Staying ahead of the weather

Careful planning helps Beijing 2022 organizers mitigate snow showers

Despite the heavy snow on Sunday causing the postponement of some events, contingency plans are in place to cope with the impact of the weather and to ensure events run smoothly, according to the Beijing 2022 organizers.

Yang Shu'an, vice-president of the organizing committee, said at a daily briefing on Sunday that accurate weather forecasting throughout the Games has enabled the committee to take precautionary action across all three Olympic competition zones.

The heavy snow on Sunday had been forecast as early as Feb 4, and two days before the snowfall the organizers were aware of the precise amount of snow expected.

"Two days ago, we knew exactly when the snow would arrive and how much snow would fall at each of the venues. We were able to send alerts in advance," Yang said.

"Since the start of the competition, the weather service has provided accurate weather forecasts for the Games and this is particularly important and crucial to the smooth running of the Games," he added.

At Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, Yang said there were more than a thousand staff members working at 5 am on Sunday to help clear the course.

"The local governments at each of the venues and functional areas are taking measures to adapt to the snow. This is all part of our thorough preparation," he said.

Due to the snow, the women's freeski slopestyle qualification and aerials qualification in Zhangjiakou were postponed to Monday and the second training session for the women's downhill in Yanqing was canceled.

With the Beijing Games passing the halfway point on Sunday, Christophe Dubi, International Olympic Committee executive director for the Olympics, said he'd heard from the athletes that the Games have been "extraordinary" so far.

"The first week is indeed full of many achievements, but the main one is the satisfaction of the athletes," he said.

Yang promised the organizers will continue to adopt the principle of being "athlete centered" and work with all stakeholders to further improve the level of services.

Recapping the experience of the first half of the competition, Yang said that the venues, the athletes, the medical services and the operations had all been "world class".

"As we move on to the second half of the competition, we believe it will become more intense and exciting. The Beijing organizing committee will continue to provide warm and bespoke services for the athletes so that they can stay in their best shape and present the best of themselves to the rest of the world."

The Games have attracted enormous attention from around the world. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said Beijing 2022 had received record viewings numbers from across the world.