Online Reporter
BEIJING. —The IOC president Kirsty Coventry published an opinion piece entitled “Beijing’s Olympic Journey: The Games That Keep Giving” last week in China Daily.
It highlights the Asian giant’s “exceptional experience” since those Games were held.
Twenty-five years after Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games, Coventry said the city’s successful bids for both the Games and the 2022 Winter Olympics marked the beginning of an extraordinary Olympic journey for China.
Coventry described Beijing 2008 as one of the defining moments of her athletic career.
She won one gold medal and three silvers in swimming.
“I will always remember the atmosphere of those Games: the energy of the city, the pride of the people, the colour and creativity of the opening ceremony, and the feeling that the whole world had gathered in one place,” she wrote.
Coventry highlighted a vision oriented toward a heritage that would stand the test of time, as “the true legacy of an Olympic Games never lies solely in what remains after the flame goes out, but in what the Games make possible afterwards.“Can more young people discover sport? Can more communities become more active? Can athletes train and compete in better conditions? Can a city be better prepared for the future?”
Through this succession of questions, the IOC leader seeks to guide how every Olympic venue should behave and interrogate its own purpose from the outset: “to ensure that the Games deliver more for local communities while reducing their environmental impact.
“Beijing is an example of what this can look like.”
The Olympic Games of 18 years ago did not merely leave behind Olympic venues; according to Coventry, they also helped accelerate the city’s transformation, with investment in transport, public spaces and other infrastructure that continues to benefit residents today.
She also underlines how they helped drive a significant increase in sports participation, fostering a broader sporting culture in China, where more people can move, play and practise sport.
“More than 350 million people in China were introduced to winter sports, turning Yanqing and Zhangjiakou into key sporting centres for the public and athletes,” she said.
“During my most recent visit to China, I was able to see that legacy in action,” she stressed, referring to her recent visit during the 2025 National Games in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.“This matters because sport is much more than competition. It brings people together. “It helps young people develop confidence and learn important values. It promotes healthier communities. It creates a sense of belonging. And it offers hope and ambition.
“The best Olympic legacy is not simply what is left behind when the Games end. It is what carries on: in people’s lives, in communities and in the generations still to come.
“In an increasingly divided world, the Olympic spirit takes on even greater importance.”—insidethegames.biz
