The medals for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were presented at “Together for a Shared Future,” the 100-day countdown event for the Winter Games on Tuesday.
The medals are called “Tongxin,” meaning “together as one,” and feature five concentric rings embodying the traditional Chinese philosophy of harmony between heaven, earth and human beings. The rings also symbolize the Olympic rings, carved in the inner circle, and the Olympic spirit uniting the world through sports.
The surrounding grooved rings are engraved with the Games’ official title, “XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” along with cloud and snowflake patterns, with the outer ring free of decoration.
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 Olympic Winter Games. The general picture, which resembles a celestial map, carries the wish that athletes achieve excellence and shine like stars at the Games.
The 2022 Paralympic medals share similar concentric-ring designs as the Olympic medals but with the Paralympic logo in the center and “Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games” engraved below. The words gold, silver or bronze are also inscribed in braille for the respective medals.
The emblem of the Paralympic Winter Games and 13 dots, referring to the 13th edition of the Paralympics, features on the reverse side.
The medal design was inspired by a piece of Chinese jade ware called “Bi,” a double jade disc with a circular hole in the center. Just as jade is thought of as an auspicious and invaluable ornament in traditional Chinese culture, the medal is a testimony of the honor and unceasing efforts of the athletes.
The Beijing 2022 promotional film and its theme song, “Burning Snowflakes,” were also unveiled at the countdown event.
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), sent a message via recorded video.
“Dear Olympic friends, we are all looking forward with great anticipation when in 100 days from now, we will welcome the world’s best winter sports athletes in Beijing. With this, Beijing will once more write history,” he said in the video.
“First of all, Beijing will be the first city ever in Olympic history to hold the winter and the summer editions of the Olympic Games.
“Secondly, Beijing will bring winter sports to a new level, to a new standard, by engaging with 300 million Chinese people with sport on snow and ice.
“In this way, there will be a global winter sport before Beijing 2022, and after Beijing 2022.
“So, with all these great efforts, and with the outstanding preparations we can already see now, we can really say, ‘Together for a Shared Future,’ and this shared future will be a bright one for the winter sports worldwide.
“So all the best for the last 100 days and looking forward to seeing you soon. See you in Beijing.”
The 2022 Winter Olympics will happen between February 4 and 20, 2022. The Winter Paralympics will take place between March 4 and 19, 2022.
(With input from agencies)
