After a troubled and controversial build-up, the 2022 Winter Olympics are about to get under way in Beijing.
Almost 3,000 athletes from 91 nations will compete to get their hands on one of 109 gold medals on offer across seven sports.
Although live sport started on Wednesday with mixed doubles curling, the opening ceremony takes place on Friday, marking the official start of the 24th Winter Games.
"The world is turning its eyes to China and China is ready. We will do our best to deliver to the world a streamlined, safe and splendid Games," Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
But these are already controversial Olympics, with protests and diplomatic boycotts over alleged human rights abuses, while the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have an impact with strict control measures in place.
Here's everything you need to know.
the facts of beijing
Beijing is the first city to host both the summer and winter Games, 14 years after it hosted the 2008 summer Olympics.
The event takes place across three clusters. Beijing itself will host the indoor events - curling, speed skating, figure skating and ice hockey - as well as the big air and the opening and closing ceremonies.
Many of the venues in Beijing from the 2008 Games have been repurposed, including swimming's Water Cube, which has been renovated to become the home of curling, and the Bird's Nest stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies.
Artificial snow has been used across all venues - although there was some natural snowfall in Zhangjiakou in the week leading up to the Games. It is estimated that 49m gallons (222.8m litres) of water have been used to produce the fake snow in Yanqing alone.
But that isn't a concern for GB's athletes, with snowboarder Katie Ormerod telling BBC Sport: "I grew up in the UK so it's all artificial snow."
How will Team GB fare?
Fifty athletes will fly the flag for Team GB in Beijing, with three returning medallists - Izzy Atkin (freestyle skiing), Laura Deas (skeleton) and Eve Muirhead (curling) - among them. And the 2014 ski slopestyle silver medallist Gus Kenworthy is also competing for Britain, after switching from the United States.
Muirhead, Dave Ryding (alpine skiing), Andrew Musgrave and Andrew Young (both cross-country skiing) are set to compete at their fourth Olympics, while 29 athletes will make their debuts.
There are three sets of siblings in the team - Izzy and Zoe Atkin, and Leonie and Makayla Gerken Schofield, will compete in freestyle skiing, while brothers Farrell and Niall Treacy race in the short track speed skating.
Snowboard cross world champion Charlotte Bankes is a favourite for gold in her event, in what will be her third Games overall but first for Team GB, having switched from France in late 2018.
Who are the Team GB ones to watch?
UK Sport believes Team GB can win between three and seven medals in Beijing, with five the team's previous best in both 2014 and 2018.
Nielsen Gracenote predicts three will be won, with golds for Bankes and the mixed curling duo of Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds, while the men's curling rink are predicted to win silver.
"We are confident we are taking a more competitive team across more disciplines than ever before. That's a great place to be in," chef de mission Georgina Harland told BBC Sport.
"What's great is we are confident there will be interest across those full 16 days of competition, so something for everybody back home to get behind."