Commentary: Western media's fault-finding farce on Beijing 2022 falls flat

Fireworks illuminate the night sky during the closing ceremony of the 24th Olympic Winter Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China presented a "truly exceptional" Winter Olympics, shattering some Western media's doubts and criticism, and garnering praise and appreciation from around the world.

There is a Chinese proverb that goes, "seeing something once is better than hearing about it 100 times." After their personal experiences during the Games, journalists and media workers are convinced that China has lived up to its promise of hosting a "green, inclusive, open and clean" Winter Olympics.

China made all necessary preparations to guarantee that the event was held safely and as scheduled. To ensure the health of athletes, journalists and officials that gathered in Beijing, a closed-loop system was implemented together with daily nucleic acid testing. "It was one of the safest places on the planet, if not the safest place on the planet and this is a great achievement," said Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee.

Though some still found fault with this already hard-earned sports gathering in one way or another, the success of Beijing 2022 brought such attempts to naught.

Winter Olympians are accustomed to executing awe-inspiring performances against the backdrop of spectacular snow-capped mountains. But Beijing's Big Air Shougang Olympic venue drew attention for its much edgier, urban setting, according to an article in CNN.

Some Twitter users even wondered if the athletes were competing near some kind of nuclear facility when they saw cooling towers in the background. They deleted their ignorant tweets after realizing that the venue was actually built at a decommissioned steel plant.

German media Der Spiegel praised Big Air Shougang, calling it a fine architectural example of the Winter Olympics, noting that it is reasonable, appropriate and sustainable to develop winter sports by using abandoned industrial parks.

Athletes also contributed to the authentic portrayal of the Games. Some American media was criticized by American freeskier Aaron Blunck for reporting false news about China's anti-COVID achievements. "They have honestly done a stellar job with the whole COVID protocol," Blunck said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, American snowboarder Tessa Maud was so impressed by the high-tech remote-controlled smart bed used in the Olympic Village that she bought a similar one as soon as she returned to the United States.

"I felt so much love and welcome when we came to China, and I can't wait to go back and travel here," said Maud. "I love the people, food and culture here so much. Thank you for your support!"

Apart from athletes, many journalists marveled at the high-tech dining atmosphere of the Main Media Center. Videos of smart catering equipment such as automatic fried wok, the burger machine and the robotic bartender went viral on social media.

Beijing is the first city ever to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics. In a fragile world where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise, it is impossible to please everyone in such a multi-sport event. But Beijing 2022 has shown the world that it is possible to compete with each other while living together in peace and harmony.