And welcome to our final 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic newsletter. The closing ceremony is currently underway (and will re-air tonight at 8 p.m. ET if you missed it), so what better time to look back on the highs (and lows) from the last two weeks? Let’s take a trip down memory lane!

The GIST: Without a doubt, the lasting story of these Games will be that 15-year-old ROC figure skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete in the women’s singles program despite a positive doping test.

The details: After leading ROC to gold in the team event by landing two historic quads, reports emerged that, in December, Valieva had tested positive for a banned heart medication which aids in endurance and blood flow, rocking the figure skating world and the Olympics.

• In a very controversial move, the Court of Arbitration for Sport chose to allow the teen to participate in the women’s singles event, given Valieva’s status as a minor and the delay in receiving conclusive sample results.

• The decision was met with significant backlash. You know it’s bad when 2018 medalist (and coach of U.S. figure skater Mariah Bell) Adam Rippon is publicly swearing about the subject.

The twist: Despite the tension, Valieva was in first place after the women’s singles short program. However, in a shocking turn of events, she had a disastrous free skate, stumbling more than four times, resulting in Valieva finishing off the podium in fourth.

• It was hard to watch, and the aftermath was even more troubling, with emotions running high.

What’s next: Given the ongoing doping investigation, the ROC’s team gold is still on hold, but this story isn’t just about hardware. It’s about ROC skaters training within a corrupt system, “clean” skaters competing in an event shrouded in controversy and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) letting it happen under their watch. The only way forward is accountability.

🏂 Snowboard: Snack queen, queen of the snow — Chloe Kim does it all. Kim defended her 2018 halfpipe gold medal with an epic run in the finals, becoming the first woman in Olympic history to win back-back golds in the event. Bow down.

⛸ Figure skating: “Rocket Man,” “quad king” or “Chen No. 3” — Nathan Chen has plenty of nicknames, but we like to call him an Olympic gold medalist. After a disappointing 2018 Games, Chen skated his way to a redemptive men’s singles gold, adding to his silver in the team event.

🎿 Skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t have the Olympics she hoped for. The two-time Olympic gold medalist, a favorite to add to her hardware in Beijing, posted three did not finishes (DNFs), and the U.S. finished just off the podium in fourth in the mixed team event.

• But despite it all, Shiffrin was a beacon of positivity, bravely opening up about her mental health and inspiring us all by continuing to get back on the slopes. Medals shmedals, that’s GOAT behavior.

The GIST: You know that feeling when your favorite song comes on shuffle? Or when your favorite newsletter (hopefully ours!) hits your inbox? That’s how we feel about the new Elation Flare Pant from Athleta.

Nothing better: Just one look at the pant will have you feeling the beat. The flare at the bottom is perfect for moving and grooving, plus the buttery soft Powervita™ fabric and three-layer waistband ensure you’re as comfy as you are confident.

• Oh, and did we mention there’s a hidden back drop-in pocket to hold your essentials? Enough said.

Feeling good: Athleta’s helping us embrace “the joy of letting go,” and there’s no better way to feel that freedom than in their Elation Flare Pant. Get ready to groove.

💃 Women winning: At the first Winter Games in 1924, women comprised only 4.3% of all athletes. In Beijing, they comprised a record-setting 45% of athletes. Keep on moving, keep climbing.

💥 Olympic records: On the ice, Nathan Chen earned a world-record score in the men’s figure skating short program, and Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst became the first athlete to win individual gold at five different Olympics. Her teammate, Irene Schouten, also set an Olympic record (OR) in the women’s 3,000m and the 5,000m.

• And Team Canada speed skaters Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann secured maple leaf magic when they rallied from behind to win gold and set an OR in the women’s team pursuit.

• Over on the slopes, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won New Zealand’s first-ever Winter Games gold medal, and we’re giving every single one of her competitors gold medals for being the best huggers.

🎿 Freestyle skiing: ICYMI: Eileen Gu is very Gu-d. The 18-year-old star (who was born in the U.S. but competes for China) stomped her way to three medals in Beijing: big air gold, slopestyle silver and halfpipe gold, becoming the first freestyle skier to medal thrice in a single games.

• Her next adventure? Attending Stanford. Brains and brawn, baby.

🎾 Peng Shuai: Noticeably present in Beijing was Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai (pronounced PUNG sh-WHY), who accused a former top-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault in November. During the Games, she reportedly had dinner with IOC officials and watched Eileen Gu win her first gold medal.

• In an interview, Peng Shuai announced her retirement and also retracted her allegations from November. The Women’s Tennis Association continues to call for a formal investigation into the allegations and independent contact with Shuai.

👋 New sports: Seven events made their Olympic debuts in Beijing, and it’s hard to choose a favorite. Many GISTers loved the mixed team snowboard cross, where Team USA’s Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner soared to gold.

• We also loved freestyle skiing big air and watching Olympic champ Birk Ruud fly with Norwegian flag in hand.

• But monobob — the one-woman bobsledding spectacle — was the breakout star, with gold medalist Kaillie Humphries and silver medalist Elana Meyers Taylor (who's now the most decorated Black Winter Olympian), both from Team USA, becoming the first women to win bobsled medals at four straight Olympics.

We asked, you responded. Here are some GISTers' fave moments from the Games. All the feels.

Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner's team gold! Him cheering her on from the sidelines and the whole group of competitors' embraces at the end of their run felt like a genuine happiness for their accomplishment. It was so fun and emotional to watch!

— Sophia

Maddie Schizas crushing it for Canada in the teams competition — she did so well under pressure; Canadian women’s hockey gold; seeing Erin Jackson win gold — love the backstory and she broke a lot of barriers.

— Rhea

Nick Baumgartner! The 40-year-old had never medaled in the past three Olympics & in his individual event of men’s snowboard cross, he did not to make it to the finals…

But here comes the redemption story! Paired up with Lindsey Jacobellis in the new event mixed snowboard cross, the two won gold! Baumgartner became the oldest snowboarder in history to win an Olympic medal! What an inspiration to we older folks!

— Corey

Watching Nathen Chen perform his gold-medal winning free skate live was obviously a thrill, but honestly, one of my favorite moments of the Olympics so far has been watching Donovan Carrillo, a 22-year-old ice skater from Mexico, perform his free skate earlier that same evening, making him the first Mexican skater to advance to the free skate, ever. I feel like that's what the Olympics are all about.

— Jennifer

More Olympics action, coming right up. The 2022 Beijing Paralympics begin on Friday, March 4th, and you already know we’ll have a full preview before the Games begin. Mark your cal.

These Beijing Olympics were just the start of this year’s global sporting events being hosted by countries with known human rights abuses. Read this article about the parallels between these Games and the upcoming 2022 FIFA men’s World Cup in Qatar.

This gallery of the best photos from Beijing. A picture’s worth a thousand words, afterall.