Curler John Shuster and speed skater Brittany Bowe will be flagbearers for the U.S. Olympic team during the opening ceremony at this year's Beijing Games.

Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor was initially chosen to carry the American flag. But, according to the Associated Press, since she's currently in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, three-time Olympian Bowe will walk in her place.

The news outlet reported that the defending gold medalist and five-time Olympian would be the first curler to carry the American flag during the Winter Games opening ceremony.

Shuster and Bowe will lead the American athletes into the Bird’s Nest on Friday when the Olympics kick-off.

The opening ceremony is slated to begin in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. ET.

Primetime coverage will be aired on NBC beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The Olympic flame has arrived in Beijing amid calls from critics for a boycott of the Winter Games, which are set to be staged in February.

The flame was received by Beijing's Communist Party Secretary Cai Qi, the top official in the Chinese capital.

Beijing is the first city to be awarded hosting rights to both the Summer and Winter Games.

The flame arrived in China Tuesday, a day after protesters interrupted the flame lighting ceremony in Greece. Those protesters were carrying a banner that read "No genocide games."

"How can Beijing be allowed to host the Olympics given that they are committing a genocide against the Uyghurs?" one protester said.

Local police later detained the protesters.

Human rights critics say China's oppression of political critics, minority groups including Tibetans and Uyghurs and a crackdown in Hong Kong should prompt athletes and politicians to shun the event.

According to The Associated Press, the International Olympic Committee has shied away from criticism about China's reported human rights abuses. IOC President Thomas Bach has said the Games must be "respected as politically neutral ground."

The Beijing Winter Olympics will run from Feb. 4-20. Only spectators from mainland China will be allowed to attend the Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

No foreign spectators will be allowed to buy tickets to the Beijing Winter Olympics next year as part of protocols announced by the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday.

The IOC says tickets will be sold exclusively to spectators residing in China’s mainland who meet the requirements of the event’s COVID-19 countermeasures.

The specific requirements for these Chinese spectators are under development and will be released to the public once they are finalized, according to the IOC.

Organizers also laid out their vaccination rules for the event, which starts Feb. 4 and runs through Feb. 20, 2022.

The IOC says all athletes and participants in the games who are fully vaccinated will enter a closed-loop management system upon arrival. As for participants who are not fully vaccinated, they’ll have to remain in quarantine for 21 days upon arrival in Beijing.

Athletes who can provide a justified medical exemption for vaccination will have their cases considered, according to the IOC.

All vaccines recognized by the World Health Organization or related international organizations, or approved officially by the countries or regions concerned, will be accepted.

As mentioned above, the games will feature a closed-loop management system, which will be in place from Jan. 23 to the end of the Winter Paralympics on March 13.

The IOC says the closed-loop management system will cover all games-related areas, including arrival and departure, transport, accommodation, catering, competitions, and the opening and closing ceremonies.

Within the closed loop, participants will be allowed to move only between games-related venues for training, competitions and work. A dedicated games transport system will also be put in place.

Additionally, the IOC says all domestic and international games participants and workforce in the closed-loop management system will be subject to daily testing.