In terms of propaganda, the Olympics got worse than expected.
China’s show has not been as grand and bombastic as previous PR spectacles throughout Olympic history.
Here it has been like when China moves forward its positions step by step in global world trade. If they want world domination? The worst thing is that the question is relevant.
Here, a soldier from bloody battles in an infected border conflict was sent to a leading role as a torchbearer before the opening of the Olympics. It was a clear fuck off finger to the rest of the world. We do what we want.
And here, a Chinese Olympic leader has completely run over an international Olympic champion at a press conference by claiming that information about the misconduct in the country is just lies and fake news.
This is anything but old common propaganda games. In their time, they were at least easy to read in their large scale.
This way that China during the Olympics showed that they do not care about the opinions of the outside world and intend to run their race no matter what, it was worse than expected.
And the Swedish international Olympic champion Gunilla Lindberg was at least right in her famous radio interview from last autumn about China as host of the Olympics. It was then that bridge builder Lindberg saw something no one else saw, that the 2008 Beijing Olympics helped the democratic development in the country.
She was more right when she talked about an Olympics getting the outside world to pay attention to the host country.
Dictatorships are dictatorships even when they do not have major sports competitions.
And it is embarrassing for other parts of society that sport seems to be necessary in the global democracy debate.
– The Chinese flag is waving next to the Olympics during the Olympic opening ceremony.
Photo: Robert Michael/DPA
It must be embarrassing for political, economic and cultural movements that it is only events such as the Olympics and major World Cups that can really make many people take up issues such as genocide and misconduct in dictatorships.
As much focus as there has been in the past year on how the dictatorship of China is going in the wrong direction, it will not be for many years.
China this winter. Qatar this fall. Then?
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the miserable conditions, to say the least, for the guest workers who have built Qatar’s World Cup arenas.
The working conditions have hardly been so much worse on other construction sites in Qatar or when cities in other oil countries have grown up.
Sport and its stars become involuntary tools for dictatorships that organize major competitions. The only positive thing about it is that the outside world is reminded of how it is in the country.
No, by the way. It is not just sports that can create focus. Among all the glitter and glamor, the Eurovision song contest can sometimes succeed as well.
Gunilla Lindberg had in fact, another right when it comes to the Beijing Olympics.
When I was fighting the Korean wind and the cold four years ago, a colleague said:
– I have heard Gunilla Lindberg say that it will be even worse in China in four years.
The Arctic climate at this time of year in this part of China should have been another reason why Beijing would not get the Games.
But – as many still seem to forget:
There was no real alternative. Kazakhstan does not count.
When Beijing got the game of the year in 2015, the entire Olympic movement was really down in the cradle of games that failed financially. In addition, at the time, the International Olympic Committee had such absurd demands on the host country that all democracies dropped out of the application process.
Before the inauguration in Beijing, IOC President Thomas Bach tried to describe the Olympics as a non-political peace project.
Having the Olympics in China is nothing but politics.
– Nils van der Poel managed the favorite pressure. He came home with two Olympic golds and then he could say what he thought of China.
Photo: Jonathan Näckstrand / Bildbyrån
What many athletes have enjoy being in China and competing we know. Although they were intimidated into silence by China during the Games.
Nils van der Poel is one who chose to air his views when he was back on safe ground.
The skating king held on to the favorite pressure and took two golds. Sara Hector, Lag Niklas Edin and Sandra Näslund were more who palled the press.
Walter Wallberg came from a long injury period but a good season and started the golden rain when he won on the humpback. Jonna Sundling followed up the World Cup title by sprinting home the Olympic gold on skis and Elvira Öberg completed her fantastic Olympics when she carried Sweden to the gold medal in the biathlon relay.
Sweden did a much better Olympics than expected.
Eight gold. Sweden has never taken so many before.
18 medals. Sweden has never taken so many. Sochi 2014 was previously Sweden’s most medal-rich Olympics, when it was 15.
The last race showed clearly how these games have been in the ski tracks for Sweden.
Ebba Andersson was on her way to bronze in the three miles but hooked the last kilometer in total and was only eight. The bronze went up in snow smoke inside the stadium.
– Ebba Andersson got out completely when in the three miles where she got rid of the bronze at the end.
Photo: Jonas Lindkvist
Instead, the sprinter Jonna Sundling sprinted to the finish line as fourth. Jonna goes home with a gold, a silver and a bronze.
The bronze came in the big relay where the sprinter Maja Dahlqvist also ran. Jonna and Maja dotted the form perfectly for the Olympics.
The distance riders did not. The relay bronze became the only medal in the distance race for the Swedish women’s national team. A big, big miscalculation.
Problems with dotting the top of the mold, problems with the material and not least problems with the high, oxygen-poor air are causes.
During the Winter Olympics 2022, the thin air has created many shocking but honest scenes of what elite sports can be.
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