Russia (bbabo.net), - It would seem that the experience of living and working, following all the anti-covid protocols, has already been acquired. But the Beijing authorities and the organizing committee of the main competitions of the four-year period immediately warned: security measures would be multi-stage, and the rules for athletes, members of delegations and journalists would be more stringent. Before entering the country, we read a lot of instructions, filled out declarations, were vaccinated, did PCR tests, and kept a health diary. How did Olympic Beijing meet us?

We act in defense

The first thing that any participant of the Games sees when leaving the plane is a brigade of medical officers in protective suits. But their strict and serious look is not a hindrance to a friendly attitude towards all guests. We say "Nihao" in response to our greeting in Chinese - a smile and a wave of the hand. Other airport staff are trying to cheer up the arrivals by drawing multi-colored tigers, a symbol of 2022, on their white overalls. According to the Chinese calendar, it began on February 1 - just the day we arrived. So, not only instructions on what cannot be done were hung at the airport, but also red lanterns and other New Year decorations.

But still, you can't really relax. There is a smell of bleach in the air, which is felt even through the mask and brings you back to reality. But more impressive are whole canisters of disinfectants. They are made in the form of a backpack with a sprayer. Summer residents use these to get rid of some aphids. But here the infection will be more dangerous. On all surfaces at the airport - white stains from constant processing. There are also hand sanitizers at every step.

When passing through passport control and other procedures, it was possible to take a closer look at employees in protective suits.

The entire territory of the Games is the so-called "closed loop"

If for the participants of the Olympics it is a mandatory rule to wear a mask of a certain type, then the airport workers are protected in full: a mask, goggles like for scuba diving (only the tube is not enough) and a screen. Many glasses are foggy, with condensation.

But nobody complains. All these measures are fully justified.

Resistance test

We heard about how unpleasant and painful the PCR test at the airport would be from colleagues who arrived in Beijing a few days earlier. From the nosophageal study, sparks really fell from the eyes. After a smear from the throat, you cough. A swab from the nose, when the wand reaches almost to the brain, makes even men shed tears. But no "omicron" will go unnoticed. Well, in order to somehow cheer up the journalists who are recovering after such a tough procedure, congratulations on the New Year from the medical staff arrived in time. Although the discussion of sensations in the oropharynx did not stop until the very baggage claim.

The fact is that PCR tests will have to be taken every day. In Tokyo, all that was needed was to spit in a test tube. Beijing chose a more reliable and accurate method. In general, the entire journey through the security cordons, which ended with the validation of Olympic accreditation, was very well organized. In the first days of arrivals of participants in the Games, there were delays in baggage claim. But after 2-2.5 hours we were already driving to our hotel.

Negative and positive

All athletes and journalists fall into a "bubble" during the Olympics. The entire territory of the Games is the so-called closed loop (loop): airport - hotel - Olympic village - stadiums. We will not be able to move freely around the city. Even the area in front of the entrance to the hotel is fenced with a special green fence. This border cannot be crossed.

Moreover, before receiving a negative test, we were literally immured in the room. I could hear someone carefully taping the doorway with duct tape. The saving call from the reception sounded after 5-6 hours.

There is already a tradition in Beijing to wish for a negative test and positive emotions and results. We hope that with this motto we will go through all the Olympic Games.

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Beijing 2022: interesting facts and figures

109 sets of medals will be played at the Olympics. This is seven more than in PyeongChang 2018.

Seven sports and 15 disciplines were included in the program of the Games. The women's single bobsleigh or monobob competition, which was successfully tested at the Youth Olympic Games, is making its debut in Beijing.

Other newcomers to the Olympic family are the Men's and Women's Ski Big Air, Mixed Team Ski Tumbling, Mixed Team Ski Jumping, Mixed Snowboard Cross Relay, and Mixed Short Track Speed ​​Skating relay. Interestingly, only 6 sports were included in the program of all Winter Olympics: these are hockey, figure skating, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating.

45 percent of participants are women. In Pyeongchang 2018, this figure was 41 percent. So the Beijing Olympics will be the most gender-balanced in the history of the Winter Games.The five competition venues are a legacy of the 2008 Summer Olympics. This is, of course, the National Stadium, known as the "Bird's Nest". There will be opening and closing ceremonies.

Representatives of water sports praised the swimming center "Water Cube". The organizers "froze" it and redesigned it. Now it is the "Ice Cube", and curlers will compete there.

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