Athletes feel the love of Beijing's Olympic spirit

With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics closing on Sunday, the world has been left with unforgettable stories and cherished memories from the Games.

Athletes from across the globe came together to compete in peace and friendship, with diverse cultures and different nationalities interacting and revealing to the world a colorful and charming China.

"I felt so much love and welcome when we came to China, and I can't wait to go back and travel here," said American snowboarder Tessa Maud. "I love the people here so much, and the food and culture. Thank you for your support!"

Maud caused a buzz online in China after she shared a vlog in which she was moved to tears after Sun Zeyu, a joyful Chinese volunteer, warmly greeted her at the opening ceremony.

"So beyond thankful, I love Sun and all of my new friends. Thank you so much for supporting me and being so loving and welcoming," she said.

Warm welcome

For Cypriot Alpine skier Yianno Kouyoumdjian, participating in the Winter Olympics was not only his dream but something that runs in the family. In 1980, Kouyoumdjian's mother competed in the Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York, becoming the first woman to represent Cyprus at the Olympics.

When Kouyoumdjian entered the stadium at the opening ceremony, bearing his nation's flag as its sole athlete at the Games, he was shocked by the applause and cheers from the crowd.

Beijing 2022 has had a special meaning for many other athletes as well.

Dean Hewitt and Tahli Gill qualified Australia for an Olympic curling event for the first time at Beijing 2022. Despite finishing 10th in the 12-team mixed curling event with two victories to their name, the Olympic duo still considered their experience a triumph.

"We put our hearts and souls into that game. To be able to come back with the win was really awesome," Gill said after their first taste of Olympic victory.

"Just the enjoyment out there was really key for us. We loved it out there," Hewitt added. "Loved the support in the crowd. That's probably the biggest thing that we've had is the support back home. We can't thank them enough."

Friendship first

The exchange of gifts between American and Chinese curlers was another heartwarming story of the Games, demonstrating friendship among athletes. The International Olympic Committee called it "pin badge diplomacy".

After the United States beat China 7-5 in the mixed doubles round-robin on Feb 6, Fan Suyuan and Ling Zhi presented their American rivals, Christopher Plys and Vicky Persinger, with a set of commemorative pin badges featuring Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing Games.

"Honored to receive these beautiful Beijing 2022 pin sets in a wonderful display of sportsmanship by our Chinese counterparts," the American duo tweeted after receiving the gift.

In return, the American curlers gave pins to Ling and Fan, but they wanted to add "something special" for their Chinese friends. "We still have to go back to the (Olympic) Village and find something, a good jersey, or put something together," Plys said.

Unity and friendship have always been central themes of the Olympics, with IOC President Thomas Bach stressing on many occasions the significance of unity in sports.

At the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony, a large snowflake made up of the names of all participating delegations symbolized people living in peace and harmony, according to the organizers, with athletes from around the world gathering together under the Olympic Rings regardless of background, race and gender.

Beijing 2022 embodied the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger-Together", and demonstrated how a mass sporting event of global scale could be staged successfully and on schedule in the time of COVID-19.

Cultural appeal

The Beijing Winter Olympics coincided with the Chinese Lunar New Year, during which Olympic culture and traditional Chinese culture mixed, bringing a particularly unique feel to the Games.

It was the first time that many international athletes had experienced the Chinese Lunar New Year up close.

Alpine skier Sarah Escobar, Ecuador's first-ever female Winter Olympian, received an unexpected gift on her 20th birthday. It was a Chinese knot, a traditional ornament hung on the walls and doors of homes to add a festive atmosphere during the New Year.

"I was saying hello and taking some photos, and I said 'Happy New Year' and let them know it's my birthday. They went 'Wow really?' and just gave me this beautiful thing," Escobar said.

On the first day of Spring Festival, athletes pasted spring couplets and the Chinese character fu on the walls of their Olympic homes, hung lanterns and ate dumplings in the Winter Olympic Village. These activities helped to spread the atmosphere of Chinese Lunar New Year to the visiting delegations.

American snowboarder Julia Marino became a fan of dumplings throughout her stay. "I've probably had like 200 dumplings since I've been here," said Marino. "I get back from the mountain-dumplings. It's the only thing I feel like is consistently always good."

American snowboarder Maud became quite an expert on Chinese food posting videos on social media showing off her meals. "I've been going to the restaurants... and eating food there as well, and that food is insane-the best Chinese food I've ever had, hands down."

Xinhua