DUE to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games have been extremely difficult but received positive feedback from Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022, during an exclusive interview with Xinhua. Samaranch Jr. said that the IOC has never doubted China’s hosting capacity and the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which fully met and exceeded their expectations. Due to travel restrictions since the COVID-19 outbreak, Samaranch Jr. and other members of the coordination committee have had to communicate with the Beijing organizers most of the time by video calls with a time difference. “What has been really amazing and impressive is the capacity of this team of people, this organizing committee, and the people of China to organize the Games despite the pandemic, in very difficult conditions and making it successful and very safe for everybody. Very nice effort,” said Samaranch Jr. In order to deliver a safe Games, the Beijing Winter Olympics have been taking place in a closed loop. Samaranch Jr. said that China’s public health authorities have done a lot of rigorous and comprehensive work, in which the closed-loop management has played a key role in the smooth operation of the Games so far. Samaranch Jr. recalled the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 and liked the flow of the storytelling and technology that was displayed. “I think that the ceremony is a reflection on the state of mind of the whole country. In 2008, China wanted to tell the world ‘here we are, we are here to say we had a big, very powerful celebration.’ It was a statement there.” “Now China doesn’t have to say to anybody here we come. You are in the center of things of world affairs. This was a very interesting way of presenting ‘Together for a Shared Future.’ It was very well crafted and a very good message to give to the world,” he said. (Xinhua) | 