Beijing 2022 has been hailed for setting new standards in engagement by Ivo Ferriani, President of GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations).
“Following 19 days of exciting winter sports action, I would like to congratulate the IOC, Beijing 2022, athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers for delivering a successful Olympic Winter Games and inspiring millions of people in China and around the world to engage in winter sports,” he said.
“I understand that the Opening Ceremony was the most watched broadcast in China in a decade; this is fantastic news for the future of ice and snow sports in China.”
Worldwide, the Opening Ceremony attracted achieved more viewers than any previous Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony.
Throughout the Games, more hours of broadcast coverage were made available than at any previous Olympic Winter Games edition. In China, broadcast coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 reached over 600 million people through TV alone.
The IOC said the Games also achieved record coverage through digital platforms, with “billions of engagements across digital platforms, including Olympic and Rights-Holding Broadcasters’ properties”.
Ferriani said: “With more than 2.7 billion comments about the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on the IOC’s social media platforms, I have no doubt that millions more people will participate in winter sports activities as a result.”
More than a thousand journalists were accredited for the Games, in addition to close to a thousand other accredited members of the press from 520 organisations, plus 3,607 accreditations granted to representatives of rights-holding broadcasters.
The Games was delivered in the most challenging of circumstances amid the Covid 19 pandemic.
“I can speak from experience and say that the closed-loop system was very successful and there was a fantastic Olympic spirit throughout the Games,” said Ferriani. “This would of course not have been possible if it wasn’t for all the hard work behind-the-scenes and everyone coming together to deliver a safe and secure Olympic Winter Games.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the GAISF Members of Olympic winter sports for your hard work and efforts to provide the best possible support for your athletes.”
At an thank-you event organised at the Big Air venue in Shougang Park in Beijing, the IOC’s Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission Chair, Juan Antonio Samaranch, thanked the thousands of Beijing 2022 workforce and volunteers.
“You and all your teams have done incredible work to tackle the different challenges. You have always been responsible, responsive and efficient to all our requests,” he said.
“Thanks for your strong commitment and dedication. You ensured that these Olympic Winter Games were memorable.”
With 45 per cent of athletes being female and 55 per cent male, Beijing 2022 also set a new standard as the most gender-balanced Olympic Winter Games.
Cai Qi, president of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, said: “As the first city to host both summer and winter Olympic Games, Beijing 2022 will go down in history. We will continue to work with the IOC to spread the Olympic spirit, enhance inclusiveness and mutual understanding, promote friendship and solidarity, and jointly shape a better future.”
