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Winter Olympics: as China’s athletes chase glory on the slopes, tracks and ice rinks, can Beijing overcome Covid and boycotts?
- The Chinese capital makes history next week when it becomes the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Games
- From Eileen Gu’s bid to win 3 gold medals, to the Omicron and political tensions, follow us for comprehensive coverage of the 2022 Olympics
Dear readers,
In just nine days, Beijing will stage an Olympics for the second time in 14 years when the Winter Games start on February 4.
The Chinese capital is the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, and once again the country is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to make it a success.
What success looks like is hard to say, but China’s athletes have a better chance than ever before to grab gold, silver, and bronze medals in events they have not traditionally done well in. Home hopes rest on the likes of fan favourite Eileen Gu, figure skater Zhu Yi and snowboarder Su Yiming.
Hong Kong will send its largest ever Winter Olympics contingent. With skiers Adrian Yung and Audrey King and short-track speed skater Sidney Chu representing the city.
One of the highly anticipated sports rivalries will play out between figure skating champions Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and American Nathan Chen. Winter action sports athletes and social media stars will also have their day in the sun in the form of snowboarding legend Shaun White, and 2018 snowboard Gold medallist Chloe Kim.
Other Asian athletes from tropical climates will also contend for Olympic success, such as Malaysia’s Jeffery Webb who is set to compete in the giant slalom event, while Singapore’s short-track speed skater Cheyenne Goh seeks to follow up on her 2019 Southeast Asian Games medal.
Covid-19 cases at two-month low as China braces for Lunar New Year, Olympics
Covid-19 cases at two-month low as China braces for Lunar New Year, Olympics
Outwardly, China insists on separating sports and politics. The reality, however, is Beijing is using the Games as a strategic soft-power tool to magnify its status as a global superpower.
Where the Summer Games in 2008 were a coming-out party to proclaim China’s place on the world stage, and finishing top of the medal count did plenty to inspire a wave of national pride, next month is geared towards cementing China’s position.
Touted as the first “zero-carbon Olympics”, the Games showcases China’s green credentials, including progressive sustainability and renewable energy practices. To this end, it is harnessing 21 million kilowatts of wind and solar energy from Beijing’s countryside to power the Winter Olympics. The city has also transformed its air quality through a series of clean air programmes.
China will also use the Games to kick-start its winter sports tourism industry, estimated to be worth 1 trillion yuan by 2025, by inspiring a new generation of domestic tourists to take up skiing, snowboarding and ice hockey. Rolling out the new Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail is a major part of this plan.
But things always get complicated when sports and politics mix, and the build-up to this Games has been no different, with several countries opting for a diplomatic boycott over concerns regarding alleged human rights issues. Chinese officials have responded by urging the United States, which initiated the move, not to “politicise sports” and recently agreed to grant visas to 46 US officials.
But more pressing challenges remain with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus threatening to overshadow the event while putting China’s Covid-zero policy to the test. Considering Omicron cases have already been detected in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, Beijing 2022 will take place within a “closed-loop” bubble designed to ensure zero contact between participants and the public for the duration of the event. As an added precaution, spectators can only attend by invitation and tickets will not be sold to the public.
Unvaccinated athletes, such as Swiss Snowboard champion Patrizia Kummer, will be allowed to take part but only after completing a 21-day quarantine period. In the context of the world’s shared pandemic struggles, it is remarkable that the Games are still going ahead.
But going ahead they are, and away from the excitement on the slopes, tracks and ice rinks, another highlight includes Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s return to the Birds’ Nest to direct the opening ceremony for the Games, as he did in 2008. This time, he hopes to convey a vision of global hope and solidarity that iterates the event’s motto, “Together for a Shared Future”.
Even as the world is grappling with another global Covid wave, the next few weeks will offer hope and excitement, as we follow the endeavours of the world’s best winter sports athletes. Do visit SCMP’s Beijing 2022 microsite and please consider a digital subscription allowing you unlimited access to all our in-depth coverage on and around the Olympics on SCMP.com and our app.
Sincerely,
News Editor, Sports & Racing
Nazvi Careem
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