NY Times · Jan 22, 2022
China’s Games: How Xi Jinping Is Staging the Olympics on His Terms
Xi Jinping, China’s leader. Mr. Xi put his personal prestige on the line when China bid to host the 2022 Winter Games, and the country has come through on its promises.Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesWhen the International Olympic Committee met seven years ago to choose a host for the 2022 Winter Games, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, sent a short video message that helped tip the scale in a close, controversial vote.
China had limited experience with winter sports. Little snow falls in the distant hills where outdoor events would take place. Pollution was so dense at times that it was known as the “Airpocalypse.”