Czech Republic beat the host nation 3-1 in a group B match in the women’s ice hockey. China fought to make a comeback, but the opposing team maintained a steady lead right from the beginning.

Under the Olympic format, while all five teams of Group A automatically qualify for the last eight, in Group B only the top three teams will enter the quarter-finals.

Switzerland’s Stefan Rogentin has recorded the fastest time in the first men’s downhill training run at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre.

Rogentin, 27, began skiing at the age of two-and-a half and quickly developed a passion for the sport. He completed Thursday’s run in 1 minute 44.

He was closely followed by Spain’s Adur Etxezarreta who finished second, trailing Rogentin by 0.08 seconds. Italy’s Christof Innerhofer recorded the third-fastest time with 1 minutes and 44.26 seconds.

The purpose of the alpine skiing training runs is for athletes to get a sense of the track — the first meaningful times will come in Sunday’s opening race.

Beijing 2022 is the most gender-balanced Winter Olympics to date, with women accounting for around 45 per cent of athletes, according to the International Olympic Committee.

It has been a long road to equality since the Winter Olympic Games in 1924, when women were first allowed to compete. There were then only 11 women among the 250 athletes, however, and they were only allowed to participate in figure skating.

Women began participating in the Summer Olympics in Paris in 1900, but it was largely held that winter sports were too dangerous for women.

The Swedish team beat the Czech Republic by 7-4 in the second curling mixed doubles match.

While Sweden redeemed themselves after losing to team GB on Wednesday, the Czech Republic earlier had a surprise victory against world silver medallists Norway.

Team USA’s mixed doubles curling duo Vicky Persinger and Chris Plys lost to Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner in the second curling match by 8-4.

The USA will be back on the ice on Wednesday to face Norway while Italy will play against Switzerland.

Continuing their victory at Beijing 2022, Chinese pair Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan beat Australia’s Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt in the mixed doubles curling event.

They had earlier defeated Switzerland at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing on Wednesday.

Team GB’s Jen Dodds and Bruce Moat beat Canada’s Rachel Homan and John Morris by 6-4 in the mixed doubles of curling.

While it was their second win of the games so far, Canada were playing the mixed doubles for the first time.

She is the American skating star who has waited a long time for her chance to shine in a sport dominated by teenagers whose careers are often over before they are old enough to vote.

But Mariah Bell is rewriting the history books as she competes in the Beijing Winter Olympics at the age of 25, becoming the oldest American women’s singles skater since 1928.

She secured her place when she became the oldest women’s national champion since 26-year-old Beatrix Loughran in 1927, winning her first national title at a record ninth attempt.

She is the California-born freestyle skiing superstar who is set to take the Winter Olympics by storm.

Eileen Gu, 18, is a favorite to win gold at Beijing in all three of the sport’s main events: the big air, slopestyle and halfpipe.

But the San Francisco native, who has a Chinese mother and American father, will try and secure Olympic titles for China, instead of Team USA.

The 2022 Winter Olympics is set to kick off in Beijing, China with the opening ceremony taking place on 4 February.

Four years on from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, counties such as Norway, the United States of America, Canada and Germany will look to dominate the medal table once again.

It was Norway who led the way with 14 golds and 39 medals overall four years ago with Great Britain winning one gold thanks to Lizze Yarnold’s defence of her skeleton title.