Georgina Harland, an Olympic medalist and Chef de Mission Team Great Britain for Beijing 2022. Photo: Courtesy of Harland

With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics coming to an end, athletes from all over the world have expressed their appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the considerate, exquisite and trustworthy support provided by the Beijing Organizing Committee. 

From meticulously prepared cuisines to reliable medical care, from effective epidemic measures to the timely support during extreme weather conditions, China has done its best in safeguarding a smooth and wonderful sports event which has already witnessed considerable breakthroughs.

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Georgina Harland, an Olympic medalist and Chef de Mission Team Great Britain (GB) for Beijing 2022, said she has enjoyed Beijing Winter Olympics so far.

"I know the athletes are pleased with the facilities and have enjoyed competing at the venues. The Olympic Winter Games is the pinnacle of these athletes' careers so everything we do at Team Great Britain is targeted at supporting the athletes and giving them the best possible environment to prepare and be ready to reach the start line in the best possible manner. For the Beijing Games we have also created performance gyms in our own Team GB spaces for the first time," she said.  

Team Great Britain brought 50 of its most talented winter sports athletes to compete in Beijing. The country is developing well as an emerging force in winter sports and challenging some of the more established nations at winter sports.

Sir Hugh Robertson, Chair of the British Olympic Association and former Minister of Sport and for the Olympics Photo: AFP

"What we do know is that our athletes will be further inspired by what they see out here in China. From our early experiences in the country and with our team having been on the inside of the Games environment for a few weeks, we are incredibly pleased with the quality of the Olympic Villages and, in particular, the competition venues," Sir Hugh Robertson, Chair of the British Olympic Association and former Minister of Sport and for the Olympics, told the Global Times. Robertson oversaw the successful London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the British Government.

Robertson said he is not surprised, given he has enormously fond memories of attending part of the Observer Program at Beijing 2008. "Indeed, we worked very closely with Beijing in the build-up to delivering London 2012 - and 10 years on from that Olympic Games, I can attest to the fact that it would not have been such a success without the Beijing Organizing Committee's help and input."

Sharing his personal experience, Robertson said the job of the local organizing committee is an unenviable one, particularly in the weeks leading up to the event, but from everything they can see including the Games' preparations, Beijing 2022 will undoubtedly be looked back on with great pride as a job well done.

"In particular, it is good to be able to go back to the Bird's Nest stadium and the Ice Cube, which was the venue for swimming at the 2008 Games. Team Great Britain athletes, including medal winners such as Laura Deas in skeleton, have also spoken warmly of the quality of the sliding center in Yanqing. Ultimately, as an organizing committee and indeed as a nation, all you can do is provide the very best facilities," he said. 

Hailing the great success of many Gen-Z athletes, Georgina Harland said one of the great things about the Olympic Games, both summer and winter, is their ability to create new heroes and to drive interest and awareness in new sports for people of all ages to learn and get involved with. 

For many of our winter athletes, that means living and training away from home throughout the season - mainly in Europe or North America. COVID travel restrictions have meant that in many instances the athletes have had to stay for prolonged periods in their training camps in the build-up to Beijing, away from family and friends and in a constant battle to stay clear of the virus, Robertson said, noting that's why just being at these Olympic Winter Games is an achievement in itself for many athletes.

As to some voices that said quarantine measures during the Games are too "stringent" and "limit athletes' freedom," Georgina Harland said the global pandemic is something that every person in society has had to make sacrifices for. 

"We knew coming to the Games that there would be protocols in place to ensure the safety of everyone taking part at Beijing 2022, athletes, staff and volunteers. The health and wellbeing of our delegation is our number one priority and as such we know the importance of following the guidelines that have been put in place," she said.