Beijing 2022 Olympics: These Games are a special disgrace
The IOC has long sided with autocrats – but the Beijing Winter Games radically show just how far the sport has strayed from its values. Chinese propaganda can work.
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Christoph Jessen and Johannes Knuth
It must be an exhilarating gathering, and a huge welcome to the VIP box, when the XXIV Olympic Winter Games open Friday at the National Stadium in Beijing. Topping the guest list is Vladimir Putin, an “old friend,” as Xi Jinping, China’s head of state and party leader, recently promoted his Russian counterpart again. Both are surrounded by a group that resembles a list of autocrats: Kasim-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, who recently brought down the uprising in his country; Heads of state from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan and from Egypt to Qatar; a handful of high-ranking nobles, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; from Europe, after all, Polish President Andrzej Duda, colleagues from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina; But also António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Rachel Montgomery is a contributor at Prudent Press Agency, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate, and reader-focused reporting that helps audiences stay informed about current events and important developments. Her work emphasizes useful information, balanced coverage, and stories that matter to everyday readers, making complex topics accessible and relevant.
