Athletic siblings, returning gold medallists and more B.C. Olympians to watch at the Beijing Games

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games have officially kicked off in Beijing.

The opening ceremony began at 3:30 a.m. PT making it tough for many British Columbians to catchlive but there are now 2 for B.C. to cheer on their favourite hometown competitors.

Among dozens of B.C. athletes selected for Team Canada,here are someto look out for as theGames unfold, all with unique stories:a pair of athletic siblings, returning gold-medallists,and an entire team that will look a lot different fromyears past.

Justin Kripps

Summerland's Justin Krippstied for Olympic gold in bobsleighin 2018,and he's a favouriteto reach the podium once againin his fourth Olympic appearance.

Kripps, 35, won four World Cup two-man medals this season, with one silver and three bronze. Kripps alsocaptured a two-man Crystal Globe by finishing top threein the World Cup standings.

Last month he set a new track record during the World Cup in Switzerland.

Men's bobsleighevents begin on Feb. 14.

Cassie Sharpe

Cassie Sharpefrom Comox won gold in Pyeongchang in 2018 for women's ski halfpipe, and aims to do the same this year.

In 2021, Sharpe was seriously injured in a crash at the X Games. She had reconstructive surgery on her knee two weeks after, and has had to push to be able to compete again.

She acknowledges it'll be a tough competition this year, with youngathletes new to the Games hungry for a medal.

Catch Sharpe in actionon Feb. 16 and 17.

Cassie Sharpe, Noah Bowman & Rachael Karker are 3 Canadian skiers to watch

3 years ago

Duration 2:23

CBC Sports Jacqueline Doorey takes you through the 3 Canadian ski half-pipe athletes that you should know heading into the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Darcy Sharpe

Cassie isn't the only member of the Sharpe family headed to China heryounger brother Darcy will be joining her in Beijing this year, competing in slopestyle and big air.

"I'm really excited," he told All Points West host Robyn Burns.

"I feel like it doesn't happen very often where siblings get to go and hang out at the Olympics together, competing and let alone in completely different disciplines."

Like his sister, Darcy recently suffered a serious knee injury and has had to work hard to qualify for the Olympics.

He placed fourth in slopestylein the World Cup last month in California, and hasfour career X Games medals, including a silver in slopestyle, which he earned in 2018.

Analyst Craig McMorris has called this year's snowboard team "the strongest team in all of snowboarding."

Men's slopestyle qualifications begin Feb. 5, and big air begins Feb. 13.

Marielle Thompson

Leading the ski cross team this year is 29-year-old Marielle Thompson from Whistler.

She won gold in Sochi in 2014, but sustained a knee injury while training for the 2018 Winter Games. Though she was able to compete in Pyeongchang, she did not get a medal that year.

Then, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament for the second time last March.

"It was uncertain when I was going to be able to compete honestly, in the early winter," she told The Canadian Press.

Butshe was back to competing shortly after, and inmid-December shewon World Cup ski crossgold inArosa, Switzerland before claiming her 50th career World Cup podium last monthin Alberta.

Women's ski cross begins Feb. 16.

Men's Hockey Team

An entire team to look out for are the five members of Canada's men's hockey team: Landon Ferraro of Vancouver, Corban Knight of Oliver, Ben Street from Coquitlam, Jordan Weal of North Vancouver and Tyler Wotherspoon from Burnaby.

Hockey will look a little different this year after the NHL told its athletes they would not be allowed to travel to Beijingdue to COVID-19 concerns.

Canada won gold with NHLathletesin 2002, 2010 and 2014, but hasn't topped the podium in an Olympic tournament without NHL players since 1952.

But the situation makes way for young players, athletes who have been playingin other leagues overseas,and former NHL athletes.

The men's team takes the ice on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 5:00 a.m. PST, first againstGermany.

The team takes on the United States on Feb. 12 and China on Feb. 13 to wrap up the preliminary round.

For a full schedule of Olympic competitions, click here.