More Than 6 Years Preparing For Beijing Olympics, President Xi Jinping: I Don't Care How Many Gold Medals Are Won

JAKARTA - The excitement ahead of next month's Beijing Winter Olympics is underway in China, but President Xi Jinping appears to be playing down the focus on medals.

"I don't care how many gold medals Chinese athletes have won this time, I care more about the motivation and vitality that will be injected into us in the future," President Xi told International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Tuesday, citing Reuters 26 January.

Instead, President Xi said in a video clip published on Wednesday by state broadcaster CCTV he was more interested in increasing sports participation, referring to Beijing's much-publicized 2022 pledge to get 300 million Chinese people to participate in winter sports.

China said earlier this month this goal had been exceeded, but had not provided many details about what "participation" meant.

"The popularity of ice and snow sports is actually an increase in the strength of the nation's sports," Xi told Bach.

With more than six years of preparation, President Xi is confident China will successfully host the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, underlining Beijing's commitment.

"We have been preparing for the Beijing Olympics for more than six years, everything is arranged. The competitions will start soon and they will be successful," China's foreign ministry quoted President Xi as saying, as reported by TASS.

"China will honor its commitment to presenting the world with an efficient, safe and beautiful Olympics," the statement continued.

China has been a 'powerhouse' at the Summer Olympics, regularly finishing near the top of the medal table and even topping it for the first time when Beijing hosted the 2008 summer Olympics, with a record 48 gold medals.

In contrast to the Winter Olympics, where China's best performance was in 2010 in Vancouver, winning 11 medals including five gold. Four years ago in Pyeongchang, South Korea, China won just one gold, in the men's 500m short track speed skating, placing them 16th in the medal table.

However, China has invested heavily in winter sports since winning the rights to host the Olympics in 2015, and will also be lifted by what has traditionally been a host nation's gains, with analyst Nielsen Gracenote estimating the Bamboo Curtain Country could clinch 6 gold medals. , best ever, next month.

Please note that the 24th Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing from February 4 to 20, 2022, while the Paralympics will take place from March 4 to 13.