Among the thousands of athletes set to compete at Beijing 2022 are several serial Olympic Winter Games stars who are seeking to extend their record-breaking performances. From Ester Ledecka to Shaun White, here’s a selection of those aiming to create history from 4 – 20 February.
Hanyu Yuzuru (JPN): Figure skating
The Japanese athlete became only the fourth male figure skater to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals at PyeongChang 2018. In Beijing he will seek to become the first man since Sweden’s Gillis Grafström in 1928 to claim a third straight title. Hanyu was the first Asian men’s singles skater to win Olympic gold and the youngest male skating champion since 1948.
Ester Ledecka (CZE), Alpine skiing/Snowboard
Ledecka became the first woman and only the third athlete to win gold medals in two different sports at a single Winter Olympics Games at PyeongChang 2018. The Czech Republic star stormed into the record books when she topped the Super-G before going on to take the snowboard parallel giant slalom – incidentally the first time anyone has won double-gold at the same Winter Games using two different types of equipment. In Beijing, she can become the first athlete to win gold in different sports for a second time.
Sweden (SWE), Curling
The Swedish women’s curling team is the most successful in Winter Olympic history since the event was introduced at Nagano 1998. The Swedes have won five medals (three of which gold), with Canada the next most decorated with two titles. Should they defend their title from PyeongChang 2018, Sweden would continue to break new ground with another record-breaking medal.
Charlotte Kalla (SWE), Cross-country skiing
Kalla became the first athlete to win three consecutive medals in the 10km freestyle when she took silver at PyeongChang 2018 and eyes further glory in Beijing. Bjørn Dæhlie won two straight titles during the three Games in which the event was contested by men, while Marit Bjorgen won silver at Turin 2006 and bronze in both 2010 and 2018 however Kalla could break new ground to build on her gold at Vancouver 2010 and silver medals at the subsequent two editions—Xinhua
