It Beijing Winter Olympics drew to a close Sunday, rounding off the Games that will go down in history as much for their coronavirus restrictions and geopolitical tensions, as their nail-biting competitions and emotional moments. 

Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium’s closing ceremony. The opening ceremony featured children performing with snowflake-shaped lanterns and ending with the extinguishing the Olympic flame.

After the song ended, snowflake lights rose from the stadium. Fireworks lit up the sky and spelled out the message: One World, One Family. People celebrated inside the stadium as “Auld Lang Syne,” was played.

As with the opening ceremony in 2008, the closing ceremony had a simpler format and was more focused on children than ordinary Chinese people.

The ceremony began earlier in the day. Following the flag bearers of the countries participating, athletes rushed to the arena. Many were clutching their phones trying to catch the moment on camera. After organizers declared that tickets would not be sold to the public, a small crowd of guests gathered around the event.

Beijing was the first place in the world that hosted both the summer competitions and winter contests. Now, it will be hosting the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy. 

One child from Cortina, and one from Milan, then turned a globe on cracking ice to show the fragility of the planet.

China’s capital was the most conservative. coronavirus restrictions Yet, for those Games marked by a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record, the Russia-Ukraine tensionsAnd a high-profile doping saga involving a 15-year-old skating phenom.

Zhang Yimou (a renowned Chinese filmmaker) directed the ceremony. Zhang Yimou also designed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics. 

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, praised athletes’ sportsmanship in a speech that concluded the Games.

He stated, “You did not just respect each other but also you supported one another. Even though your countries may be divided, you still embraced the other.” I wish that all political leaders in the world are inspired by your model of solidarity and peace.

Bach also urged the international community for equal access Covid vaccines to people around the world.

“If this pandemic is to be overcome, we need to be quicker, aim higher, be stronger, and stand together,” he stated.

Sunday’s ceremony was the culmination of two weeks worth of drama. Olympic champions were born and records were rewritten.  

Erin Jackson, the United States’ first female president, was elected. first Black woman to win Team USA a gold medal in speedskating. She won the gold medal in speedskating after falling during Olympic trials. Brittany Bowe, Jackson’s friend and fellow skater offered her a place in Beijing. 

Nathan Chen also shined for Team USA. He was the first Asian American to win an Olympic medal for figure skating in singles men’s. 

The Games already make her a superstar U.S.-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu won hero status in China after bagging two gold medals and one silver for the host country.

There were also some more humble moments.

Snowboarder Shaun WhiteFace of modern winter sports, last week he finished his Olympic journey in Beijing without reaching the podium.

Another scandal that plagued the Games for years was also a persistent one. The Games were also plagued by a long-running scandal. reports The following was found to be true: Russian figure skater prodigy Kamila Valieva had tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Games. If she was found guilty of a doping offense, the 15-year old will lose her gold medal in Thursday’s team event. 

In the weeks leading up to the Games, the Games featured as a dominant topic. Chinese government’s treatment of the ethnic Uyghurs, U.S. officials have called this genocide. Beijing denied mistreatment of the largely Muslim minority and insisted that the actions taken by the government to combat terrorism were done so.

Chinese officials addressed the World Leaders who had been boycotting the Games during the Opening Ceremony. by choosing a Uyghur cross-country skier Xinjiang delivers the ceremonial fire, a symbolic moment often weighing heavy. 

Another notable moment was a meeting between Bach, of the IOC, and Peng ShuaiAfter accusing a former high ranking government official of sexual assault, Xue Peng, a Chinese tennis player disappeared from public attention last year. Peng refuted the accusation in a live interview with L’Equipe, a French newspaper.

Peng was interviewed later by L’Equipe, who stated that Peng could not be certain that she was safe and free.

Furthermore, Russia’s massing of troops on the border with Ukraine You pierced Olympic bubble.

Coronavirus panic, which first reached its peak in Wuhan, China, was also felt at the Games. Concerns about quarantine and testing confusion added another layer to already stressed athletes. Athletes and their teams filed complaints about the treatment and the standards inside Beijing’s so-called quarantine hotels.

Norway, with a population less than 5 million people, led the medal count. Russia came in second place, followed by Canada, Germany and the United States. China was awarded 15 medals, while Pyeongchang had only nine.

Sports fans shouldn’t be alarmed as the Olympic lights dim for two weeks of drama. These Games are over, but they won’t be the end of sports fans. Paralympics in Beijing They are ahead.

They begin on March 4th and finish March 13th.