Hundreds of thousands people have been gathering in Beijing, Zhangjiakou and across China this week to celebrate Olympic Day and to commemorate the foundation of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894. Celebrations illustrate China’s widespread passion for sport and local residents’ fervent support behind the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid, a little more than a month before the Host City Election.
The occasion coincides with the Dragon Boat national public holiday in China that Chinese people are used to spend outside, camping and hiking or enjoying summer weather and sport activities in green areas across the city or at Beijing’s magnificent lakes.
The week of Olympic-themed events started on Saturday, June 20, with 20,000 runners taking part in Color Run in Beijing’s Fengtai district, alongside Chinese Olympic and Paralympic legends led by Ping Yali, first-ever Chinese Paralympic champion who won gold in long jump at the 1984 Paralympic Games in New York.
Amateurs of a more traditional running activity were also able to join the Olympic Day Run which departed on Saturday from the Beijing National Olympic Center. Minister of Sports of China Liu Peng, as well as Beijing 2022 Ambassadors Li Nina, two-time Olympic champion in aerial skiing, and Guo Jingjing, most decorated female diver of all times, came out to show their support to the Run.
Saturday also saw the culmination of the 10th Dragon Boat Culture Festival in Yanqing which started 3 weeks earlier and this year included presentations of the Beijing 2022 Bid plans along with the traditional dragon boat races, mirroring the festivities in Beijing’s Shicha Lake District.
This week also marks more than 200 million views on Weibo, Chinese microblogging website, of the song "Come Ski at the Great Wall" recorded by the Chinese pop idol Lu Han and popular Taiwanese singer David Tao (also available on YouTube).
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Últimas Noticias
Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore
IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power
North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022
