Beijing (AP) – IOC President Thomas Bach rated the Winter Games in Beijing as “very successful”.
In his summary, the head of the International Olympic Committee referred to “outstanding performances by the athletes” and an “unprecedented Olympic spirit” among the participants. This is “far above what I have experienced at previous Olympic Games,” said the 68-year-old. Records have been broken for viewership on television and streaming services, Bach added. In addition, the organizers’ concept with very strict measures against the corona virus worked out.
Before the Winter Games, the award to China had been sharply criticized. The Olympic hosts are accused of human rights violations. The concept of the closed corona bubble, which severely restricted the freedom of movement for all those involved in the Olympics, had previously met with criticism.
Bach: “One of the safest places on this planet”
IOC President Bach sees the very low number of corona infections at the Winter Games in Beijing as a “great achievement”. The closed bubble for those involved in the Olympics in China is “one of the safest places on this planet,” he said. According to Bach, the infection rate among participants in the Winter Games was 0.01 percent. “The message to the world is that if everyone respects the rules and does their bit, you can even host an event like Winter Games during a pandemic,” Bach said.
On Friday, the organizers reported another infection with the corona virus among those involved in the Olympics. The case was discovered the day before when someone was arriving at Beijing Airport. In the closed Olympic bubble, on the other hand, there were again no new infections. Since the start of travel to the Winter Games on January 23, the total number of infections has risen to 436.
Strict precautions apply at the Winter Games. Those involved are only allowed to move in “closed circuits” and are separated from the rest of the country. Anyone who has contracted the virus will be isolated in a specially designated hotel. While at times over 30 infections per day were registered at the beginning of the games, the number of new cases has recently always been in the low single-digit range, which the organizers see as a sign of the effectiveness of the measures taken.