Olympics & Paralympics

Beijing tries to spark Olympic mood in final 3 weeks

The Yomiuri Shimbun
People skate on a frozen river at Beijing Olympic Park on Thursday.

By Koki Kataoka / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

12:43 JST, January 14, 2022

BEIJING — With three weeks to go to the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 4, the host country is ramping up efforts to lift the mood for the event dampened by the unending pandemic.

Chinese media are filled with daily reports of residents engaged in skiing, skating and other winter sports. On Wednesday, the Chinese government announced that the country has passed its goal of a winter sports-playing population of 300 million.

In Beijing, more and more streets are being adorned with banners bearing the Games’ logo.

A large number of people were seen playing ice hockey or skating on a frozen river at Beijing Olympic Park on Thursday. The park is home to the Beijing National Stadium, commonly called the Bird’s Nest, where the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics will take place.