Reston Speedskater Races For Gold At Beijing Winter Olympics

RESTON, VA — Speedskater Maame Biney of Reston is arriving at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games stronger than ever after finishing first in the 1,000-meter race and second in the 500 during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Salt Lake City in December.

This will be the second Olympics for the 22-year-old who was born in Ghana and grew up in Reston. In 2018, Biney made history as the first Black woman to compete for the United States speed skating team at an Olympics.

Biney began speed skating at just six years old, according to Team USA's website. She made the decision to switch over to the sport at the young age after being told she might be too fast to be a figure skater.

The short track speed skating events in Beijing begin Saturday. Visit the Olympics website for the short track speed skating schedule and results.

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 livestream 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 livestreaming 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.

RELATED: Team USA: Reston Speedskater Qualifies For 2022 Beijing Olympics