Participants salute venues, pandemic prevention and control measures
BEIJING: With the action underway, records being broken and COVID-19 risks under control, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are in full swing, with participants hailing the safe, friendly and unforgettable times they are experiencing in the Chinese capital.
Having staged the 2008 Summer Games to international acclaim, Beijing has set higher standards for the winter edition.
The aim is not to merely celebrate elite sports achievements, but also to provide an opportunity for the world to unite and bond more closely in the face of common challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and political disputes.
Sporting action at the highest level, underlined by records being set on the ice and snow, has refocused international attention after attempts by some Western governments to politicize the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics by using so-called diplomatic boycotts ahead of the Games.
According to the Olympic Information Service, Games records for seven events in speed skating and short-track speed skating had been broken 10 times by Wednesday afternoon since the Winter Olympics opened on Feb 4.
The rise of young stars, such as China’s freestyle skiing prodigy Gu Ailing, and the return of veterans, including defending Olympic champion snowboarder Shaun White of the United States and German eight-time Olympic skater Claudia Pechstein, captured international attention midway through the first week of the 18-day Games. -The Daily Mail-China Daily News Exchange Item
