BEIJING — After 17 days of competition—and controversy—across Beijing and the surrounding areas, the 2022 Winter Olympics have come to an end. On Sunday evening in China, the Closing Ceremony took place at the Bird’s Nest, marking the official end of the second pandemic-era Games in six months. Below, Sports Illustrated’s team of writers give their final takeaways from Beijing, where the sporting competition and Olympic spirit was undoubtedly overshadowed by doping accusations, ongoing disputes and rising geopolitical tensions.
This was a hard two weeks for people who want to believe in the value of the Olympics.