BEIJING (AP) — Beijing residents gathered in front of a countdown clock in a central city shopping mall counting down to a day before the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. Friday Beijing Time (1200GMT) in the National Stadium, dubbed “Bird’s nest”.
Events including women’s hokey, freestyle skiing and mixed doubles curling are already underway.
The Beijing Olympic organizer said only selected spectators will be allowed to attend events, and Olympic athletes, officials, staff and journalists are required to stay within a bubble that keeps them from contact with the general public.
The Winter Games have been beset by similar political controversies, alongside medical considerations.
Six weeks ago, the United States, Britain and several allies said they would not send dignitaries to attend the Beijing Games as a protest against human rights abuses by the Communist Party regime.