Sports officials express support for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
2021-11-19
Aerial photo taken on Jan 19, 2021 shows the National Sliding Center in Yanqing District, Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]
Einars Fogelis, president of the International Luge Federation (FIL), praised the organization of the FIL Luge International Training Week in Beijing following an inspection tour of the National Sliding Center, the venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Fogelis said that for the upcoming Luge World Cup and Olympics, the venue is the best present for the athletes.
"The track looks amazing. We stay on the right way for the great Olympics," he said.
The National Speed Skating Oval in downtown Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022, told a digital press conference on Nov 9 he was happy and proud to see that Beijing has dedicated enormous attention to sustainability, delivering the promise of holding a carbon neutral Games.
"Many Olympic and Paralympic venues are powered by renewable energies, like solar or wind. It's very innovative on low carbon emission. The CO2 refrigeration systems will be used in most of the ice venues," he said.
"China also keeps the promise of getting 300 million people involved in winter sports. We are convinced that the Beijing Winter Olympics will inspire thousands of children and young students to embrace winter sports across the world," he noted.
Staff members work for a testing program for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to root out problems and accumulate data at the National Alpine Skiing Center in Yanqing District, Beijing, Feb 23, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]
Serbia has backed China to stage next year's Winter Olympics to the "highest possible level".
Djordje Visacki, secretary-general of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, expressed his utmost confidence that Beijing 2022 will wow the world.
"Bearing in mind all the experience that we have with China as the organizer of great sports events, we have no doubt that these Games will be organized to the highest possible level," he said.
"Regarding the measures introduced by China in order to prevent the virus spreading during the Olympic Games, we fully support that, because, although the Olympic Games are very important to us, it is also important that they don't generate further spread of the virus," Visacki said.
Skaters compete during the Experience Beijing Speed Skating China Open Men's 500m on Oct 8, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]
Greek Deputy Culture and Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis expressed confidence in the success of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics that will run from February 4 to 20, 2022, followed by the Paralympics.
"We are very happy that Beijing is hosting the Olympics again this time, after 2008, the 2022 Winter Olympics. It will succeed just as well in organizing the forthcoming Winter Olympics," he said during a ritual sun-ray ceremony in Athens on Oct 19.
President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos speaks during the flame handover ceremony for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece on Oct 19, 2021. [Photo/Agencies]
"We are confident that our Chinese friends will organize fantastic Games in Beijing," Spyros Capralos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and member of the International Olympic Committee, said during a ritual sun-ray ceremony in Athens on Oct 19.
"Greek and Chinese civilizations meet again in less than 15 years for both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Games. I think it is a happy occasion, because the Chinese people proved in 2008 that they know how to organize an excellent Olympic Games," Mayor of Ancient Olympia Georgios Georgiopoulos said.
"It was probably one of the best Games organized in recent years, and we believe that this event will have the same success," he said.
Aerial photo taken on Oct 19, 2021 shows the Winter Olympic Village in Chongli district of Zhangjiakou City in North China's Hebei province. [Photo/Xinhua]
President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Syed Arif Hasan said that China's experience in holding the Beijing 2008 Olympics and its excellent organizational capability will help make Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games an event par excellence.
Hasan said that he "is really looking forward to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics" as he had a great experience in Beijing back in 2008.
Talking about the preparatory work including the test events of the Winter Olympics, he said the Winter Olympics is in "very safe hands and the way all the preparations are going on, everything is going on, I am sure, these will again be one of the best Games."
Aerial photo taken on Nov 16, 2021 shows a view of Yunding Ski Resort in Chongli of Zhangjiakou City, North China's Hebei province. [Photo/Xinhua]
"We have a long friendship with China, and these Games will be a milestone. It will be the biggest Winter Olympics of all time because we trust China's organizational capacity, logistics, infrastructure, and quality of facilities," Pedro Farromba, president of the Federation of Winter Sports of Portugal and member of the Portuguese Olympic Committee said in an interview with Chinese media.
Farromba added that Beijing 2022 will be "one of the most incredible sports activities around the world and a place where every athlete wants to be."
