Although the Beijing 2022 Olympics have now drawn to a close, China is still shining bright as it continues to revel in the success of the Games.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), admired the Beijing Winter Olympics, calling it "truly exceptional" during the closing ceremony.

As well as being successful in the Games themselves — finishing third overall on the medal table — China has also achieved several remarkable accomplishments in hosting the Games. The most significant of these being that these Games are the first in history to be powered by renewable energy and that Beijing managed to host the Games with the risk of infections under control.

Beijing 2022 Sustainability Plan

During the planning of the 2022 Games, the Beijing Organising Committee was on a mission to achieve a "green, inclusive, open and clean" Games. Upon reflection, it appears that this was most definitely achieved as several new technologies made for a carbon-neutral event. 

All of the 26 competition venues were powered by renewable energy, with the National Speed Skating Oval — which measures 12,000 square meters — being the first Olympic venue in the world to use carbon dioxide for making ice. Moreover, all of the construction steel used during the opening and closing ceremonies is to be recycled and used in other areas, such as for constructing facilities in experimental spacecraft launch bases. 

Mao Jiawei is deputy head of the leadership group of Winter Olympics Projects at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. With all its success, Mao expresses his feelings in a statement which personifies the Sustainability Plan; "I feel fortunate and proud to be able to participate in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which showcases China's strong national strength, its new development concept of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing, and its willingness to be a global force for good."

Beijing 2022 Playbooks

In addition to the Sustainability Plan, the Beijing Organising Committee collaborated closely with scientific experts, sports bodies and the WHO to release the Beijing 2022 Playbooks, which laid out measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19 variants during the Games.

Christophe Dubi, executive director of the IOC's Olympic Games, approved of China's effective COVID-19 countermeasures, stating: "Really no effort is spared, no stone unturned to keep everybody safe. The degree of sophistication of the operation is something unprecedented."

Even throughout the duration of the Games, statistics remained promising as Brian McCloskey, chief of the Beijing 2022 Medical Expert Panel, reported: "The situation inside the closed loop is safe and there is no sign of virus transmission, which can be said to have met our expectations."

Interviews with athletes revealed similar responses. Furkan Akar, a Turkish short-track speed skater, told media about the COVID-19 countermeasures in the Olympic village being at the highest level. "Officials were diligent on social distancing and mask-wearing requirements," he said. "After each meal, tables and eating areas were disinfected."

What is clear is that China has lived up to its promise of delivering the world a "safe and splendid" Winter Olympics as well as demonstrating the country's ambition, innovation, confidence and vision as a global power. China has not only managed to push the boundaries of what is possible when hosting the Olympics but has also paved the way for other countries to follow suit.

I believe the Beijing 2022 Olympics are the most remarkable set of Games to date, since they have not only managed to overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19, but also make monumental advancements in both sustainability and technology. I feel the success of the Games has given us all hope and taught us a valuable lesson: Even when things are difficult, with hard work and determination you can achieve anything.

Estelle Hiscock is an undergraduate student in Modern Chinese at the University of Cardiff.

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