ Snowboarder Nick Baumgartner, 40, is the oldest U.S. member, while figure skater Alysa Liu, 16, is the youngest.

▪ At least 39 members of the U.S. team have won Olympic medals.

While some events will start on Wednesday, the Opening Ceremony will be held Friday. Most events will air on NBC.

Celebrate Black History Month

The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture will open Black History Month with two events this week:

▪ Wednesday: A virtual discussion with photographer Jamel Shabazz, who has used his lens to chronicle the experiences of Black people for more than 40 years. His exhibit, “Reflections of a People: Photographs from the Archive of Jamel Shabazz,” recently opened at the Gantt Center.

▪ Saturday: Explore the roots of African-American expression through “Family First: The Legacy of African Drums.” Members of Drums 4 Life will guide participants through the history and impact of African drums in a hands-on workshop.

Big change in Duke-UNC rivalry

Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will see a sea of Tar Heel blue next weekend in Chapel Hill.

What he won’t see: Roy Williams on the UNC bench.

Williams retired last April after 33 seasons as a coach, the last 18 at his alma mater, North Carolina.

Next year, the Duke-UNC rivalry won’t have Coach K, who announced in November that he would retire after this season.

The two teams will meet next Saturday at the Smith Center, and again on March 5 in Durham.

City, county government

Charlotte City Council: There is no regular meeting on this week’s scheduled. The Safe Communities Committee will meet at noon Tuesday, with the Civil Service Board meeting at 4 p.m. A community budget listening session is scheduled for noon Thursday. The Safe Committees meeting and listening session will be shown on the city’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners: The board will hold its regular meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The meetings can be watched on the Government Channel or online at watch.mecknc.gov.

Don’t miss

▪ Groundhog Day is Wednesday. Will Queen Charlotte, @CLTGroundhog on Twitter, see her shadow?

▪ The Hornets have three games this week, beginning with a matchup against the Celtics in Boston at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. They’ll host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. Friday, and the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. Saturday.

▪ Coming this week from CharlotteFive.com: A tour of the recently opened milkbread cafe in Davidson; places to dine with your valentine; and the latest Charlotte’s Classic Eats installment, featuring Mert’s Heart & Soul.

Compiled by Rogelio Aranda