The sports part of the 2022 Winter Games ended in Beijing | News from Germany about events in the world

The sports part of the 2022 Winter Olympics has ended in Beijing. The last set of awards on Sunday, February 20, was played by hockey players. In the finals of the men’s ice hockey tournament, the Finnish national team defeated the team of the Russian Olympic Committee – 2:1 (0:1, 1:0, 1:0).

The Russians opened the scoring: Mikhail Grigorenko scored in the 8th minute. At the 24th minute, Ville Pokka scored a return puck, and at the very beginning of the third period, at the 41st minute, Hannes Bjorninen set the final result of the meeting, depriving the Russians of the champion title. For the Finns, this gold was the first ever in the Olympic hockey tournament.

The top three included Norway, Germany and China

At the end of the Beijing Olympics, Norway took first place in the unofficial medal standings, with 16 gold, 8 silver and 13 bronze medals. In second place – Germany with 12 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze medals, in third – China (9-4-2).

In addition to them, the top five included the United States (8-10-7) and Sweden (8-5-5). The team of the Russian Olympic Committee is in 9th place with 6 gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze medals. However, in terms of the total number of awards – 32 – athletes from Russia lost only to Norway.

See also:

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
2018: Pyeongchang Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are the main event in the world of sports, which attracts the attention of fans all over the world. In recent years, the Olympics have been closely watched not only by sports fans, but also by environmentalists. According to them, preparing for unforgettable sporting events causes irreparable damage to the environment.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
Deforestation for ski slopes
Tens of thousands of trees were cut down for the construction of the Olympic ski slope in Jeongseon. Ecologists sounded the alarm: the age of the unique stone birches was more than 500 years old, the trees served as a refuge for rare and protected species of animals. Ironically, there is not even snow in the area – artificial snow had to be used.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
If there is no real snow
Snow is a must at the Winter Olympics. If it is not available, the slopes are covered with artificial snow from snow throwers. Like, for example, in Pyeongchang. This region is located on the same latitude as Sicily, the mountains are low, winters are cold, but snowless. Pyeongchang cannot be called ideal for skiing.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
Sochi 2014: One huge construction site
According to environmentalists, the Sochi Olympics have caused more damage to the environment than any other Olympics. Deforestation, the use of heavy equipment in the reserves – the entire region was turned into a huge construction site. The IOC’s responsibility is to protect the environment, but no one was interested in Sochi, experts say.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
Illegal dump
During any construction, debris accumulates. Mountains of crushed stone have grown up around Sochi, which, according to activists, was simply taken out to quarries and former nature reserves. Waste from the construction of Olympic facilities was even dumped into water protection zones, which are sources of drinking water in Sochi.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
Rio de Janeiro – 2016: polluted water
At the Summer Olympics in Brazil, water sports athletes feared for their health. Sailing competitions were held in the bay of Guanabara, also known as the “cesspool”. The water in the bay was teeming with pathogens. Now, a year and a half after the Olympics, little has changed here.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
Beijing – 2008: smog cloud
The result of preparations for the Summer Olympics in Beijing has been monstrous air pollution. In the last months before the start of the Olympics, the main stadium of the city was drowning in a thick haze. Because of the smog, it was impossible to see the top floors of Beijing’s skyscrapers. Doctors warned athletes about respiratory problems.

Pyeongchang, Sochi, Beijing: how the Olympic Games affect the environment
Tokyo 2020: changes for the better?
The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in Japan. In 2017, a water quality test was carried out in Odaiba Bay, where swimming and triathlon competitions are held. Research has found an unusually high concentration of bacteria. The organizers of the Tokyo Olympics believe that pollutants got into the water due to the large amount of precipitation.
Author: Brigitte Osterath, Marina Baranovskaya