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Beijing 2022


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I know it was explained in another thread that the "gold" medals is how the international community views the medal table, but I still SMH over it, when *overall*, China placed 7th. 

But I guess at the same time, that gold medal standard must be pissing the "roc" off right now, since they ranked 9th that way, instead of being 2nd *overall*.

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16 minutes ago, StefanMUC said:

So we’ll close this with Finland’s first ever ice hockey gold after beating Rus…ROC. They’ll better watch the Karelian border now.

Yup, Putin gonna be dropping the bombs as soon as the cauldron, er, flame is extinguished. Congrats to the Fins!

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Scathing take down of Beijing 2022, the IOC and Thomas Bach in Melbourne newspaper The Age today......

Little for IOC to boast about after torrid Winter Games in China

Phil Lutton

If self-congratulation was a sport, the International Olympic Committee would be its own champion countless times over.

Nobody can match the detached meanderings of its president Thomas Bach, who would pronounce a bus crash a roaring success if the driver managed to clamber out before the rest of the passengers sailed off a cliff.

 

 

Sunday’s closing ceremony at the Beijing Winter Olympics.CREDIT:XINHUA

 

To be certain, there was precious little for the IOC to boast about as a tumultuous Winter Olympics concluded in Beijing. This Games will be remembered for the exploits of its competitors, of course, but mostly for its staging amid the shackles of an authoritarian regime, the appeasement of a host nation that made a mockery of the IOC’s vaunted “political neutrality” and a doping case that rivals only Ben Johnson for infamy and distress.

There are always Cinderella stories to be found amid an Olympics. In fact, the IOC counts on it.

 

Tokyo, the first of an Olympic double held in challenging circumstances, produced them in spades and there were a good deal in China, as well.

Bach was quick to hail the feats of logistics needed to bring the Games together amid the omicron outbreak. The “closed loop”, he said, kept the athletes safe and satisfied, and redefined optimism with his dream that two weeks of snowboarding and ice dancing may somehow inspire global leaders to step back from the brink of war.

“This unifying power of the Olympic Games is stronger than the forces that want to divide us: you give peace a chance,” Bach opined at the closing ceremony. “May the political leaders around the world be inspired by your example of solidarity and peace.”

 

Perhaps the athletes of the world showed so much solidarity and peace because they were terrified to speak out about any of the alleged human rights abuses of which China stands accused. While the IOC allows freedom of expression in certain zones of the Games, it was made clear by the hosts that any comments considered taboo would be punishable under local laws.

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Journalists covering the Games were the subject of online harassment, while some were threatened in person for exposing the doping scandal involving 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva.

In a lengthy thread on Twitter, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China detailed a laundry list of restrictions, threats, abuse and “manhandling by propaganda and security officials” when reporters tried to speak to non-approved sources and citizens outside of official Olympic cordons.

 

Kamila Valieva breaks down in tears after failing to win a medal.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

 

On one occasion, a journalist was prevented by a Beijing 2022 official from interviewing a skier from Hong Kong inside the mixed zone, the area where reporters can speak to athletes after they have completed their events. The IOC acknowledged they had dropped the ball, calling it an “isolated event”, but it should never have transpired on its watch and added to the lingering stench of hypocrisy.

At times, it was the IOC being manhandled by their hosts, a thoroughly unfamiliar experience for a conglomerate used to dictating the narrative.

 

At a press conference near the end of the Games, the IOC’s consummate spin master Mark Adams walked out as Beijing 2022 spokeswoman Yan Jiarong ranted about Taiwan and denied reports of the forced labor of the country’s Uyghur Muslims.

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28 minutes ago, Ikarus360 said:

Aaaaaaand Russia is invading Ukraine. 

Putin habits of going to war after an Olympics are still going.

Oh, they’re just “peacekeepers” going in to protect the good citizens of the free Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. Nothing to see here…. 

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15 minutes ago, Australian Kiwi said:

At a press conference near the end of the Games, the IOC’s consummate spin master Mark Adams walked out as Beijing 2022 spokeswoman Yan Jiarong ranted about Taiwan and denied reports of the forced labor of the country’s Uyghur Muslims.

Between Mark Adams and that press conference and Bach after Valieva, it’s - almost - as if even the IOC were reaching their breaking point by the end.

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On 1/26/2022 at 10:51 AM, Sir Rols said:

Could you imagine if this site existed in 1936?

”Ooooh! Goebbels and Speer have been appointed ceremony producers :wub: I’m so excited, I can’t wait!!!! Those National Socialists put on such great spectaculars! I wonder what wonder technology they’re going to surprise us with??? :D 

Don’t know about this torch relay idea, though??? Things happening outside the stadium are usually pretty underwhelming :(

Only a week to go! About time we got a good ceremony!“

I think i have seen the error of my ways... i will not be watching any of the Beijing 2022 Paralympics 

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Quote

Global Politics: 5/10, expected more chaos but the CCP actually got away with it. Sad. This could rise up because of this case, though

So... in the veredict thread i lamented that wasn´t much of political chaos during the olympic games, but oh my, that case did went through!

Well, there you have it.

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https://sports.yahoo.com/ukrainian-paralympian-pulls-race-father-170725834.html

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The Independent

Ukrainian Paralympian pulls out of race after father is captured by Russian soldiers

 
 
Sports Staff
Tue, March 8, 2022, 2:07 PM·1 min read
 
 
Anastasiia Laletina withdrew from her race on Tuesday   (Getty Images)
 
Anastasiia Laletina withdrew from her race on Tuesday (Getty Images)

A member of the Ukrainian team at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing was forced to withdraw from her race on Tuesday after her father was taken prisoner by the Russian army.

Anastasiia Laletina, 19, was scheduled to take part in the women’s para biathlon middle distance sitting event but did not start the race. A spokesperson from the Ukraine team later confirmed that Laletina had withdrew after receiving the news.

Natalia Harach, the spokesperson for the Ukraine Paralympic team, told the AFP: “Her father is a soldier in the Ukrainian army and [was taken] prisoner by Russian soldiers. They beat him. She was very upset and couldn’t take part in the race.”

 

Ukraine sits second in the medal table at the Games after four days of competition, with five gold medals coming in the para biathlon events as well as a further gold in the para cross country skiing.

The International Paralympic Committee last week moved to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Games following the invasion of Ukraine.

Grygorii Vovchynskyi, who won a gold medal for Ukraine in the men’s standing biathlon event on the opening day of competition, dedicated his medal to those suffering at home.

“I was thinking before the race, I must try to do everything for Ukraine. I must think about war, about my country, about my people, about my president. I love Ukraine,” he said on Saturday.

“I tried thinking about the competition, but it’s difficult. What’s more important is life. It’s our people, our children What can I do? I can only dedicate this race to Ukraine and peace.”

My god, that happened. A direct interference of the war at the paralympics...

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20 minutes ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Xi must be furious at Putin for completely overshadowing, if not ruining his Paralympic showcase....

Nah, I'm sure, if he cared about the Paralympics so much, he would have asked Putin to wait with his invasion until the Paralympics are over (and not just the Olmympics, as he presumably did).

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