February 20, (THEWILL) – After two and a half weeks of competition, the Winter Olympics in Beijing have officially come to an end with a spectacular fireworks show.
The Olympics were dramatic, made history, and were overshadowed by COVID-19 worries and the Kamila Valieva doping controversy, with Norway winning a record 16 gold medals in a single Winter Games and Great Britain waiting until the penultimate weekend to take gold in women’s curling and silver in men’s curling.
Germany dominated the sliding events, winning all but one in luge, skeleton, and bobsleigh, while Norwegian biathletes Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Johannes Thingnes Boe each won five medals, as did Russian Alexander Bolshunov in cross-country skiing.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Games were the most tightly monitored in history, with no one allowed to leave the “closed loop” of official Olympic venues.
The motif of snowflakes was front and centre right from the start, according to acclaimed director Zhang Yimou, who was also behind the spectacle for the opening ceremony. On 12 skates inspired by the Chinese zodiac, children danced beneath a big snowflake.
The athlete procession began after China’s national anthem, with men’s curling silver medalist Bruce Mouat bringing the union flag into the stadium. This was a lot faster and more relaxed affair than the opening ceremony.
The medalists in long-distance cross-country skiing had their medal ceremonies, with Norway’s Therese Johaug and Russia’s Bolshunov receiving gold. Before the formal handover of the Olympic flag to the Italian hosts of the 2026 event, a selection of montage videos displaying the best of the Games were shown throughout the ceremony.
The International Olympic Committee president delivered the flag to Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala and his Cortina counterpart Gianpietro Ghedina after a wave from Beijing mayor Chen Jining – and with the Italian flag raised, the countdown to Milan-Cortina had officially begun.
Their section of the ceremony began with a large globe being pushed into what was supposed to represent thin ice, emphasising the planet’s fragile state. Before the 2026 Games emblem was projected on the floor, two contemporary dancers formed virtual lines with their moves to create silhouettes of several of the sports.
Following a statement by the head of the Beijing Games organising committee, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach delivered his closing remarks, seemingly noting the ongoing issue between Russia and Ukraine while addressing the participants.
“You not only respected each other. You supported each other. You embraced each other, even if your countries are divided by conflict,” he said, appearing to refer to Ukrainian silver medalist Oleksandr Abramenko hugging a Russian skier following the freestyle skiing aerials final.
“You overcame these divisions, demonstrating that in this Olympic community we are all equal – regardless of what we look like, where we come from, or what we believe in. This unifying power of the Olympic Games is stronger than the forces that want to divide us: you give peace a chance.
“May the political leaders around the world be inspired by your example of solidarity and peace.”
After thanking everyone associated with the Beijing Games, Bach declared the Games concluded and began the process of extinguishing the Olympic Flame.
The Olympic rings rose from the ground again in a tribute to the Beijing Olympics of 2008, passing the big snowflake as it was lowered, flanked by all of the participating nations’ flags.
Following that was a fantastic fireworks display, which included a spectacular lighting up of the Olympic rings in the sky over the Bird’s Nest, just as it had been 14 years previously. The ceremony ended with the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne, bringing the Games to a close and setting the stage for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
