The 2022 Winter Paralympics are starting now with an opening ceremony in Beijing
The Beijing Paralympic Games kick off on Friday, as much of the world's attention is focused on Russia's war in Ukraine and its consequences at home.
In fact, organizers have just banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing – reversing their original decision just a day before the Games were set to begin.
Some 700 world-class athletes will participate in this year's events, which run through March 13.
They will compete in 78 events across six sports in two disciplines, from ice sports like para ice hockey and wheelchair curling to snow sports including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon and snowboarding.
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Armchair athletes can gear up for a marathon, too: NBC Universal says it's airing 230 hours of Paralympic programming, including a record 120 hours on TV. Three of those hours will be on primetime, in what it calls a Winter Paralympics first.
You can watch events on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Olympic Channel as well as NBC's Olympics website and sports app. Here's a day-by-day viewing guide.
Friday's opening ceremony runs from 7 a.m to 9 a.m. ET, available on USA Network and streaming on Peacock. Check back on this page for more key details and moments.
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