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16 Feb 2022

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Olympic goodwill shines brightly in winter


Shanghai Daily

Feb 14, 2022


People from around the world have been touched by the goodwill displayed by Chinese athletes and Chinese people since the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.


On Feb 5, Chinese curlers Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan presented their American opponents with a set of commemorative pins featuring Games mascot Bing Dwen Dwen after their narrow defeat to the US team. 


The two American athletes said on Twitter they were “honored to receive these beautiful pin sets in a wonderful display of sportsmanship by our Chinese counterparts”.


The same heartwarming scene can also be seen in the Women's Freestyle Skiing Big Air final. When the third jump was over, French athlete Tess Ledeux, who was originally leading in the competition, made a mistake and took silver. 


Eileen Gu, the champion, walked over and knelt down to comfort her. Such a warm gesture received praise at home and abroad. Many foreign media outlets and netizens gave Gu a thumbs-up for her touching display of the Olympic spirit.


Athletes deserve respect. While their achievements are inspiring, what they say and do is equally important because it reflects their understanding of the Olympic spirit.


The Olympic spirit is not limited to Chinese athletes, either. It has a much broader role, especially in China.


Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu is very popular in China. As early as last year, his fans who knew they could not come to China asked Chinese audiences to support him in the competition. 


Hua Chunying, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded: “Dear all the Yuzuru Hanyu fans: I saw (Japanese fan's) request. Please leave it to us. (The) Chinese audience will cheer for him on the spot!”


On Feb 8, a Japanese netizen posted the translation of CCTV's commentary of Yuzuru Hanyu's men’s single skating short program on social media, prompting many Japanese netizens to like the post.


One of the great things about the Olympic Games is its ability to put aside differences and show the beauty of friendship and sports competitions. We pay tribute to each and every athlete who strives for excellence, hope they surpass themselves and achieve great results.


Sha Yumeng from Fudan University contributed to the story.

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