Over the past year, the US and a few of its closest allies have by hook or by crook tried to stir up a manufactured human rights issue in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and use it as a pretext to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics. Now with the curtain having descended on the Winter Games on Sunday night and winning worldwide approbation for its success, America’s attempt to sabotage it is now viewed in hindsight with contempt and intense odium. Without exception, many participants heaped praise on just about every aspect of the Games — from the incomparable competition facilities and venues to accommodation for the athletes, and the standby medical service at all hours. With the attendance of 170 dignitaries from 70 countries, including more than 30 heads of state and members of royal families, and the participation of 2,877 athletes from 91 countries, their positive verdict was unanimous. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach hailed the 2022 Beijing Winter Games as an unqualified success and said that it has earned high praise from participating athletes and officials alike from around the world. According to the IOC, its own social media accounts on all platforms have received over 2.7 billion visits for the 2022 Beijing Games, setting a new record for Winter Olympics. The Beijing Games itself notched 17 Olympic records, two of which are also world records.
Indeed, nothing can be more convincing than the congratulatory remarks from Susanne Lyons, chair of the US Olympic Committee’s board of directors as well as the head of Team USA, on China’s success in hosting the Games. She also conveyed the American athletes’ positive feedback, despite their government’s diplomatic boycott of the event.
In summary, China registered at least four significant achievements in hosting the Games. First, it demonstrates excellent management. As the Games clashed head-on with the COVID-19 pandemic, the closed-loop management kept everyone safe under very challenging circumstances, with the fast-spreading omicron variant threatening massive sabotage. But this was averted under the innovative closed-loop system adopted to minimize contacts among participants and with the outside world.
With a dedicated approach and resource support from all quarters, ice skating can be a potential medal winner for Hong Kong just as in fencing, table tennis and cycling
Under this rigorously enforced system, all participants, including athletes, officials and media members, were required to move only between their training, competition, workstations and designated accommodation facilities via official transport services to separate them from the local communities. Its effectiveness was almost immediate, as within the loop, which covers over 14,000 participants, the number of confirmed daily COVID-19 cases quickly dropped to zero. As Bach said, “It was one of the safest places on the planet, if not the safest place, and this is a great achievement.”
This must be attributed to the amazing teamwork behind the scenes, working diligently and tirelessly to ensure efficiency in logistics, catering, hotel service and cleaning. The 19,000 volunteers and the emergency medical staff have all won the hearts and admiration of both foreign athletes and officials for their courtesy and professionalism.
Second, it is a proud display of China’s technological advances, covering artificial intelligence, facial recognition technology, simulation technology, smart venues, the new paradigm of 5G network application, reduced carbon emissions, green electricity technology, carbon dioxide ice-making technology, smart transportation technology, and cutting-edge venues that facilitated athletes in achieving their optimum performance. Among the most impressive displays was the high-definition LED floor at the opening and closing ceremony, the AI self-service restaurants, the hydrogen fuel buses, and even the traditional Chinese medicine clinic, which provided acupuncture therapy to relieve athletes’ muscle pain. They proved to be eye-openers to many foreign participants. Most importantly, many of these breakthrough technologies will be incorporated into ordinary people’s daily lives before long.
Third, the record-breaking successes of Chinese athletes in garnering 15 medals, including nine golds, and placing third in the overall rankings, was particularly impressive considering that most of the winter sports were totally unknown in China some 20 years ago. It is an impressive display of what Chinese athletes are capable of through sheer willpower and hard work despite lack of experience. Particularly worth mentioning is Su Yiming, who made history for being the youngest to earn a gold medal in men’s snowboard big air, after winning a slopestyle silver at the age of 17. The elegant Chinese figure skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong broke the Olympic record in points to achieve a narrow win over their Russian counterparts in a very closely fought competition. Needless to say, the title of Winter Olympics superstar belongs to Eileen Gu, who became the first freestyle skier to win three medals in a single Winter Olympics, including golds in big air and halfpipe, and a silver in slopestyle. Her success triggers a popular joke circulating on Chinese American social media, “You told us to go back to China, and Eileen Gu finally did!” But she really won the hearts of many when she said, “The most important gold medal in my heart is always to spread the sport to young girls via the platform of the Winter Olympics,” a complete rebuff to those who have been trying to politicize the Games, including Gu’s nationality.
Fourth is the cross-national friendship being spread by the Chinese athletes. There are many heartwarming stories behind the scenes, with competitors hugging each other while offering their rivals heartfelt encouragement and warm congratulations. The interaction between Chinese mixed double curlers Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan and their US opponents Christopher Plys and Vicky Persinger after a game when they exchanged gifts to show friendship and mutual respect was among the memorable moments of the Games, cementing their unplanned ambassadorial roles. As pointed out by Bach, “All these showed that the Olympic Games and the Olympic athletes are really beyond the divisive issues we are facing in the world now and the high tensions we are going through on the political side.” He further said in the closing ceremony, “This unifying power of the Olympic Games is stronger than the forces that want to divide us. May the political leaders around the world be inspired by your example of solidarity and peace.”
For China, the Beijing Winter Olympics will open up a cornucopia of winter sports options in China and should enhance economic development in the northern regions such as Heilongjiang and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. As President Xi Jinping said during his meeting with Bach, “I don’t particularly care how many gold medals Chinese athletes win this time; I care more about the motivation and vitality it will inject into us in the future.” As for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, development of winter sports in Hong Kong is challenging because of its lack of snow. In my opinion, the most suitable winter sports Hong Kong can develop is ice skating, which is best suited for the Chinese physique. The men’s figure ice skating champion in the Beijing Winter Olympics is a Chinese American, Nathan Chen. The ice-skating dance duo champion is the Chinese pair, and China won four medals, including two gold medals in speed skating. Indeed, Hong Kong representative Sidney Chu participated in the short track speed skating, and although he lost in the first round, he is not really that far behind the world standard. The SAR government is proposing the construction of an international standard ice rink in Whitehead Sports Park. With a dedicated approach and resource support from all quarters, ice skating can be a potential medal winner for Hong Kong just as in fencing, table tennis and cycling.
Finally, it is good to see that the events were covered by TVB and RTHK Television, but far from as extensive as the CCTV sports channels. I can only repeat my earlier proposal that RTHK Television should have a dedicated sports channel to promote local and Chinese mainland sports events. Let us hope that this will materialize in time to welcome the Asian Games in Hangzhou later this year.
The author is an adjunct professor of HKU Space, and a council member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies. He is also the honorary adviser of Hong Kong Squash.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.