GANGNEUNG, South Korea - The Pyeongchang Olympics have begun with a curling competition featuring a showdown between a pair of U.S. siblings and a Russian husband-and-wife team competing in neutral uniforms with no national insignia.
The United States with Matt and Becca Hamilton defeated the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) 9-3 in seven ends Thursday morning in PyeongChang.
The opening ceremony is still a day away, but the games are already underway. Among the athletes are 168 Russians who are being forced to compete under the neutral banner of "Olympic Athletes from Russia" as punishment for doping in Sochi in 2014. Others who were barred altogether have filed appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and are still hoping to be allowed to participate.
The first event is mixed doubles curling, which is making its Olympic debut. The more familiar single-gender version of curling will begin later in the games.
There were four games played simultaneously Thursday morning.
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