Fourteen years later, the Olympic flame was once again lit in Beijing’s National Stadium, this time to kick off the Games of the XXIV Winter Olympiad. The Chinese capital became the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
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The cold and the sanitary situation did not prevent a large number of local fans from witnessing a ceremony that, as in 2008, surprised the world, thanks to the creation of its director, Zhang Yimou. The technology, the play of light and the good energy given off by the more than 3,000 artists who took part were the main protagonists of an event that lasted more than two hours.
Once the first fireworks and light show, which celebrated the beginning of spring and the first solar period of the Chinese New Year, was over, it was time to raise the Chinese flag. After passing through a corridor of representatives of the 56 ethnic groups from all parts of the Asian country, it made its way to the flagpole where it will remain flying until the end of the Games.
The delegations from the 91 countries paraded one by one next. Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, began and China, the host country, concluded. Spain, which will be represented by fourteen athletes, came out in 31st place with Ander Mirambell and Queralt Castellet as flag bearers.
The big moment of the night came after Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee officially opened the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, followed by the raising of the Olympic flag, the reading of the oath and the lighting of the cauldron by skiers Dinigeer Yilamiujiang and Jiawen Zhao, who carried the Olympic flame to a snowflake made up of smaller flakes bearing the name of each of the participating countries. The flame will be displayed in the Olympic Stadium until 20 February, when the closing ceremony will take place in the same stadium and the Olympic flame will start its journey to the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina 2026.