Ivo Ferriani, president of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), gave the Beijing 2022 Games high marks, particularly the “closed loop” system the Games instituted to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
“I can speak from experience and say that the closed loop system was very successful and there was a fantastic Olympic spirit throughout the Games,” Ferriani said.
Beijing became the first city to ever host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Although the host city was criticized for the lack of real snow at many events and a general indifference to winter sports, Ferriani believes the future of winter sports in China is bright.
“I understand that the Opening Ceremony was the most watched broadcast in China in a decade, this is fantastic news for the future of ice and snow sports in China,” Ferriani said in a statement.
“With more than 2.7 billion comments about the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on the IOC’s social media platforms, I have no doubt that millions more people will participate in winter sports activities as a result.”