Therese Johaug raised her arms overhead and smiled, her defeated foes left gasping for air on the ground behind her.
The first of many gold medal moments was captured by photographers at these Beijing Olympics.
The first medals were awarded Saturday as the Winter Games began in earnest, and the Norwegian Johaug took the first gold on the docket in the women’s 15-kilometer skiathlon. Five more were handed out during the first full day of competition.
It didn’t take long for these Games to provide their first upsets, either.
![Norway's Therese Johaug celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)]()
Norway's Therese Johaug celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Sara Takanashi of Japan soared into the night sky but didn’t have enough for a medal at the women’s ski jump — a stunner considering her record 61 World Cup victories. Slovenia’s Ursa Bogataj earned that gold.
Snowboarders took their first competitive turn on the slopestyle course and found out the replica “Great Wall” lining the hill wasn’t quite great enough to stave off a piercing, bone-chilling wind. “They need a bigger wall,” joked American Jamie Anderson.
Pietro Sighel of Italy didn’t have any trouble with the elements at short track speedskating, but he wiped out all the same, crashing into the padded wall along the rink during his heat of the men’s 1,000-meter.
Meanwhile, outside the National Stadium, the Olympic flame burned at the center of its snowflake cauldron as the sun set over Beijing. One day of competition down, 15 to go.
![Denmark's Josephine Asperup (19) checks Japan's Rui Ukita, left, during a preliminary round women's hockey game at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]()
Denmark's Josephine Asperup (19) checks Japan's Rui Ukita, left, during a preliminary round women's hockey game at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
![Aileen Frisch, of South Korea, slides during a luge women's training run at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)]()
Aileen Frisch, of South Korea, slides during a luge women's training run at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
![Australia's Tahli Gill, directs her teammate, during the mixed doubles match against Norway, at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)]()
Australia's Tahli Gill, directs her teammate, during the mixed doubles match against Norway, at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
![Frost covers a face shield of a volunteer before the start of the women's 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)]()
Frost covers a face shield of a volunteer before the start of the women's 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
![Skiers fall while competing during the women's 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/John Locher)]()
Skiers fall while competing during the women's 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/John Locher)
![Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka competes during the women's slopestyle qualifying at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]()
Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka competes during the women's slopestyle qualifying at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
![Clare Egan takes target practice before the 4x6-kilometer mixed relay at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)]()
Clare Egan takes target practice before the 4x6-kilometer mixed relay at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
![Karl Geiger, of Germany, soars through the air during the men's normal hill individual ski jumping qualification round at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)]()
Karl Geiger, of Germany, soars through the air during the men's normal hill individual ski jumping qualification round at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
![The Olympic flame burning in the center of the snowflake-shaped cauldron is on display near the National Stadium at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)]()
The Olympic flame burning in the center of the snowflake-shaped cauldron is on display near the National Stadium at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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