On Sunday, Beijing handed over the Olympic flag to Milan-Cortina. The Beijing Olympics will go down in history for the extreme anti-COVID-19 measures. Other stories from the games also include diplomatic boycotts and the doping scandal of Kamila Valieva, a 15-year olf skating sensation from Russia. Here’s the complete wrap-up.
Political highlights of the Beijing Olympics
Beijing Olympics was the second Olympic event to be held in the COVID-19 era. This time around, the Olympics was the talk around several political tensions. Several nations staging a diplomatic boycott over the human rights record in China was a huge move. Additionally, amidst the specter of invading Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin was at the opening ceremony. He was showing solidarity against the West along with President Xi Jinping.
18-year-old freestyle skier Eileen Gu ruled the snows by winning two golds and silver. However, Gu representing China also sparked several talks as questions on national identity, privilege, and gray areas arose on the internet. Gu’s win delivered the hype following dozens of endorsement deals, making her the games’ youthful face. She hopes that China hosting the Winter Olympics will help 300 million people to involve in winter sports. China will now be passing the torch to the Milan-Cortina stage for the 2026 Winter Games.
Zero-COVID-19 policy and other perspectives
Fortunately or not, China was spared by the possibility of embarrassing protests over the nation’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority as several journalists were stuck in a closed-loop and unable to report widely. The tightly sealed bubble also prevented further spread of the coronavirus and its variants as Chinna is practicing a ‘zero-COVID policy’. The policy is further isolating the country at a time when the events inside its walls show no sign of stopping. Apart from political issues, the Beijing Olympics was also a witness to the shattering of several Olympic dreams following positive tests. They prevented athletes from competing. Several athletes’ practice was disrupted due to the mandatory isolation enforced. Both athletes and officials requested better conditions in terms of food, equipment, space, and internet.
In addition to these, Beijing Olympics will also be remembered for the scandal around Kamila Valieva. Valieva, a 15-year-old skater failed her test at the National Championships in December 2021. However, the results of the test came through on February 8. It was one day after she helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in winning a team event. The event reopened a debate on the stability of the environment for minors. An investigation by the world’s top anti-doping authority will soon follow.