The 2022 Winter Olympics have kicked off under a cloud of COVID restrictions, diplomatic boycotts and questions over China’s treatment of Uighurs.
Where are the Olympics held?
Beijing hosts the Summer and Winter Games for the first time.
These events will take places in Beijing, Yanqing (75% or 47 Miles from Beijing) or Zhangjiakou (180% or 111 Miles from Beijing).
What time is it?
While the competition opened on Wednesday, Beijing 2022’s opening ceremony will be held Friday at 8pm (11:02 GMT). Beijing’s National Stadium – also known as the Bird’s Nest – will host the opening ceremony.
The closing ceremony will be held on February 20,
What is the participation rate?
Nearly 3,000 athletes representing 90 countries will be participating in the Winter Olympics.
Are the Games being played in a bubble environment?
The event is expected to host approximately 60,000 people including officials, athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers.
The events will take place within the “closed loop” that will allow them to move between accommodation and venues on official transport. They cannot move in the open.
A fence is placed around a venue for non-competition within a closed loop area to stop the spread of coronavirus. [Thomas Peter/Reuters]Are there any attendees who have tested positive for HIV?
There have been 287 positive games-related personnel tests since January 23, a total of 610,000.
Are Olympic fans permitted?
The Games are closed to international fans
Tickets have not been sold to the local population but instead organisers are distributing them to “targeted” groups of people.
Anyone who receives tickets will have to follow strict COVID-19 prevention steps before, during, or after they attend the Olympic events.
Organisers hope for stadium capacities that are at least 30%.
What are the reasons for diplomatic boycotts by certain countries?
Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics over China’s human rights record.
These four countries have athletes taking part, but no government representatives will be present in Beijing.
China has warned the four boycotting nations will “pay a price” for their “mistake”.
What is the reason China is facing backlash because of its treatment Uighurs?
Uighurs, also spelled Uyghurs or Uyghurs are an ethnic minority group mainly living in China’s Xinjiang region.
They are mainly Muslims. According to Chinese official records, 12 million Uighurs make up almost half of Xinjiang’s population.
In 2018, the United Nations revealed at least a million Uighurs had been detained in “counter-extremism centres” in Xinjiang.
The report also revealed that a further two million Uighurs had been “forced into so-called re-education camps for political and cultural indoctrination” beginning in the middle of 2017.
China has rejected the allegations, saying its policies towards the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities living in its far western region are necessary to “fight extremism” and to promote upward economic mobility for the impoverished ethnic groups.
Did athletes get told to pay attention to what they said at the games?
Behaviour by athletes that violates the “Olympic spirit” or Chinese rules could be subject to punishment, according to the organisers.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), has stated that athletes can freely express their opinions in interviews and news conferences within the Olympic bubble as long as they are not taking place during competitions or medal ceremonies.
“Any expression that is in line with the Olympic spirit I’m sure will be protected and anything and any behaviour or speeches that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment,” Yang Shu, deputy director general of Beijing 2022’s International Relations Department, said.
Which sports are included in the Winter Olympics?
- Alpine skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Cross-country skiing
- Curling
- Figure skating
- Freestyle skiing
- Ice hockey
- Luge
- Nordic combination
- Short track speed skating
- Skeleton
- Ski jumping
- Snowboard
- Speed skating
Which country will host the next Winter Games in Canada?
The Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will host the next Winter Games, scheduled to take place from February 6 to 22, 2026.