{"id":167266,"date":"2022-01-27T09:48:15","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishexponent.com\/?p=167266"},"modified":"2022-01-27T09:48:15","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:48:15","slug":"all-the-jewish-athletes-to-watch-at-the-2022-beijing-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishexponent.com\/all-the-jewish-athletes-to-watch-at-the-2022-beijing-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"All the Jewish Athletes to Watch at the 2022 Beijing Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From left to right: Alexei Bychenko, David Warsofsky, Jason Brown, Mollie Jepsen, Emery Lehman. (Getty Images via JTA.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Emily Burack<\/p>\n

Despite the continuing\u00a0COVID chaos<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0mounting protests about China\u2019s human rights record<\/a>, the 2022 Beijing Olympics are proceeding on schedule, just six months after the delayed Tokyo games \u2014 and we have your guide to the Jewish athletes who are on their way.<\/p>\n

In Tokyo,\u00a0dozens of Jewish athletes competed<\/a>, and\u00a0many clinched medals<\/a>. The Winter Olympics are typically a smaller affair,\u00a0with fewer sports and fewer countries participating. Nevertheless, we\u2019re excited to cheer on these Jewish athletes from the United States, Israel and Canada.<\/p>\n

The Beijing games begin Feb. 4 and run through Feb. 20, and the Paralympics will be held March 4 through March 13.<\/p>\n

\"Jason<\/p>\n

Jason Brown skates at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Jan. 9. (Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images via JTA.org)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jason Brown<\/b><\/p>\n

Figure skating, USA<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The most well-known Jewish athlete competing in Beijing is 27-year-old figure skater Jason Brown. He competed in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, winning bronze in the team event with team USA, but narrowly missed competing in 2018 in Pyeongchang (he went as the team\u2019s first alternate). But Brown is back, and qualified after skating to the theme from \u201cSchindler\u2019s List\u201d at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy background, obviously, is Jewish, and the story is so touching,\u201d he\u00a0said about his decision to skate to the Holocaust movie\u2019s theme<\/a>. \u201cI grew up learning about the Holocaust and about Oskar Schindler and the stories. I always wanted to skate to it, but it has to be when I\u2019m at the level, maturity-wise, that I\u2019m really ready to skate to it.\u201d\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

(The\u00a0\u201cSchindler\u2019s List\u201d music is heard regularly in international competition<\/a>, but often accompanying non-Jewish skaters. German figure skater Nicole Schott skated to it at the Olympics in 2018, as did Russian Yulia Lipnitskaya in 2014.)<\/p>\n

Read more about Jason Brown here.\u00a0<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Hailey<\/p>\n

Krasnolpolsky and Kops at Israel\u2019s national championships, Dec. 1, 2021. (Amit Schussel)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hailey Kops and Evgeni Krasnopolski<\/b><\/p>\n

Pairs skating, Israel<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

A year ago, 19-year-old New Jersey native Hailey Kops was studying in a Jerusalem seminary on her gap year before heading to nursing school, thinking her competitive skating days were over.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s team gave her a call and an opportunity in June, and just over six months later, she\u2019s heading to Beijing. She teamed up with Evgeni Krasnopolski,\u00a0<\/b>a 33-year-old Olympic veteran who was born in the Soviet Union and moved to Israel when he was three years old. He will be Israel\u2019s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4.<\/p>\n

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