BEIJING, China — The 2022 Winter Olympics begin this week, and star athletes from the Sunshine State will be shining bright when they compete.
Out of the 222 U.S. athletes competing, five have a connection to Florida's warmer climate. While that's only 11 percent of the total athletes, there will be plenty of opportunities to catch them across the 15 events.
Here's when you can catch each Florida athlete competing.
Brittany Bowe
Let's start with the star of the show. Brittany Bowe, 33, is a two-time Olympian speedskater from Ocala. She previously competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.
She will start the games as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team during the Opening Ceremony. She replaces Elana Meyers Taylor, who is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Beijing for the competitions, The Associated Press said.
Bowe came in second in the votes after Meyers Taylor.
"I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead Team USA into the Opening Ceremony,” Bowe said in a statement. “Taking on this responsibility is the honor of a lifetime, and I will proudly carry the American flag on behalf of Elana, her family, and all of Team USA."
The Florida Atlantic University graduate placed 10th in the women's 1,500-meter event on Monday, Feb. 7.
But, Bowe has a shot at gold in two other races. She will also be competing in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter speed skating events.
The 500-meter will take place at 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 13. The 1,000-meter is happening at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17.
Erin Jackson
Speaking of speed skating, another Floridian woman will be competing in the sport this week. Jackson made history by becoming the first Black American woman to win a world cup speedskating race back in November in the 500-meter.
The 29-year-old speedskater from Ocala originally did not qualify for this year's 500-meter event, but her teammate Bowe gave up her spot for Jackson. Luckily, the U.S. team received an additional spot and now Bowe and Jackson will compete in the event together.
The 500-meter will take place at 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 13.
Frank Del Duca
While he might not have grown up in Florida, Frank Del Duca, 30, was born in Ft. Lauderdale and grew up in Bethel, Maine. Del Duca will be competing in both the 2-man and 4-man bobsleigh events.
There will be three days of qualifying events for the 2-man category beginning at 1:55 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 10. The official medal event will take place at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15.
For the 4-man event, qualifiers begin at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16. The medal day will be at 11:20 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20.
Josh Williamson
Josh Williamson, 25, is a Lake Mary, Florida native who actually went to college to play Lacrosse at Mercer University. He currently attends Florida State University.
Williamson will be competing in the 4-man bobsleigh events. Qualifiers begin at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16. The medal day will be at 11:20 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20.
Declan Farmer
While all eyes will be on the games these next two weeks, it's important to remember there's another Olympic event happening the following month. The Paralympics will begin on Mar. 4 in Beijing. Out of the 6 events, one Floridian will be competing.
Declan Farmer is a Tampa native competing in sled hockey. The 24-year-old is already a two-time gold medalist in both the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics.
He'll be going for the trifecta beginning in the quarterfinals at 3:35 a.m. Wednesday, Mar. 9.