INTERNATIONAL: Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has attended the ceremony of the 100-day countdown to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. He unveiled the Olympic medals, which are to be name "Tongxin", meaning “Together as one". The medal reveal was the key event as Beijing started its 100-day countdown, with the Winter Games set to open on Friday 4 February.
There were more people in suits than tracksuits at the medal unveiling, with Han Zheng also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. He’s also head of what’s known as a “leading group” for the 24th Winter Olympic Games. He was joined by Olympic champions Yang Yang and Zhang Yufei in unveiling the Olympic medals.
They feature five concentric rings embodying the traditional Chinese philosophy of harmony between heaven, earth and human beings. They also echo the five Olympic rings, carved in the inner circle, as well as the Olympic spirit of uniting the world through sport. The medals carry on the concept of jade from the 2008 Games, which underlines Beijing as the first city to host both the summer and winter Olympics. The surrounding grooved rings are engraved with the Games' official title, along with cloud and snowflake patterns.
The reverse side has the Beijing 2022 emblem at its heart, with the official name of the Games carved in Chinese below. The surrounding rings mimic star trails, with 24 dots representing the 24th edition of the Winter Olympics. The general picture, which resembles a celestial map, carries the wish that athletes will achieve excellence and shine like stars at the Games, which open in February next year.