Legacies of Winter Olympics drive sports boom

"China has become one of the largest and strongest nations in skating, and this is only going to continue," he said.

In a final review, the IOC's Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022 said the Chinese capital's smooth and safe organization of arguably the most sophisticated sporting event in the world, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, was acknowledged with high regard.

Presenting the review report to an IOC executive board meeting early last month, Juan Antonio Samaranch, chair of the coordination commission and IOC vice-president, said, "The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 were a showcase for incredible sporting performances.

"In addition to delivering a safe and successful Games, the organizing committee's ambitious vision and promises were achieved and exceeded."

Based on data analysis and debriefings with organizers and stakeholders, the report summarizes the key achievements of Beijing 2022, including athletes' performances, media exposure, legacy and sustainability. It also furthers efforts by the IOC to optimize future Games' delivery and experiences by drawing up seven recommendations based on practices at the Games last year.

To address challenges posed by the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19, Beijing's decision to stage the Games under a closed loop management system proved a feasible and flexible way to guarantee safe delivery of the event on time. The decision was taken after thorough discussions with the IOC, the World Health Organization and all other stakeholders.

All key Games' participants, including athletes, coaches and organizers, stayed and traveled inside the closed loop, were separated from local communities, and subject to daily COVID-19 testing. They only used designated transportation services.

Thanks to the strict operation of this system, imported COVID-19 cases were kept under control throughout the Games, with no infections leaking from the loop.

Although ticket sales to the public were canceled, the Beijing 2022 organizing committee went to great lengths to ensure the presence of a total of 260,000 spectators at competition venues to generate a friendly and familiar atmosphere for athletes.

With the use of safe and high-quality venues, two world and 17 Olympic records were broken during the 16 days of competition, which produced a record total of 109 gold medals. More than 2,800 athletes from 91 countries and regions took part in the Games.

With women accounting for 45 percent of the competitors, Beijing 2022 was the most gender-balanced Winter Olympics to date. There were 46 events for women out of a total of 109, the review report said.

Sustainability and legacy were the other key contributors to the success of Beijing 2022, the report said, adding that all the Games venues were powered by renewable energy for the first time in Olympic history.

The outstanding example set by Beijing 2022 in reusing existing facilities — mostly those for the 2008 Summer Games — by incorporating preparations into urban renewal plans, and minimizing environmental impact while promoting clean energy, have pointed the way forward for the Olympics, the report said.

The Games enjoyed huge public support in China, with 5.2 million replicas of the official mascot Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda wearing an ice suit, sold by the end of May.

The Winter Games in Beijing were watched by more than 2.1 billion viewers on traditional and digital channels, with more broadcast hours and media coverage than any previous editions of the Winter Olympics, according to the review report.

"Even with the challenges of the COVID-19 countermeasures, operations and quality of service met expectations," the report added.

"Any issues were promptly addressed. With athletes and sport at the center of considerations, the infrastructure, venues and fields of play were outstanding.

"The people of China were exceptional hosts who offered immense hospitality, warmth and kindness."

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn