Beijing, China, April 8, 2022: A ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the morning of Friday, April 8 to honour those who made outstanding contributions to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
In his address to 3,000 attendees, President Xi Jinping said that a great cause nurtured a great spirit, and that a great spirit promoted a great cause. Xi called for the participants to carry forward the spirit of the Games, and forge ahead more confidently and more determinedly.
The CPC Central Committee and the State Council decided to award 148 groups and 148 individuals for their contributions to the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. They included the venue operation team of the National Speed Skating Oval and snowboard gold medalist Su Yiming.
By overcoming various difficulties, the Chinese people, along with people from around the world, once again presented a global sport event that would go down in history and together shared the glory of Olympics, President Xi said.
Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the two host cities, deployed their best resources, and worked closely with global sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee, to surmount challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and present the world with streamlined, safe and splendid Games, Xi said, noting that China has honored its solemn promise.
On behalf of the Chinese government and over 1.4 billion Chinese people, Xi expressed sincere gratitude to the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, members of the Olympic and Paralympic families and friends from countries and regions around the world. He also paid high tribute to athletes from all participating countries and regions who courageously strived for the best during the Games.
Source: Xinhua
