Sports

Beijing, the host city of two Olympic Games, is moving forward with the Olympic dream

For many people around the world, Beijing may simply be the capital of China and a city rich in historical heritage

Published

4 years ago

February 12, 2022

For many people around the world, Beijing may simply be the capital of China and a city rich in historical and cultural heritage.

But for many Chinese, it is an enduring symbol of the Olympic Games – the first city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics. It preserves the Olympic spirit and carries the Olympic dream forward.

Faster, cleaner, and more experienced

Xu Xin first came to Beijing when he was 18 years old in 1997 to enroll at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

He recalls, "My first impression was that there were many opportunities in Beijing, especially for a language learning student like me.".

Xu majored in Swedish. In the summer of 2001, when the whole city was in a state of euphoria after winning the bid to host the 2008 Olympics, Xu graduated from university.

A total of 74,615 volunteers from 98 countries and regions helped organize the 2008 Olympic Games, including Xu, who provided translation services for the Swedish team in the Olympic Village. He watched many competitions during the Games, met famous athletes, and even took a picture with the late Kobe Bryant.

Those were happy, active days, and Xu always had a big smile on his face as he talked about his experience in Beijing 2008. After the Olympics, he visited the stadiums again for various purposes, the last of which was a visit to Wuxong Arena, which hosted the basketball games at that time, to attend a concert.

Beijing has also witnessed development, with its public transport network expanding and the city becoming cleaner.

Now Xu has become an Olympic volunteer for the second time. He said, "It's incredible that my city is hosting the Olympics a second time after more than ten years, and I'm lucky to have volunteered for both events.".

The 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games include 27,000 and 12,000 volunteers respectively, who were selected from over one million candidates.

Xu saw many young faces in the volunteer team. "I felt like I was seeing myself in 2008," he said.

While driving on Beijing’s roads, Xu found some lane markings that had been set up for the 2008 Olympics still in place, while in some other sections, signs for the special lane for 2022 had already been put up.

“In the past 14 years, communication technology in our country has developed rapidly, making communication easier. China has more experience in hosting major events, and I am confident that the service provided by volunteers will be better this time.”.

From luxury to sustainability

While Xu is busy learning winter sports terminology, Li Jiulin is waiting to take a test at the National Oval Speed Skating Center, nicknamed "The Ice Strip." Li was the chief engineer in its construction.

The Oval Center is located in northern Beijing, about 3.5 km from the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest," where the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics presented Chinese culture to the world 14 years ago.

When Lee became an engineer at the Bird's Nest stadium in 2003, he was 35 years old.

The stadium, which has a capacity of 80,000 spectators, is known as the largest steel structure in the world.

He said that “the construction of the Beijing National Stadium launched a new era in China’s construction industry and attracted a variety of innovations, many of which were updated in subsequent years and applied to the National Oval Speed Skating Center.”.

Six of the venues from the 2008 Olympics are being reused for the 2022 Winter Games in an effort to reduce costs. The Ice Strip is the only ice sports venue built from scratch specifically for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Beijing 2022 pledged to deliver a green, sustainable, and low-carbon Games, so Li and his team had to tackle a series of technical challenges to minimize steel use. The ice strip boasts the largest complete ice design in Asia, covering an area of 12,000 square meters. It utilizes carbon dioxide refrigerant, the most environmentally friendly natural refrigerant used in ice production, to minimize damage to the ozone layer.

In Lee's team, about a third of the people involved, like him, worked on construction work for both the summer and winter games.

He said that "Olympic stadiums have demonstrated the strength of a nation in certain eras," adding that "the Bird's Nest stadium impressed visitors with its grandeur, while the new ice strip reflected the new characteristics of development: sustainability."

He added, smiling, "It is an honor for me to participate in building both of them.".

The beginning of a dream

Former skater Yoo Young-joon will be among the audience when the Olympic short track speed skating action kicks off this week at the Capital Gymnasium.

The World Cup gold medalist began practicing short track speed skating in 2001 when Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

"I remember the celebrations of the people at that time very well," Yu said, adding, "I realized that the Olympic Games are the most important stage for athletes and I dreamed of competing there one day.".

In the following years, preparations for the 2008 Olympics continued until the 29 giant firework footprints lit up the Beijing sky on a summer night, announcing the start of the long-awaited sporting festival.

The 2008 Olympics sparked a passion for sports among ordinary people.

The following year, in 2009, Yu was selected for the Chinese national short track speed skating team. He finished second in the 1000m race at the 2010/2011 World Cup in Quebec, and won gold medals in the 5000m relay with his teammates at the 2011/2012 World Cups in Shanghai and Nagoya.

But just when things seemed to be going well, he suffered injuries. He missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics and retired.

But his Olympic dream lives on in another form.

After spending two years studying abroad, he moved to Yunnan Province in southern China to promote winter sports, establishing a short track speed skating team in the province. Yu returned to Beijing and was appointed assistant coach of the national team in 2018.

In 2020, he joined a skating club in Yanqing District, Beijing, called Mengchiyuan, which means "the beginning of the dream." He gave lessons to elementary and middle school students at the club and helped train school teams.

He also trains 16 trainees who are striving to achieve their sporting dream, just as he did before.

Yu reminisced, "In our generation, most short track skiers came from northeast China, where winter sports were popular." But the trainees he now coaches come from all over the country, including warmer southwestern provinces like Yunnan and Sichuan.

The students and trainees he trained were among the 346 million Chinese who took part in winter sports activities since Beijing successfully won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in 2015, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics.

China now has 654 ice skating rinks, up 317 percent from 2015. The number of indoor and outdoor ski resorts has reached 803, up from 568 in 2015.

Yu said he expects Yancheng to become a base for short track skiing in China.

Yu hopes that his students will one day be able to ski in the Olympic arena, just as he dreamed of doing as a child. But he also wants to see more people embrace winter sports. "I hope the Winter Games will be the start of their dream.".

Sports

Al-Ittihad are targeting Mohamed Salah to replace Benzema this summer

Reports confirm Al-Ittihad's desire to sign Mohamed Salah next summer to compensate for Karim Benzema's departure to Al-Hilal, as part of a comprehensive plan to rebuild the team and compete in the Roshan League.

Published

30 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Saudi Arabia News - saudinews50

International media reports have revealed serious moves by the management of Saudi club Al-Ittihad to make Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's top scorer, a primary and strategic target for the upcoming summer transfer window. This move comes as Al-Ittihad seeks to fill the significant void left by the departure of French star Karim Benzema, who joined their arch-rivals Al-Hilal during the last winter transfer window.

Details of Al-Ittihad's interest in signing Mohamed Salah

The Portuguese newspaper A Bola reported on Wednesday that Al-Ittihad officials are determined to make Mohamed Salah the cornerstone of their rebuilding project starting next season. The club's management views signing Salah not merely as a technical acquisition to replace Karim Benzema, but as a massive marketing and public relations investment given the player's immense popularity in the Arab world and globally.

The current state of the union and the need for change

Al-Ittihad is experiencing a difficult season in terms of results, currently sitting in sixth place in the Saudi Professional League standings with 34 points – a position unbecoming of the reigning champions and their large fan base. This decline, coupled with significant changes to the squad, most notably the termination of Karim Benzema's contract and his departure to Al-Hilal, has necessitated the club considering high-profile signings to return the team to championship contention and fierce competition both domestically and continentally.

Mohamed Salah and the Saudi League: A dream renewed

This isn't the first time Mohamed Salah's name has been linked to a move to the Saudi League, specifically to Al-Ittihad. In the past, there have been strong attempts to sign the player, but Liverpool's insistence on keeping their star player prevented the deal from going through. With the contracts of some stars nearing their end and the Kingdom's desire to continue attracting the world's elite players as part of its ambitious sports project, the opportunity seems more favorable next summer to convince the Egyptian star to embark on a new experience in Saudi football, potentially becoming the league's next icon alongside the existing global stars.

Al-Ittihad fans are anticipating a hot summer, hoping that the administration will succeed in finalizing the Salah deal, so that he can be the new leader of the project to return to the top, especially in light of the strong competition that Saudi football is currently witnessing.

Sports

The reason behind Darwin Nunez's refusal to leave Al-Hilal and Inzaghi's stance

A source within Al-Hilal club revealed the reason behind Darwin Nunez's refusal to transfer to Fenerbahce, despite being excluded from the squad for the Al-Akhdoud match by coach Simone Inzaghi. Find out the details.

Published

43 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Saudi Arabia News - saudinews50

The controversy surrounding the future of Uruguayan star Darwin Nunez, the striker for Al-Hilal's first football team, has finally come to an end, after informed sources from within the Blue Castle revealed the full details behind the failure of his transfer to the Turkish league during the current winter transfer period, specifically to Fenerbahce.

According to sources close to Al-Hilal, the decision to stay stemmed from the player's own desire. The source confirmed that Darwin Nunez rejected the idea of leaving the club at this crucial point in the season. Reports indicate that the player feels a sense of stability and great psychological comfort within the club, which led him to completely close the door on any negotiations for a new professional experience with Fenerbahçe, preferring to continue with Al-Hilal's ambitious project.

Despite the player's current stability, the decision by the team's Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi , to exclude Nunez from the squad for the Al-Akhdoud match has raised many questions in the sports community. This match is part of the Roshan Professional League competition and will be held at Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Stadium. However, sources have confirmed that this exclusion is a purely technical decision related to the coach's vision for the match and player rotation, and has no connection to the player's future with the club, thus putting an end to the rumors linking his absence to transfer negotiations.

In a related context, Núñez's continued presence is a significant gain for Al-Hilal, given the market value and technical skill he brings to the attack, especially in light of the fierce competition in the Saudi Professional League this season. The Uruguayan striker's contract with the club extends until the end of the 2028 season, granting the club's management considerable negotiating power and administrative stability, as the player cannot leave or sign with any other club without the explicit approval of the coaching staff, led by Inzaghi, and the club's management.

Nunez’s commitment to staying at Al-Hilal reflects the great status that the Saudi League has reached as an attractive destination for international stars, as it provides a high-level competitive environment and facilities that rival European clubs, making the decision to leave a difficult one for any player who has found what he is looking for in the Saudi stadiums.

Sports

Darwin Nunez's stance on leaving Al-Hilal after the signing of Benzema

Learn about the details of Al-Hilal's rejection of Fenerbahce's offer to sign Darwin Nunez, the player's situation after signing Karim Benzema, and the Uruguayan striker's statistics with the club.

Published

45 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Saudi Arabia News - saudinews50

The reliable Italian journalist and expert in the global transfer market, Fabrizio Romano, has put an end to the controversy surrounding the future of Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez with Saudi club Al-Hilal, especially after the recent developments in the winter transfer window with the arrival of French star Karim Benzema.

Al-Hilal's stance on the Turkish offer

Romano confirmed via his official accounts on Wednesday that Al-Hilal's management has made a final decision not to part with Darwin Nunez, categorically rejecting the official offer submitted by Turkish club Fenerbahçe for the international striker. This rejection underscores Al-Hilal's commitment to retaining all its star players to compete for all available titles, as the technical staff considers Nunez a cornerstone of the team's future project.

Karim Benzema is a Hilali player... the deal of the season

This news comes on the heels of Al-Hilal's completion of one of their biggest winter signings, securing the services of former Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad after his contract with the club was terminated. Benzema's arrival has raised legitimate questions among fans and analysts about how the attack will be managed with two such prominent players as Núñez and Benzema. However, the decision to retain Núñez suggests the coaching staff intends to rely on squad depth or perhaps adjust the tactical formation to accommodate the presence of both stars.

Nunez's numbers with the leader

Al-Hilal had acquired Darwin Núñez, 26, from Liverpool during the last summer transfer window in a big-money deal. Since his arrival, the Uruguayan has proven his worth in the blue jersey, participating in 22 matches across all competitions. In 1487 minutes of play, Núñez has been a key attacking player, scoring 7 goals and providing 5 assists, making him a vital component of the team's attacking system.

The context of the competition and the development of the Saudi League

Al-Hilal's decision to retain Núñez, despite signing Benzema, reflects the significant evolution in the mindset of Saudi clubs and their pursuit of emulating major European clubs by boasting a strong bench and a formidable starting lineup. The fierce competition in the domestic league, coupled with continental commitments in the AFC Champions League, necessitates having more than one top-class striker to ensure consistency and player rotation, thus preventing fatigue and injuries. Combining Benzema's vast experience with Núñez's dynamism and physical strength provides Al-Hilal with diverse attacking options that could be key to dominating championships in the coming seasons.