NBC won't send sports announcing teams to Beijing. 'Select' spectators will be allowed at events

If you’ve been watching any sports coverage on NBC, you’ve seen the promos for next month’s Beijing Olympics and Super Bowl 56. Olympic anchor Mike Tirico has the Herculean task of working both assignments, but several of his high-profile colleagues won’t be making the trip to China.

NBC Sports will not send any of its announcing teams to China due to concerns about COVID-19, a spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports. That means Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir will be calling the action from a studio at the network’s hub in Stamford, Connecticut, instead of watching from the ice rink in Beijing. NBC’s broadcasting teams for Alpine skiing and snowboarding will also work from Stamford.

It’s not a new approach for the network, which employed a similar strategy for its coverage of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021.

There are other ways the global surge in COVID-19 case will have an impact on the Olympics. Beijing organizers announced only “select” spectators will be allowed at events; no tickets will be offered to the general public.  

Here are some other headlines about Olympic sports as we count down to the Feb. 4 opening ceremony:

♦ Jamaica qualified for the four-man bobsled event at the Winter Olympics for the first time in more than two decades.

♦ Athletes at the Beijing Olympics were urged by human rights activists Tuesday to avoid criticizing China because they could be prosecuted.

♦ Olympic athletes from several countries – including the United States – are being encouraged to leave their personal cell phones and laptops at home.

♦ The 23-player roster for the U.S. women's hockey team was announced, with the squad highlighted by four-time Olympian Hilary Knight.

♦ How many Olympians also work full time as nurses during a pandemic? Meet Olympic curler Nina Roth.