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Beijing 2022; Olympic and Paralympic mascots unveiled

Image: The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

 

Olympic Games: Bing Dwen Dwen

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and BOCOG Executive President Gou Zhongwen jointly unveiled Bing Dwen Dwen(冰墩墩), the official mascot for the Olympic Winter Games, along with Chinese short track speed skater Wu Dajing and local school student Zhang Jiman.

The jovial panda mascot is an ambassador for winter sports. Bing (冰) is the Chinese character for ice, while Dwen Dwen (墩墩) is a common nickname in China for children that implies healthiness, cuteness, and ingenuousness – characteristics also shared with pandas.

Clothed in a full body suit of ice, a symbol of purity and strength, Bing Dwen Dwen wants to emulate the physical and mental power of Olympians, and to help spread the enduring Olympic spirit. The heart shape in its left palm represents the host country’s hospitality, and the mascot is expected to connect and bring joy to people participating and watching the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 from all over the world.

The coloured halo surrounding its face is suggestive of ice and snow tracks, as well as the flowing “ribbons” on the exterior of the National Speed Skating Oval, one of two new competition venues in the Beijing zone that is expected to become a landmark of the Games.

The dynamic lines of the halo also embody the increased connectivity in the era of 5G communications. Resembling an astronaut, Bing Dwen Dwen stands for Beijing 2022’s embrace of new technologies that will bring about a future with infinite possibilities.

Source: The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG)

 

Paralympic Games: Shuey Rhon Rhon

Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and BOCOG President Cai Qi, Governor of Hebei Province and BOCOG Executive President Xu Qin, Chairperson of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and BOCOG Executive President Zhang Haidi, together with Chinese wheelchair curler Chen Jianxin and local student Wang Ruoyu, introduced Shuey Rhon Rhon to the audience as the official mascot for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

Shuey Rhon Rhon (雪容融) is a Chinese lantern child ready to welcome friends from around the world for a big party. Exuding positivity, the glow emanating from its heart symbolises the inspiring warmth, friendship, courage, and perseverance of Para athletes that light up the dreams of millions every day.

The Chinese lantern is a millennia-old cultural symbol associated with harvest, celebration, prosperity, and brightness. Red is the most auspicious and festive colour in the country, and is all the more fitting given that the Games will coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations in February and March 2022.

The overall design on Shuey Rhon Rhon draws from traditional Chinese papercut art and Ruyi ornaments, and features doves, Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven, and snow to symbolise peace, friendship, and good fortune.

Shuey has the same pronunciation as 雪, the Chinese character for snow. The first Rhon (容) in the mascot’s Chinese name means “to include, to tolerate”, while the second Rhon (融) means “to melt, to fuse” and “warm”. The name expresses the hope that there would be more inclusion for people with impairments, and more dialogue and understanding between cultures of the world.

Source: The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG)

 

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New IOC headquarters; Public open house on September 13 & 14

New IOC headquarters in Lausanne, captured by photographer Adam Mørk. Photo courtesy of the International Olympic Committee.

 

Press release by the International Olympic Committee:

Olympic House opens its doors to the public

In parallel to the 2019 European Heritage Days, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will open its doors to the public on Friday 13 September from 5 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday 14 September from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lausanne residents, visitors to the Canton of Vaud, Olympic Games fans and those who are simply curious will all be able to explore Olympic House, which was inaugurated on 23 June and has already become a must-see in the Louis-Bourget Park in Lausanne.

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Tokyo 2020; “Make the Beat!” Project launched

 

Press release by Tokyo 2020:


Tokyo 2020 Launches “Make the Beat!” Project Inviting Fans Worldwide to Energise Venues and Encourage Athletes

Tokyo, 6 September 2019 – The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today launched “Make the Beat!”, a new project fusing sound, technology and social media to allow fans from all over the world – no matter where they are– to take part in energising venues and encouraging their favourite teams and athletes. “Make the Beat!” will introduce fans to the official Tokyo 2020 beat, a melodic rhythm that spectators can dance or clap along to, and encourage fans to create their own #2020beat content to be displayed in venues and at Live Sites.

The official Tokyo 2020 beat was created from a range of 1,000 different sound samples reflecting the themes of “sports”, “Japanese culture”, “daily lives” and “nature”; five different rhythms were compiled from these using Olympic World-Wide Partner Intel Corporation’s AI technology. Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot Miraitowa and Paralympic mascot Someity oversaw the sampling and creation of the shortlist. Tsukuba University researchers then contributed to the final selection of the Tokyo 2020 official beat.

At today’s event, the historic Meiji University cheering squad joined model Honoka Tsuchiya, violinist Mayu Kishima, and social media influencers XTRAP to launch the project with a cheer routine set to the beat. Starting September 6, a series of videos featuring athletes and artists from all different fields demonstrating the beat will be uploaded to the dedicated Tokyo 2020 beat website (see URL below).

In the runup to the Tokyo 2020 Games, fans are invited to film themselves as individuals or in groups performing to the rhythm and to post their content on social media using the special hashtag #2020beat. During the Tokyo 2020 Games, a selection of the submitted material will be displayed inside venues and at Live Sites as a compilation generated using Alibaba Cloud technology. In this way, fans who will not be able to attend events at the venues can still participate in the Tokyo 2020 Games and cheer on the athletes to the sound of the beat.

Schedule:
– 6 September 2019 “Make the Beat!” project launch
– Fall 2019 Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot and Paralympic mascot international tour details to be announced
– March 2020 Compilation of user-submitted content to start
– 23 July 2020 Compilation of user-submitted content to end
– 24 July – 6 September 2020 Compilation videos to be broadcast at Tokyo 2020 venues`

Further details will be updated on the dedicated website: https://tokyo2020.org/en/special/makethebeat/

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Poll of the Month; September 2019

Seven years on: Did London 2012 deliver the legacy that was promised?

You can find the poll here, or in the sidebar of the news page.

 

Results poll of the month August 2019;

Four sports have been provisionally confirmed for inclusion at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Which sport are you looking forward to?

  • Sport Climbing (42%, 14 Votes)
  • Surfing (27%, 9 Votes)
  • Skateboarding (18%, 6 Votes)
  • Breaking (12%, 4 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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