Flag bearer Tina Garabedian, Opening Ceremony analysis

Before the opening ceremony, Mark predicted that a young Uyghur athlete would be among the final torchbearers. We discuss what happened and why it's so significant to China (1:30). Remembering Li Ning's ambush marketing and comparing the surprises of 2008 vs 2022 (6:09). Elsewhere, Canadian moguls team is sponsored by Anta (7:34), China's mixed relay short track speed skating team wins gold, after the US squad was disqualified from the semis — which gifted China a birth in the final (8:06), how a gold medal can change the life of a Chinese athlete (9:18), and armchair short track speed skating experts (10:20). Plus, some Olympic items to keep an eye on this week (12:11), why Mark's feeling good about his decision not to enter the bubble (12:57), and China's new curling star becomes an internet darling (14:15).

Joining us on the show is figure skater Tina Garabedian, the flag bearer for the Armenian delegation (16:08). She describes exactly what it was like walking out into the Bird's Nest stadium (16:24), takes us behind the scenes for the build-up to the big day (16:58), explains just how segregated the athletes were in the staging area (18:10), COVID stresses prior to coming to Beijing and some tough packing choices (18:52), the lack of relaxation inside the bubble (20:14), and her upcoming week (21:55). Next, Tina reveals her friends and rivals on tour (22:48), outlines the start of her Olympic journey as a child in Montreal (23:20), talks about how different schooling systems impacted her career (25:03), how famous she is in Armenia (26:23), the impact of travel restrictions on her competition schedule (26:54), how her parents have been able to be part of the Armenian delegation — but not her husband (27:52) and how the Chinese Olympic volunteers have made her stay extra special (28:46).

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