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The paper examines the construction of China's country image in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. It demonstrates how a country that has no winter sports tradition used the mega-event to showcase its national narrative and to promote winter sports industries. A semiotic framework is developed to model China's country image as evaluative attributes and to elucidate how they are constructed through linguistic and visual resources in the theater, livestream, and video inserts. The analysis shows that the ceremony was narrated around four major themes—the world's China, People's China, the aesthetic China, and the modernized China. Instead of revealing a changeless, nostalgic and mythical China that speaks to a Western orientalistic imagination, these four themes work together to reshape a modern China identity, which brings the contrasting values of globalism, nationalism, Chinese traditional aesthetics, and neoliberalism into a coherent artistic performance. The characteristics of nation branding discourse reflect China's urban regeneration policies on the one hand, and public diplomacies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtle differences in aerodynamic drag, ice friction and sprint start, all influenced by the skill and physique of athletes, determine the descent time and hence competitive success in the sport of Skeleton. A trajectory based simulation was created by parameterising the geometry of the Altenberg Ice Track in Saxony, Germany to find the physically realistic descent time that captures the physics of the aerodynamic drag, ice friction and sprint start. A sensitivity study was used to analyse the influence of each factor on the overall performance down a fixed mid-line trajectory. Comparisons are made to the actual descent times to confirm applicability for a set of male and female sliders. It was found that the combined mass of the athlete and sled should be maximised within the rules, the initial velocity from the push should be as fast as possible, the aerodynamic drag should be optimised for each athlete and the ice friction of the runners reduced to their lowest limit. If each variable is optimum, then the final race standings will depend solely on the skill of the athlete traversing the ice track by finding the 'best' trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the impact of post-activation potentiation (PAP) induced by resisted sled sprint at different loads on the subsequent 30 m ice push sled performance of Chinese skeleton athletes, and to identify the resisted sled sprint load that most effectively enhances PAP for Chinese skeleton athletes. Methods: Seven elite athletes from the Chinese skeleton team participated in four tests with more than 48 h intervals. During the tests, on the first test, athletes completed a 40 min standard warm-up, rested for 6 min, and then performed a 30 m test. On the second, third, and fourth test, athletes completed the standard warm-up, then performed 20 m sprints with resisted sled (RS) at 75%, 50%, and 25% of body mass (BM), respectively, rested for 6 min, and then performed the 30 m test. Results: No significant differences were found in morning pulse, blood urea, and creatine kinase levels among four tests. The percentage of maximum heart rate (%HRmax) within different intensity ranges showed no significant differences among four tests. However, significant differences were observed in ice push sled performance among four tests (No BMRS: 5.08 ± 0.27; 25% BMRS: 5.05 ± 0.29; 50% BMRS: 5.02 ± 0.27; 75% BMRS: 5.04 ± 0.28). Post hoc analyses revealed that the 50% BMRS test had faster speed compared to the no resistance (p < 0.05), the 25% BMRS (p < 0.05), and the 75% BMRS (p < 0.05) tests. Additionally, the 75% BMRS test had faster speed than the no resistance test (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A 20 m sprint with 50% BMRS effectively enhances the PAP effect in skeleton athletes, improving their ice push sled performance. Coaches can incorporate this resisted sled sprint in athletes' training routines for performance enhancement in both daily training and pre-competition preparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the impact of post-activation potentiation (PAP) induced by resisted sled sprint at different loads on the subsequent 30 m ice push sled performance of Chinese skeleton athletes, and to identify the resisted sled sprint load that most effectively enhances PAP for Chinese skeleton athletes. Methods Seven elite athletes from the Chinese skeleton team participated in four tests with more than 48 h intervals. During the tests, on the first test, athletes completed a 40 min standard warm-up, rested for 6 min, and then performed a 30 m test. On the second, third, and fourth test, athletes completed the standard warm-up, then performed 20 m sprints with resisted sled (RS) at 75%, 50%, and 25% of body mass (BM), respectively, rested for 6 min, and then performed the 30 m test. Results No significant differences were found in morning pulse, blood urea, and creatine kinase levels among four tests. The percentage of maximum heart rate (%HRmax) within different intensity ranges showed no significant differences among four tests. However, significant differences were observed in ice push sled performance among four tests (No BMRS: 5.08 ± 0.27; 25% BMRS: 5.05 ± 0.29; 50% BMRS: 5.02 ± 0.27; 75% BMRS: 5.04 ± 0.28). Post hoc analyses revealed that the 50% BMRS test had faster speed compared to the no resistance (p < 0.05), the 25% BMRS (p < 0.05), and the 75% BMRS (p < 0.05) tests. Additionally, the 75% BMRS test had faster speed than the no resistance test (p < 0.05). Conclusion A 20 m sprint with 50% BMRS effectively enhances the PAP effect in skeleton athletes, improving their ice push sled performance. Coaches can incorporate this resisted sled sprint in athletes’ training routines for performance enhancement in both daily training and pre-competition preparations.

When a curling rock slides on an ice sheet with an initial rotation, a lateral movement occurs, which is known as the curling phenomenon. The force of friction between the curling rock and the ice sheet changes continually with changes in the environment; thus, the sport of curling requires great skill and experience. The throwing of the curling rock is a great challenge in robot design and control, and existing curling robots usually adopt a combination scheme of a wheel chassis and gripper that differs significantly from human throwing movements. A hexapod curling robot that imitates human kicking, sliding, pushing, and curling rock rotating was designed and manufactured by our group, and completed a perfect show during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Games. Smooth switching between the walking and throwing tasks is realized by the robot’s morphology transformation based on leg configuration switching. The robot’s controlling parameters, which include the kicking velocity vk, pushing velocity vp, orientation angle θc, and rotation velocity ω, are determined by aiming and sliding models according to the estimated equivalent friction coefficient μequ and ratio e of the front and back frictions. The stable errors between the target and actual stopping points converge to 0.2 and 1.105 m in the simulations and experiments, respectively, and the error shown in the experiments is close to that of a well-trained wheelchair curling athlete. This robot holds promise for helping ice-makers rectify ice sheet friction or assisting in athlete training.

The marching of North and South Korea under one flag at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony was celebrated as a step towards greater harmony in the region. North Korea's attendance and widespread goodwill during the "Peace Games" even led to talk of a joint Korea bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics. While the 2018 Games were successful in bringing the nations together, the opportunities for long-lasting peace – and a memorable Games legacy – were not achieved. Utilising thematic analysis across 551 articles from four online news publications from North Korea, South Korea, China and Japan, this study examines regional narratives of North Korea's participation in PyeongChang 2018. The results highlight portrayals in the media towards North Korea and the broader key themes of war, conflict, peace and reconciliation. Overall, it is evident that the hope generated by the nation's participation in 2018 was a false dawn for long-term aspirations of unification, and reflective of the freeze and thaw approach to engagement by North Korea with its neighbour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report examines how the National Broadcasting Company's (NBC's) primetime telecasts of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games presented male and female athletes. Clock-time analyses (of how much time each sporting event was featured in primetime) and salience analyses (of the most mentioned athletes by NBC employees) are reported. Results show that women received the majority of clock-time and name mentions during both Olympiads, a further continuation of NBC's most recent Olympic broadcast practices, which appears to continue to be driven by American women winning the majority of the United States' medals during both the Summer and Winter Games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the guidance of the "High-tech Olympics" concept, literature review is used to explore the field of psychological sci-tech research from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience. It is stated that psychological sci-tech service aims to "enhance performance stability" by integrating cognitive neuroscience techniques with psychological services, with the features of quantifying neural activities during sports performance, identifying psychological risks before competitions and regulating athletes' mental abilities during competition. The implementation process of the services relies on the fundamental principles of action control to quantify, iterate, and monitor its effectiveness in real time by utilizing cognitive neuroscience techniques, big data, artificial intelligence algorithms and other tools. Its application pathway involves mobile electroencephalography and wireless transmission as vehicles, employing coding interfaces and service platforms to fit multi-dimensional and multi-modal physiological and psychological data, thus to dynamically monitor and adjust athletes' mental states. Psychological sci-tech services are transforming from experiential-driven to data-driven iterative development, paving the way for increased precision and efficiency in psychological services, ultimately supporting athletes in achieving stable performance during competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China has been promoting ice and snow tourism, mainly to domestic tourists from southern China. Thus, ice–snow tourism operators in the north need to know what Southerners want. Respondents from south of the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province were administered a questionnaire about candidate national parks in Inner Mongolia as tourism destinations. A qualitative method based on picture material was used to summarize the categories of ice–snow tourism activities. Based on questionnaire data by OLS (ordinary least squares) and quantile regression, respectively, this study identified the average and differential (by the difference of respondents' willingness level) inducing effects of different tourism activities on Southerners' ice–snow tourism willingness. With the supply–demand comparing method, the impacts of the tourism activity availability on the fulfillment of Southerners' ice–snow tourism desire were revealed. For formulating sound market positioning to expand the southern market, suggestions for promoting the preferred activities and complementing the supply shortage were put forth based on Southerners' willingness. The results provide meaningful lessons for developing, operating, and marketing ice–snow tourism destinations in the north in response to Southerners' willingness to travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze China Central Television's (CCTV) broadcasts of the 2018 Winter Olympics and how their various narratives presented home and foreign athletes. The findings indicate that CCTV devoted more name mentions to home athletes even though their medal achievements were inferior to foreign athletes and that home athletes held at least 40% of the top 10 mentions in the three examined sports. In terms of word-by-word descriptors, broadcasters were more likely to attribute the success of Chinese athletes to subjective factors (e.g., concentration, composure, commitment, and intelligence) and to attribute the success of non-Chinese athletes to objective factors (e.g., experience). Moreover, the network tended to attribute the failure of Chinese athletes to strength, experience, and consonance and to attribute the failure of non-Chinese athletes to lack of athletic skill. Theoretical and practical implications are both discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveA “multi-integration， effective control， and intelligent guarantee” solution was built for the application scenarios of food safety emergency support for the Winter Olympics.MethodsWith emergency risk assessment method， the intelligent quick screening device and method for harmful factors in the food supply chain were integrated based on the knowledge map， and big data， artificial intelligence and mobile internet technologies were used to construct an intelligent management and control system for risk early warning of the food supply chain in the Olympics to realize that the emergency plan for different links and different harmful factors in the food supply chain was intelligently generated，which were precisely pushed to users at different levels of the system.ResultsUsing intelligent rapid screening technology and prediction and early warning technology， it has been practical application in the food safety emergency drills for food safety emergencies in the Beijing Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics （Zhangjiakou Area） 2022， and guarantee of food safety for Olympic food companies in the Winter Olympics test competitions， and the official competitions.ConclusionTaking food safety risk analysis and data governance as the main line， intelligent integration of quick screening technology as a means， and intelligent risk prediction and intelligent early warning interaction as a link， the systematic perception， targeted identification， and accurate verification of harmful factors are promoted in the food supply chain to improve the food safety emergency support capability for major events.

ObjectiveTo provide a reference for food safety risk assessment and safety assurance for the Winter Olympics and Beijing residents， the exposure level and possible health risks of cadmium （Cd） in main foods in the surrounding areas of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were evaluated. MethodsBased on the hazard assessment and limit standard analysis of cadmium， the point assessment method was used to assess the dietary exposure risk of cadmium. The 2019 to 2020 on-site sampling survey data of an urban area of Beijing and Zhangjiakou Chongli area and the 2018 Beijing main food consumption survey data were used in this pre-assessment. ResultsThe cadmium provisional tolerated monthly intake （PTMI） established by joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives （JECFA） was 25 μg/kg·BW. The overall average content of cadmium in various foods was 0.010 6 mg/kg， and the overall rate of exceeding the standard was 0.47%. The average exposure of Beijing residents to cadmium through the main food was 5.92 µg/（kg·BW·m）， accounting for 23.66% of the JECFA-recommended provisional tolerable monthly intake （PTMI） of 25 μg/kg·BW. In addition， cereals and vegetable foods were the main sources of dietary cadmium exposure. According to the current limit of cadmium （LOC） in GB 2762—2017 National Food Safety Standards Limits of contaminants in food， except for these two categories of food， the theoretical exposure to cadmium in the rest of the food did not exceed the PTMI. The estimated LOC for vegetables， grains and cereals is 0.172 and 0.199 mg/kg， both of which were less than the maximum limit value stipulated by the national standard. ConclusionThe main food cadmium exposure of Winter Olympics and Beijing residents is generally at a safe level， and the health risk is relatively low.

To study the impact of control measures during the 2022 Winter Olympics on carbonaceous aerosols, samples of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) were collected in Zhangjiakou, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, and Handan in northern China from January to March, 2022. The impacts of different intensities of control measures on organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the four cities were analyzed. Compared with those in the precontrol period, the decreases in the PM 2.5 concentrations in the four cities during the strict control period were ranked in the order of Zhangjiakou (53%), Handan (41%), Shijiazhuang (38%), and Baoding (36%); the decreases in the OC concentrations were ranked in the order of Zhangjiakou (40%), Shijiazhuang (22%), Baoding (21%), and Handan (16%); and the decreases in the EC concentrations were ranked in the order of Zhangjiakou (51%), Baoding (35%), Shijiazhuang (3%), and Handan (−36%). The EC concentration in Handan increased rather than decreased throughout the strict control period. In Zhangjiakou, the reduction in secondary organic carbon (SOC) and primary organic carbon (POC) began notably before the strict control period, whereas in Baoding and Shijiazhuang, it began after the precontrol period. The efficiency of the control measures in lowering SOC was as follows: Baoding (38%), Zhangjiakou (32%), Handan (18%), and Shijiazhuang (12%). SOC formation was influenced by strict control measures that reduced pollution from coal combustion and vehicle exhaust in Zhangjiakou, Baoding, and Shijiazhuang. Conditional probability function (CPF) analysis and potential source contribution factor (PSCF) were used to analyze the potential source regions of EC and OC during the study periods in each city. Transport from Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, the Beijing‒Tianjin‒Hebei region, and northern Henan primarily influenced the presence of EC and OC during the study periods in each city. This study provides theoretical suggestions for cities to optimize their emission control strategies. • The study period was segmented into four phases based on the strength of control measures. • The carbonaceous aerosol concentration significantly decreased after implementation of controls. • Vehicle emissions and coal combustion were the main sources of OC and EC. • The control measures altered the sources of EC and OC and suppressed SOC formation in the four cities. • The four cities were greatly affected by transported carbonaceous aerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doping analysis with a fast‐turnaround‐time reporting of 24/48 h is a "traditional" requirement for major competitions such as the Olympic Games, which require tremendously increased allocation of resources, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The "Closed‐Loop" concept and operation mode established by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) provided a relatively isolated environment to non‐Games‐related civilians. To maintain this system, more than 200 persons were included as supporting crew of the laboratory with massive logistic resources allocated. The National Anti‐Doping Laboratory in Beijing carried out the analysis mission of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. During the Winter Olympics, 3165 samples were analyzed, whereas during the Paralympics, 679 samples were analyzed. The workforce accomplishing this work was composed of 36 domestic analysts, 20 international experts from other World Anti‐Doping Agency‐accredited laboratories, 61 university students with suitable majors, and 12 on‐site instrumental engineers. This article summarizes the achievements from the laboratory's preparation phase; in‐Game operational details such as instruments, methods, workforces, and facility; and the Quality Assurance measures to maintain the integrity and correctness of results reported to the Result Management Authority, with the effect of the pandemic and "Closed‐Loop" situation during the whole process highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, in terms of aesthetic realization of landscape bridges in China, it is difficult to integrate the standardization of structural design and the divergence of aesthetic design, to express the connotation of bridge in the context of modern urban culture, and to design complex and special-shaped bridge structures. Aiming at such difficult problems, this research was based on a large number of engineering projects, and integrated the theories of transportation, civil engineering, architecture and other disciplines to conduct multidisciplinary collaborative research. A four-dimensional innovative concept and design method of landscape bridges, based on structural performance, architectural culture, environmental coordination, and diverse experience, were proposed. A technical path was opened up through aesthetics, cultural concepts and engineering realization of landscape bridges. A new idea of structural design with deconstraction-reconstruction as the core was proposed, which solved the structural shaping problem of complex special-shaped bridges in 3D-space. Through the application of Five-Ice-Ring Bridge project for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, although the comprehensive steel consumption was increased by about 11% compared with similar conventional bridges, the design goal of creating an cultural icon was achieved in the landscape design with huge amount of social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The reopening of the border hotline between North and South Korea started the process for a unified nation marching in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics. The event was described as the 'Peace Games', highlighting the intersection of sport and politics on a global stage. This article examines the representations in media reporting of North Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics in six regionally and internationally significant nations. There were 660 online articles from six English-language news websites from North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, the US, and UK dealing with North Korea's return to the global sporting arena. The results provide an understanding of the different narratives applied when reporting on North Korea in sporting contexts, which in this sample also include broader political elements. In this example, even though North Korea's participation in the Winter Olympics was part of a major sporting event, the importance of political concerns and issues was greater compared with sporting achievements in newsmedia representations of the 2018 Winter Olympics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frame analysis of Olympics-related news is quite popular, yet few studies do comparative studies of two Olympics hosted by ideologically similar countries. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examined the similarities and differences of an American news agency CNN’s (Cable News Networks) coverages in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Under the theoretical framework of framing theory, a content analysis (N = 200) of news stories was conducted. The following four frames were measured: (a) sports frame, (b) human-interest frame. (c) morality frame, (d) political frame. Findings revealed that sports frame was mentioned the most frequently in both Olympics. Furthermore, Russia got more coverage in the human-interest frame and morality frame, while China got more publications in the political frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Winter Olympics have been held since 1924, and each time host countries spend billions on organization, so it is important for them to know if this pays off in the future. This paper examines whether hosting the Winter Olympic Games yields long-term economic benefits. To achieve this, the difference-in-difference model for relative changes in Gross Domestic Product per capita was estimated. A difference-in-difference estimator examines post-Olympic impacts for host countries between 1972 and 2014. Regression results provide no additional long term impacts of hosting the Winter Olympics on GDP per capita.