As the 2022 Winter Olympics nears its conclusion, there's been no shortage of exhilarating moments and compelling storylines. For those that were sleeping during Friday's pivotal moments — many of which occurred overnight for US viewers — here's a tidy recap of some of the top stories.
⛷ Eileen Gu makes history with third 2022 medal
Eileen Gu has had a historic Olympic run, cementing her status as the face of China's sporting dreams at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
The American-born teen, who competes for China, took gold in the women's freeski halfpipe on Friday, adding to a medal haul that had already included a gold in last week's big air event and a silver in Tuesday's freeski slopestyle event.
Gu — whose face is plastered across China on billboards and magazine covers — is now the first athlete to capture three medals in three separate freestyle skiing events at a single Olympics.
After her performance on Friday, Gu spoke to the confidence that helped propel her to skiing stardom, revealing, ""At the top I said, 'My name is Eileen Gu, and I'm the best halfpipe freeskier in the world.'"
🇺🇸 Team USA bobsledder to carry flag during the Closing Ceremony
American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor will get the chance to carry the stars and stripes at Sunday's Closing Ceremony. The four-time Olympian had been tapped as a flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony but was forced to miss out on the honor as she quarantined following a positive Covid-19 test.
🥇 Norway's Winter Games dominance continues with 15th gold medal
Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Bø has captured his fourth gold medal in Beijing, and fifth medal overall. This helps Norway set a Winter Games record with 15 total gold medals.
The 28-year-old won Friday's men's biathlon 15km mass start by more than 40 seconds, and had previously earned gold in the sprint, relay, and mixed relay biathlon events, as well as the bronze in the individual.
🥅 The ROC advances to gold medal match in men's hockey, will meet Finland
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) moves on to the gold medal game in men's hockey, skating past Sweden 2-1 in the 8th round of a penalty shootout.
The ROC will take on Finland in Sunday's gold medal match.