Winter Olympics: What you need to know about Beijing 2022

February 4, 2022 Sports

The 2022 Winter Olympics have kicked off under a cloud of COVID restrictions, diplomatic boycotts and questions over China’s treatment of Uighurs.

Almost 3,000 athletes from 90 countries are taking part in the Winter Olympics.

Where are the Olympics taking place?
Beijing becomes the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.

The events will take place in Beijing, Yanqing (75km or 47 miles from Beijing) and Zhangjiakou (180km or 111 miles from Beijing).

What time is the opening ceremony?
While the competition started on Wednesday, the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 will take place on Friday, from 8pm (12:00 GMT). Beijing’s National Stadium – also known as the Bird’s Nest – will host the opening ceremony.

The closing ceremony will take place on February 20.

Are the Games taking place in a bubble?
Some 60,000 people, including athletes, coaches, officials, federation delegates, volunteers and media personnel, are expected for the event.

The events will take place within the “closed loop” that will allow them to move between accommodation and venues on official transport. They are not allowed to move freely in public.