The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are well underway, while its counterpart-the Beijing 2022 is also in intense preparation. Interests from around the world in the preparatory progress, COVID-19 countermeasures and operational plans of the Games are surging high. In the meanwhile, China pays high attention to epidemic prevention. The international society has no need to over concern about the pandemic, and should leave the issue to scientific research instead of political investigation.
The preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are well underway with remarkable success. The Chinese society is looking forward to the Winter Olympics, with a belief that based on their experience in holding the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will definitely bring surprises to the world. The Chinese expects and welcomes athletes from all countries to participate in the Winter Olympics.
The first diplomatic briefing of Beijing 2022 organizing committee was held on May 21st, and has evidenced the smooth development with the attendance of 120 ambassadors, counselors and officials from over 70 countries.
Effective Epidemic Prevention and Control in Response to Cluster Reemergence
Impressed by Beijing's smooth preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics, diplomats and representatives from foreign embassies have pinned high hopes on witnessing a safe and sustainable Games next year.
Beijing 2022 stays open to suggestions from all stakeholders and is committed to working closely with the international community, especially on pandemic-control protocols, to deliver a streamlined, safe and splendid Games next year, said Zhang, also a vice-mayor of Beijing.
As part of an adapted testing program, revised by the International Olympic Committee and Beijing 2022 to cater to the pandemic situation, a series of snow and ice sports competitions, allowing only Chinese athletes, were operated at most of the venues in February and April.
Organizers will now improve on the COVID-19 control and prevention measures tested domestically to be ready for another string of 10 test events, which will open to foreign athletes and technical delegates, from October to December.
Having witnessed the progress despite the pandemic challenge, foreign diplomats have set their expectations high on enjoying a safe and excellent winter sports gala next year.
"As a sport-loving nation, the Netherlands are very much looking forward to the Beijing Games in 2022 and are very impressed with the preparations the organizing committee has undertaken so far," Wim Geerts, Dutch ambassador to China, said after the briefing.
Citing China's effective pandemic-containing efforts, Geerts said he feels safe to live and work in Beijing and he rests assured that Beijing 2022 organizers will "do their utmost to make sure it will be a safe Olympics for everyone"
Steady and Smooth Progress of Venue Construction and Layout
Zhang Jiandong, an executive vice-president of Beijing 2022, briefed attendees on a wide range of Games-related topics, such as venue readiness, competition organization and participant services, before the organizing committee introduced hospitality arrangements for international dignitaries, including accommodation, transport and ticketing services for visiting state leaders, sports ministers and other government officials.
Beijing 2022 has completed all the 12 competition venues, across three zones in downtown Beijing, its northwest Yanqing district and co-host Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, laying a solid foundation for the Winter Olympics to run from Feb 4 to 20.
Non-competition facilities, such as the Olympic Village and Main Media Center, will be finished in the second half of this year, with organizers also busy recruiting and training volunteers, promoting grassroots winter sports participation and finalizing post-Games venue operational plans.
Despite challenges caused by the pandemic in areas such as logistics and international exchange, Beijing and co-host Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, are gearing up for the 2022 Winter Olympics smoothly, with organizers busy putting finishing touches on noncompetition facilities while finalizing plans at the end of July for services during the Games.
All 12 competition venues in three zones－downtown Beijing, the capital's Northwest Yanqing district and Zhangjiakou－have been evaluated and approved by international winter sports federations after a series of domestic test events in February and April, the organizing committee confirmed on July 19th to mark the start of the 200-day countdown to the opening ceremony on Feb 4.
Organizers are now focusing on the completion by October of all noncompetition venues, including internal decorations at the Main Media Center and renovation of the iconic National Stadium for ceremonies, as well as the development of logistics arrangements and pandemic control protocols for staging 10 more test events from September to December that potentially will be open to international athletes.
As a highlight of Beijing's sustainable plan for the Games, organizers have renovated four venues used at the 2008 Summer Olympics to host ice sports competitions at the Winter Games.
The marketing program for the Games has attracted 42 domestic sponsors to sign regional endorsement deals with the organizing committee, apart from the International Olympic Committee's TOP program.
"Compared with figures at previous Winter Games released by the IOC, we can say that Beijing 2022 has so far achieved the highest marketing income in history," said Piao Xuedong, director of the organizing committee's marketing department.
Beijing's impressive progress has raised the expectations of the IOC and the international winter sports community.
"I have great expectations for Beijing having experienced the 2008 Games and also knowing that Beijing 2022 will be another huge outstanding success," IOC Vice-President Ng Ser Miang told China Central Television on Monday.
"Reports from the Beijing organizing committee continue to show that preparations are going extremely well and Beijing is ready," said the veteran sports administrator, who is from Singapore.
Chinese Enthusiasm and Inspiration
Six years after winning its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing's promise of delivering a top-quality and sustainable Games has materialized, with almost all venues completed and plans made for inspiring participation.
As an indispensable part of the successful Beijing Olmplics is to get 300 million of people into the winter sports, the government has infused much support from an all-round way, with not only sports participation rates and tourism projected to continue rising.
Zhangjiakou has been investing in nurturing more ice and snow talents, with over a dozen colleges in this city providing over 20 majors related to the ice and snow industry. The city has also held 285 ice and snow competitions and activities of all levels since 2019, drawing more than 5 million visitor’s coming so as to encourage more people join in the winter sports.
Except that, The booming tourism industry in Zhangjiakou bears testimony to the popularity of winter sports in China. The ice and snow tourism attracted 6.5 million vistors in 2020, although the serious situation of COVID-19 pandemic.
For Chinese, the popularity of winter sports has increased significantly in recent years, fueled by a nationwide participation push in the buildup to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, Hebei province. From 2019 to 2020, about 150 million people across China participated in winter sports. And according to the 2021 China Ice and Snow Tourism Development Report, published by the China Tourism Academy in early January, China's winter sports attractions are expected to draw 230 million visits in 2021, with revenue totaling over 390 billion yuan.
"China is encouraging 300 million people to participate in winter sports, and the winter sports industry will for sure welcome this impressive development," Liu Zonglin, the founder of sports equipment manufacturer Zhangjiakou Apgomago.
"China boasts a population of 1.4 billion and the future of winter sports in the country is very promising," said Zhang Hong, the winner of China's first-ever speed skating Olympic gold medal in 2014, at the China Sports Development Forum in Beijing.
"For speed skating and winter sports in general, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will not be an end. On the contrary, it will be another start for the Chinese winter sports industry. Through the Beijing Winter Games, more people in China will get to know more about winter sports, which will attract more people to work in the sector, and we will witness the emergence of more Chinese gold medalists at future Winter Olympics."
The volunteer is an essential part of the whole match, as they are also the one providing passionate personnel support. The BOCOG( The Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games) has globally appealed for Games volunteers on December 5, 2019 in the newly completed Shougang Big Air competition venue. One year later, on the 35th International Volunteer Day on Saturday, the online Beijing 2022 Volunteer Application Portal has been visted more than 33 million times with 1.22 million users registered.
As for now, more than 960,000 applications from 168 countries and regions have been received, according to Teng Shengping, director of the BOCOG's Volunteer Department. from the above-mentioned phenomenon, we can tell that the Beijing 2022 has got the extensive worldwide attention and popularity, from which we can also know the global aspiration to have a successful Beijing 2022.
27,000 volunteers will be needed for the Olympic Winter Games and 12,000 for the Paralympic Winter Games, with the latter mainly selected from the 27,000 ones for the Olympic Games. Qualified volunteers will go through general, speciality, venue and post-specific trainings before performing their duties, while those who are not chosen still have the chance to be city volunteers, said BOCOG deputy secretary general Xu Zhijun.
China is always open for all varieties of suggestions and advice in order to host an Olympic Game to satisfy the sportsman, the country and the audience. Besides, Beijing is also enthusiastically welcoming the sportsman from every country to experience the top-notch match, as being part of the Game definitely stands as the dream for each of them.
There are only several months left to the arrival of the Beijing Olympics.With the sound and smooth venue construction, the strict but all-round pandemic control, booming tourism industry and rising participation rate, it is undoubtedly that the Chinese is enthusiastically embracing the arrival of Beijing 2022. Both the government and its population will be excellently prepared for the Beijing 2022 during the extremely difficult time. They also firmly believe that a successful and satisfying game will be hosted by China.
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