BEIJING (AP) — International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has spoken at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, thanking those around the globe who he says has gone “beyond the call of duty” to make the events happen as a global pandemic continues raging.

These Olympics are the second to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic, after the Tokyo Games last summer.

Bach talked about how the Olympics highlight “ambition, courage and strength.”

He likened those qualities to what China has done to grow Olympic winter sports to its residents.

UPDATE

BEIJING (AP) — In China, Friday was “Lichun” — which translates to the beginning of spring.

And in this case, the start of the Winter Olympics.

“Beginning of Spring” is the first of the 24 solar terms of the year, and that number — 24 — carried significance in the early moments of the opening ceremony of these Beijing Games.

Organizers say it reflects “the Chinese people’s understanding of time,” also noting that these were the 24th Winter Olympics.

Original Story

BEIJING (AP) — China has launched a locked-down Winter Olympics.

The country where the coronavirus outbreak emerged two years ago is projecting its might on the most global of stages even as some Western governments stage a diplomatic boycott over the way China treats millions of its own people.

Beijing becomes the first city to host both winter and summer Games.

And while some are staying away from these second pandemic Olympics in six months, many other world leaders planned to attend the opening ceremony.

Most notable is Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The opening ceremony began Friday just after the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.