A screenshot of Thomas Bach virtually showing up on the screen through holographic communication technology Photo: Wechat account of Alibaba Cloud

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, said on Sunday that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games have made history in achieving an unprecedented level of digitalization and set new technology standards for the future, while allowing more people to experience the culture and excitement of the Olympics.

Bach interacted virtually with journalists in a news center in Beijing through holographic communication technology backed up by Alibaba. He noted that this Winter Olympics will set a new standard for the future and encourage more people to participate in ice and snow sports while opening a new chapter for the world. 

"Beijing is the first dual Olympic city and has achieved its vision of 'bringing 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports'," said Bach, stressing that "China is a nation of ice and snow sports."

Bach's clear appearance and interaction with reporters in Beijing were achieved by Alibaba's Reach-Time Communication technology combining with GRTN and the industry's advanced 4K HD visual screen for a remote holographic interactive experience. 

Meanwhile, the Alibaba Cloud Me technology also made it possible for Zhang Yong, Alibaba's CEO who is currently in Shanghai, to show up on the screen right next to Bach to deliver New Year's wishes to the journalists on the site. 

Bach noted that global audiences are able to experience the magic of the Olympics thanks to the support of partners like Alibaba. He said that Chinese companies, represented by digital technology companies such as Alibaba, are playing a crucial role in the digital transformation of the Olympic Games and leading the event to enter the digital age. 

"Alibaba's cloud technology has left a whole new set of standards for the Olympics and continues to push it to new heights," said Bach. 

Zhang meanwhile noted that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is the first Games in history to fully adopt and integrate cloud technology.

Chinese tech giants are also playing an important role in the tech-backed Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. From training preparation to venue construction, technologies in clean energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G have been widely adopted.