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Beijing Winter Olympics 2022
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Beijing’s Covid playbook sets out rules for athletes heading to 2022 Winter Olympics

  • Participants expected to be subjected to stricter coronavirus control measures than athletes at Tokyo Games
  • Vaccine approach means those without a jab are effectively stopped from taking part

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A view of the National Ski Jumping Centre, nick-named Snow Ruyi, in China’s Hebei province. Photo: Simon Song
Cat Wang
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which went ahead this year, marked the first instance of the landmark sporting event taking place amid a global pandemic, while previously the 1920 Games in Antwerp happened only months after the Spanish Flu had subsided.
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Given China’s zero-Covid approach, next month’s Beijing Games is expected to feature stricter virus control measures than ever seen before, which some critics have suggested defeats the purpose of the Olympics entirely.

Key among these measures is the introduction of a “closed loop”, which acts as a bubble encompassing living quarters, competition venues, training venues, and other official facilities that the general public will not be allowed to access.

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‘Self-driving’ high-speed railway line linking Beijing Winter Olympics cities nears completion

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More details on the nature of the loop were laid out in the second version of Beijing’s Olympic playbook, released last week by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s Olympic Games executive director, told reporters that the creation of a “secure environment” provides a “unique Games-time experience” to help athletes focus on their sports.

“The attention remains on the outstanding performances we can expect from the world’s best winter athletes in Beijing next year,” Dubi said, while unveiling the latest playbooks on Monday.

All participants with direct access to the events, including referees, team officials, and media representatives, are required to stay inside the bubble until the end of the Games.

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