For all the pomp and circumstance of the next few hours, these are controversial Winter Olympics likely to be held in unsuitable conditions against a backdrop of widespread criticism of human rights abuses.

In Taipei, Wiliam Yang looks at the bigger picture:

Flag bearer and Team GB’s sole gold medallist four years ago, Lizzy Yarnold tees things up for those competing this time around in Beijing.

There are also Covid fears in the German camp, with a fresh round of testing ordered after sixth athletes tested positive earlier this week. Four competitors have now been cleared after subsequent negative tests, but Eric Frenzel and Terence Weber are now isolating.

This is a major blow to their Nordic combined hopes. Frenzel is a six-time Olympic medallist and two-time defending champion.

“Team Germany on Friday afternoon received confirmation of two further COVID-19 cases,” the team said in a statement. “Tests for Eric Frenzel and Terence Weber confirmed their results initially taken at the airport.”

“The four other suspected cases which were in the skeleton and ice hockey teams were not confirmed (positive) following two re-tests.”

Athletes who want to return to competition and training will need to be without symptoms and provide two negative tests 24 hours apart to be released from isolation.

Norway skiing coach Eirik Myhr Nossum has said that his team will do whatever it takes to get Simen Hegstad Krueger back from a positive Covid-19 test in time for the blue ribband 50 km men’s race at the Beijing Games on 19 February.

Speaking to state broadcaster NRK, Nossum revealed that 2018 double Olympic champion Krueger was not feeling any ill effects of Covid and had been cycling in his room to keep fit as he awaits the negative test results that could open the door for an appearance in China.

“I’m very happy with Simen’s results lately. I can reveal that we’re trying to get Simen here ... we got very positive PCR results the last few days, and we’ll get more today, I believe he’ll be here the 11th or 13th of February,” said Nossum.

“We’re going all-in for Simen,” he added.

Krueger took gold in the skiathlon and was part of the victorious men’s relay team at the Pyeongchang Olympics, where he also won silver in the 15 km freestyle.

A potential face of these Games, freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu could feature prominently throughout the Winter Olympics, including tonight.

Here’s what you need to know about an outstanding talent whose switch from the USA to the host nation has not come without criticism:

We aren’t too far away from proceedings getting underway at the Bird’s Nest. Expect colour and creativity during an opening ceremony again directed by Zhang Yimou, who was praised for his work during the 2008 Summer Games.

The opening images promise plenty...

Who should Team GB fans look out for at the 2022 Winter Olympics? Here are five potential medal contenders:

“As a British Olympian, it is the greatest honour to be asked to carry our country’s flag,” Dave Ryding adds to his flag-toting partner’s comments. “Many amazing athletes have been chosen to do this role in the past and it goes without saying that it is one of the proudest moments of my career.

“I have always represented Team GB with the greatest of pride and for my fourth Olympics this will make it extra special. I am one of 50 Winter Olympians representing Team GB in Beijing, we are part of an amazing country and I know we will give our upmost to perform to the best of our abilities out here.”

An incredibly popular member of Team GB, Eve Muirhead is at fourth Winter Olympics and looking to medal again eight years on from becoming the youngest skip to stand on the podium at an Olympics in curling history.

“I feel incredibly honoured to be chosen as the flagbearer for Team GB,” Muirhead said from the Olympic village yesterday. “Getting to my fourth Games has been one of the greatest challenges of my entire career but my pursuit of qualifying for Beijing has been relentless and this is an immense privilege.

“It is an experience that will mark the start of what I hope will be the most rewarding of Olympic campaigns to date and a memory I know my family and friends will, like me, remember forever.”

14 years on from the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in 2008, we are back at the Bird’s Nest for a rather chillier edition of the traditional pre-Games spectacular. Bearing the British flag on that occasion was Mark Foster’s long limbs, but history will be made today as two Team GB athletes are bestowed the honour at a Winter Olympics for the first time.

Just like at Tokyo 2020, one man and one woman have been selected at flagbearers, and it is hard to quibble with the choices made by a panel headed by Team GB’s Chef de Mission, Georgina Harland. Slalom skier Dave Ryding, fresh from becoming the first British alpine skiing World Cup winner, will be joined by female curling skip Eve Muirhead, at her fourth Games, in carrying the Union Flag around the Beijing National Stadium.