Beijing, China, February 4, 2022: The third and final leg of the Asian Olympic hat trick kicked off at the Bird’s Nest Stadium on Friday night with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Following the previous Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Korea in 2018 and the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan last summer, Beijing’s hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics completed this remarkable hosting honour for the Asian continent.
At the same time, Beijing also became the first city in Olympic history to host the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games.
The opening ceremony – at the same National Stadium that hosted the opening ceremony in 2008 – was played out on a freezing evening and in front of several thousand spectators.
The emphasis was very much on youthful energy in the dancing and on ice and snow in the imagery, with a giant block of ice giving way to form the door and ramp for the parade of athletes into the arena. Another highlight was the creation of a huge snowflake which served as a perfect backdrop to the five white rings of the IOC.
The theme of the ceremony was the “beginning of spring” to tie in with the Chinese New Year of the Tiger and elements of spring time were in evidence throughout.
The parade of athletes included 18 Asian National Olympic Committees among the 91 delegations, with several of them featuring a lone athlete such as Timor Leste, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, making their debut in the Winter Olympics.
The parade culminated in a dazzling wave of red as China made their way down the ramp to be greeted by appreciative, flag-waving spectators.
After speeches by the President of the organising committee, Cai Qi, and by IOC President Thomas Bach, who pleaded “Give peace a chance”, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the Winter Olympics open.
Cross-country skier Yilamujiang Dinigeer and Nordic Combined athlete Zhao Jiawen of the People's Republic of China were handed the distinct honour of serving as the final torchbearers of the Olympic Torch Relay.
Yilamujiang and Zhao together placed the torch at the centre of the giant snowflake before it rose slowly upwards. A fireworks display exploded in the night's sky above as the flame reached its final resting place.
Photos: OCA
