China reopens its "simple, safe and exciting" Olympics.
President Xi Jinping did not miss the opportunity of the video message sent to the 139th session of the IOC, before the imminent inaugural ceremony, to renew his promises in spite of the pandemic difficulties and the shadows linked to the diplomatic boycott of the US and allies .
From the slogan 'one world, one dream' of Beijing 2008 to the one 'together towards the future' of Beijing 2022, Xi recalled, retracing the progress made by the country in the last 20 years.
But when the Chinese capital won the Summer Games, people poured into the streets, exploded with joy and flaunted national pride in success.
This time, however, until a few weeks ago it was difficult even to find elements in the city that indicated the
arrival of the Winter Games, a symptom of a greater detachment of the population in the midst of a pandemic that also bites in China with the restrictions of the 'zero tolerance' policy at Covid.
However, according to the IOC Thomas Bach issue, Beijing 2022 enjoys "strong support from the international community", with a unifying message capable of rejecting "ghosts of the boycott of the past" because "it is possible to compete for the highest prize by living peacefully together. and in respect ".
But sport and politics, despite efforts, it is difficult to be separated: the first press conference of the Olympics set the tone for what would be the main issues for the next two weeks.
Bach was relentlessly pressed on Chinese female tennis star Peng Shuai,
at the center of an international case after denouncing the sexual abuse suffered by former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, on human rights violations in Xinjiang and on Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, with reflections on the freedom of athletes to express their opinions.
Bach has even promised to support Peng should he ask for an investigation into the allegations of harassment, which are then confusedly retracted, in the course of the in-person meeting expected in the next few days.
The list of foreign leaders and illustrious guests who have already arrived or are arriving highlights the tensions with the West: Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan are among the twenty or so countries that pay homage to Xi,
highlighting a growing gap between Western democracies and those interested in showing solidarity with a power that is challenging the US-led global order.
While the United States and a group of Western countries have launched a diplomatic boycott, Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be among the personalities present at the opening ceremony.
With Putin, whom he will see for lunch tomorrow, Xi will consolidate his ties from a political point of view, welding new strategies of economic collaboration.
Apart from geopolitical assets, after the "ethereal and romantic" representation in the Bird's Nest thanks to 3,000 common figures and innovative technologies, as anticipated by the director of the ceremony, Zhang Yimou, the genius of "Red Lanterns",
the US snowboarder who was able to surprise when she won gold at the age of 17 in Pyeongchang in 2018, while Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old born in California, could become the face of Beijing where she competes with the Chinese colors in freestyle.
For Italy, hopes range from Michela Moioli to Arianna Fontana, from Federico Pellegrino to Dorothea Wierer, hoping that Sofia Goggia will be able to recover miraculously after her injury in Cortina.
the US snowboarder who was able to surprise when she won gold at the age of 17 in Pyeongchang in 2018, while Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old born in California, could become the face of Beijing where she competes with the Chinese colors in freestyle.
For Italy, hopes range from Michela Moioli to Arianna Fontana, from Federico Pellegrino to Dorothea Wierer, hoping that Sofia Goggia will be able to recover miraculously after her injury in Cortina.
