Our Chinese Hosts Will Ensure Safe and Secure Olympic Games

On February 4, Beijing 2022 celebrated one year to go until the Opening Ceremony of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, with a ceremony at the National Aquatics Center. At the celebrations, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach officially sent out invitations to the Presidents of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Greece, Japan, France, Italy, the United States of America, Australia, Nigeria, and China. The Presidents of all eight NOCs gladly accepted the invitation.

"Today, it is my great pleasure to invite the National Olympic Committees of the world, and their athletes to these

Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022", said President Bach. "One year from now, Beijing will write history as the first city ever to host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will be a great moment to bring the world together in a spirit of peace, solidarity and friendship", he continued.

The one-year countdown is a milestone which marks the start of a defining phase -- the final dash to the success of the Beijing 2022 Games.

President of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee Cai Qi said: "We will continue to advance toward our ultimate goal of staging the Games as scheduled. We will work together with all stakeholders at home and abroad to overcome difficulties and challenges. We will spare no effort to ensure the preparation and delivery of a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Games. We will do all we can to contribute to the defeat of Covid-19 worldwide, the growth of the Olympic Movement, and the building of a global community of shared future."

Over the past five years, Beijing 2022 has been firmly committed to delivering a green, inclusive, open and clean Games. The organising committee has implemented the Olympic Agenda 2020 and worked closely with the IOC and other stakeholders. They are pressing ahead with Games preparations amid stringent measures to contain the Covid-19 spread. Their efforts have proved constructive and fruitful, and have gained the recognition of the international community including the IOC and the international federations.

Cai Qi emphasized that although the Covid-19 pandemic has tremendous impacts on the way people live and work and presents a significant challenge to the Olympic Movement, it cannot, and will not, shake their commitment to delivering the Beijing 2022 Games as scheduled. In order to have a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, the organising committee will work closely with the IOC, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders to jointly formulate Games-specific Covid-19 control policies and update the Games operation plans accordingly. They will strictly implement Covid-19 countermeasures to ensure that a safe Games will be delivered on schedule.

Bach highly praised China’s efforts to fight against the coronavirus disease and is convinced that the Chinese hosts will collaborate closely with the IOC, "Having seen how China is overcoming the coronavirus crisis, we are very confident that our Chinese hosts will ensure safe and secure Olympic Games in full cooperation with the IOC."

During the one-year countdown celebration, the Beijing Organising Committee unveiled the torch design for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and launched the second batch of Beijing 2022 musical works.

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