People are lining up at 6 a.m. for stuffed dolls of the Olympic panda mascot

The women’s monobob had its Olympic debut today, with Team USA’s Kaillie Humphries leading the heats.

Humphres has a major lead on the other competitors, recording a combined time of 2:09:10.

The Covid comeback: Fellow American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor came fourth in the heat, as she returns to competition after spending the start of the Olympics in Covid quarantine.

Two days after she arrived in Beijing, the 37-year-old tested for positive — and was placed into an isolation hotel.

Those who test positive must present two consecutive negative tests before they can be released. She did so several days later, and was cleared for release on February 5.

During that time, her competitors were able to take training runs at the course — but Meyers Taylor was forced to train inside her hotel room, using weights and equipment her teammates brought her.

Taylor is now hoping for gold, after having won two silvers and a bronze at previous Olympics — though she faces tough competition from Canada’s Christine de Bruin and Germany’s Laura Nolte, who came in second and third at today’s heat.

What is the monobob? The monobob is an individual version of bobsleigh exclusive to female athletes. The bobsledders have to push, drive and brake the sled, which weighs at least 162 kilograms (more than 357 pounds) all by themselves.