ONE YEAR TO GO HONG KONG EDITION | DAILY Thursday, February 4, 2021 | 5

High expectations are pinned on China’s leading 2022 medal hopes: Cong/ () Liu Jiayu (snowboarding) Gu Ailing (freestyle skiing) Geng Wenqiang (skeleton) Wu Dajing (short­track speed skating)

pic hopefuls, highlighted by his visit to the team at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing last month. “It’s really an honor and a great inspira­ tion to perform under the president’s watch,” skater said of Xi’s visit. ter Olympics will contribute to the “His caring words reminding us to get nation’s goal of becoming a global power enough rest and to be careful not to get on ice and snow. injured were really touching, filling us trict and co­host Zhangjiakou in Hebei Xi’s ardent interest in China’s winter with energy and confidence to keep push­ By SUN XIAOCHEN province — have been completed up to the sports development — underlined by his ing for better results.” [email protected] highest international standards. Ancillary promise to oversee the delivery of a “fan­ As part of a national drive initiated by facilities for non­competition functions tastic, extraordinary and excellent” Games Xi, China is rolling out an ambitious plan THE espite the ongoing impact of are on schedule to be ready by September. in 2015 before Beijing’s bid was declared to get 300 million people involved in win­ the COVID­19 pandemic, Venue operation teams have settled in the winner — is reflected in the central ter sports activities by 2022. Beijing is going all out in its at all competition sites to run facility government’s vision of using winter sports “With these 300 million people engag­ HOST final year of preparations for tests, draft competition plans and train as a catalyst to boost national health, ing in winter sports, we can clearly say the Dthe 2022 Winter Olympics, guided by a staff to prepare for an adapted sports regional development and sustainable history of winter sports will be one before philosophy of safety, simplicity and testing program, which has replaced the economic growth. Beijing 2022 and one after the Winter WITH excellence. original plan involving international The 2022 Winter Olympics will serve as Games in Beijing. So it’s really a landmark After hosting an exceptional Summer athletes due to the pandemic’s impact. a driving force for coordinated develop­ event for the global development of winter Games in 2008 to resounding global Chinese organizers’ unremitting ment in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei prov­ sports,” said IOC president Thomas Bach. THE acclaim, Beijing is again warming up efforts to honor the country’s promise ince, Xi noted during an inspection tour to Echoing guidance from the central for Olympic action as 2022 organizers of delivering an excellent Winter Olym­ Zhangjiakou in 2017. government, Beijing 2022 organizers enter the home stretch. The goals are pics has been highlighted by President This promise is in line with the Interna­ have been readjusting all aspects of MOST clear: Staging a next­level Winter Xi Jinping’s instruction during his tional Olympic Committee’s reform pro­ their work, ranging from venue opera­ Games with an unprecedented empha­ inspection visits to the venue clusters posals in the Agenda 2020 plan, which tion to international communication sis on sustainability, legacy and, most last month that preparatory work be aims to ensure the fit into and the Games’ services, to proceed Safety, simplicity and importantly, safety amid the pandemic. carried out with “greater perfection” the long­term development of relevant cit­ cautiously under ever­changing cir­ excellence paramount Exactly 12 months out from next year’s even during such a challenging time. ies and regions. cumstances with COVID­19 counter­ as organizers adapt in Feb 4 opening ceremony, all 12 competi­ Xi underscored the 2022 Games’ role The interest shown by Xi in the training measures at the core. tion venues in three zones — downtown in developing China’s winter sports sec­ progress and daily lives of Chinese athletes challenging times Beijing, the city’s northwest Yanqing dis­ tor and expressed his hope that the Win­ has lifted the spirits of the nation’s Olym­ See Stage set, page 8