Beijing bids farewell to Winter Olympics Gu Ailing (2nd R in first row) and Su Yiming (3rd R in first row) are seen as Team China parades at the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in the National Stadium in Beijing on Sunday. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games came to an end on Sunday with the closing ceremony taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing. China tallied nine golds and 15 medals in total at the Games.Xinhua China witnesses inspiring breakthroughs China tallied nine golds and 15 medals at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, both record highs for the nation at a single Winter Olympics. Snow sports was a comparatively weak point for China in the past, contributing only one of the 13 golds prior to the Beijing Games, which came from Han Xiaopeng’s success in the men’s aerials freestyle skiing at Turin 2006. But the tide turned this time, as China has won five out of the nine gold medals in snow sports. Besides winning medals, China has witnessed many breakthroughs in the Olympic history, including first-time appearances in 35 out of the 104 events that Chinese athletes featured at Beijing 2022. China’s ‘snow twins’ herald new generation Teenage star skiers Gu Ailing and Su Yiming have amazed the public after they notched more than one Olympic medals, triggering online discussions on the personalities, family upbringing and education of the rising GenZ. At 18 years and 168 days, Gu is the youngest athlete to win three individual medals at the Winter Games. Su Yiming, who turned 18 on Friday, bagged a silver in slopestyle and a big air gold. Chen Hong, a commentator for a Shanghai-based newspaper, underlined the strong passions behind their professional success as well as their wide recognition at home and abroad. “Gu and Su are loved by millions as they represent the characteristics of a new generation of athletes. Apart from performing well in competitions, they really love their sport,” Chen wrote. It’s hard to ignore how closely the life paths and confidence of the newborn generation came along with China’s economic boom over the recent decades and active collaboration with the rest of the world. Beijing 2022 most watched Games in US More than 100 million Americans have watched the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where many U.S. athletes showed their talents, skills and sportsmanship and shared memorable experiences inside and outside competition venues. The popularity of the ongoing event among ordinary Americans and the friendship between U.S. and Chinese Olympians showcased in the Games have lampooned the Washington-led farce of a so-called “diplomatic boycott” of the Games, and convincingly attested to the new Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together.” Overseas athletes enjoy life at Games Off the competition venues, athletes have been sharing their life in the athlete village on social media since their arrival, and restaurants where their appetites are satiated are among the most popular hashtags. A total of 678 dishes catering to various tastes and needs are offered at the three competition zones of Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. Norwegian biathlete Filip Fjeld Andersen posted a video of plates filled with various food to answer the question from his fans that whether food is free. “Yes, all the food and drink is free! Probably [I’m] leaving this place 5kg heavier,” joked Andersen. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, competition venues for the Winter Olympics have also won praise from a lot of participants. IOC awards Olympic Cup to Chinese people The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the Olympic Cup to the Chinese people in recognition of their support for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, IOC President Thomas Bach announced during the 139th IOC session on Saturday. “The Beijing 2022 could not have achieved this level of excellence without the support of the Chinese people. We could feel their warmth, energy, hospitality and support. They were greatly committed to the success of the Games,” Bach said.(SD-Agencies) | 