2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Update
By Melanie Clark, Staff Writer
February 18, 2022
It does seem too soon to have another Olympics since the 2020 Olympics happened just last summer, but the 2022 Winter Olympics started on February 4th, and there was an incredible opening ceremony that few actually watched. According to Fox News, there were a total of 16 million viewers, which does sound like a lot, but viewership was down 69% compared to the previous Winter Olympic Games in 2018.
As of February 16, at 3:19 AM, according to the New York Post, Team USA is bringing home eight gold medals. Kaillie Humphries won the first ever gold for the Women’s Monobob event, Erin Jackson is the first black woman to win a medal for individual speed skating, and she got the gold, Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner got the first ever gold medals for the Mixed Team Snowboard Cross, Ashley Caldwell, Christopher Willis and Justin Schoenefeld won the inaugural mixed team aerials event, Nathan Chen won the men’s singles figure skating, Chloe Kim got the gold for the women’s halfpipe, and Lindsey Jacobellis got another gold for the Snowboard Cross, and Alexander Hall also won gold for the men’s slopestyle.
Team USA has a grand total of 19 medals so far, with an additional seven silvers and four bronze. The US is in third place, behind Germany in second place, and Norway in first place.
The games have been going on for a week now, and the ratings are still historically terrible, but according to the Washington Post, it’s not just political reasons. Beijing, China has a time difference of 13 hours, and by the time it can air primetime in the United States, the content is already half a day old.
The controversy surrounding the games in Beijing does have something to do with it, unfortunately. China is facing multiple human rights violations, and people have boycotted the games, and anything affiliated with the games. Sponsors of the Olympics have paid millions of dollars to be able to use the Olympic Rings on their products, but Americans are also boycotting those because it supports the Chinese Communist Party.
There is still hope, though. Just because the Olympics aren’t being viewed on television, the games are still getting exposure. The Washington Post says that YouTube videos are racking up in views, there is plenty of content on Tiktok and other social media platforms.
Even still, according to students at Norwood High, many didn’t watch. There was no real reason, except for lack of interest or knowledge of it.
For those who missed it, the actual ceremony consisted of the usual parade of Olympic athletes, light shows, dancing, singing, and more. The ceremony took place at the National Stadium in Beijing, which can hold 80,000 people. The stadium had a big floor which had LED panels that displayed intricate graphics.
The 2008 summer Olympics opening ceremony also took place at the National Stadium, and this year’s performance definitely measured up. Beijing is also the first city to host both the summer and winter Olympic games, and it’s only fourteen years apart.
In the parade during the ceremony, Team USA had 224 athletes from all over the country, 31 different states. The flag bearers were Brittany Bowe, who is a speed skater, Elena Meyers Taylor, who is a bobsledder, and John Shuster, who is a curler. Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Zhao Jiawen lit the Olympic Flame, and the torch was set in a snowflake that consisted of smaller snowflakes with the names of the countries participating in the winter games.
The International Olympic Committee’s President, Thomas Bach, gave an inspiring speech to the athletes. “In our fragile world, where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise, we show the world: yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals, while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together. This is the mission of the Olympic Games: bringing us together in peaceful competition,” he said, and so far, the games have gone smoothly.
Despite many not watching the opening ceremony and the games, those who have watched enjoyed it. Fortunately, there are still a couple days left to watch the Olympics. The games end on February 20, and the closing ceremony will take place. The games have been broadcast on NBC, and if you miss it, there are highlights on NBC’s Youtube channel.