Tony Munroe and Muyu Zu

BEIJING, Reuters – Sunday’s closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing was to be marked by the outrage at the anti-COVID-19 policies and the scandal surrounding Kamila Valieva (15), a Russian skater.

At the Bird’s Nest Stadium, President Xi Jinping of China was there to witness the close ceremony. The Olympic flag will then be handed to Milan-Cortina as the next Winter host. This marks the conclusion of the Games, which were the second in six months that COVID-19 had deprived of much of their festivity.

Politics also dominated the Olympics, as several countries staged a diplomatic boycott of China over China’s human right record and the spectre that Russia would invade Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin attended the opening ceremony to show solidarity with the West against Xi.

China was not subject to any protests from its Uyghur Muslim minorities or other issues. Thousands of foreign journalists were also present but could not report outside the closed loop.

This tightly sealed bubble stopped the spread of coronavirus to the Olympics and into the community. It also reflected a zero COVID policy, which has kept China within close-knit borders. There is no indication of any easing.

Many athletes saw their Olympic hopes dashed when positive testing prevented them from participating.

Many athletes were forced to isolate themselves, causing them to disrupt their plans and demand better living conditions.

Eileen Gu (18-years-old, San Francisco-bred freestyle skier) won two golds for China. She also took home a slew of endorsement deals. Her success made her the young face of the Games, even though it raised concerns about her privilege and nationality.

Gu’s performances are a blessing for snowsport development in China. Xi is hopeful that the Games will bring 300 million people to winter sports.

China came in third with nine gold medals, exceeding all expectations. Norway was the winter sports powerhouse, with just 5.5million people, and won a record 16.

Xi provided a spectacular spectacle for a Chinese audience that could not attend – no tickets were sold, and many people connected to the Olympics through Bing Dwen Dwen’s unexpected mania for the panda mascot. Millions of Americans watched the Olympics from home. TV viewing was reported to have been lower than it was during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

As with Zhang Yimou’s opening ceremony, the closing ceremony began with an Olympic flame suspended in a huge snowflake. It was then lowered to ground level by children holding snowflake-shaped lanterns to the tune “Twinkle little star”.

Thomas Bach (President International Olympic Committee) was seated alongside Xi. There was space between them.

DOPING SCANDAL

One of the most lasting legacy from the Beijing Olympics is Valieva’s fall under pressure during her last skate. The outrage towards Russian officials and their doping history meant that Russian athletes couldn’t compete in Beijing under Russia’s flag.

Valieva failed a Doping Test at the December National Championships, but it was revealed that the result came on February 8th. This happened after Valieva helped win the Team Event for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).

However, she was allowed to compete in singles. She finished fourth. Her error-prone performance prompted a harsh response from Eteri Tutberidze, her coach. The IOC’s Bach said that he found it “chilling”.

The Games were dominated by the saga. This reopened the debate about whether the Olympic atmosphere is suitable for minors.

Beijing Games started on Feb. 4. They were the second Olympics in the COVID-19 age.

Paris will host the Summer Games 2026 before Milan-Cortina hosts the Winter Games. Tony Estanguet is president of Paris 2024. He promises an Olympic “light in the tunnel”.