Farewell to Beijing

Day 17: Wrapping up the 2022 Winter Olympics

Feb 20, 2022

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will most likely be remembered for a Russian Figure Skating drug scandal, the IOC’s silence in the face of China’s Uyghur genocide, and the Western diplomatic boycott. All of these provide important context to the Games. But…

At their core, the Olympics are about the power and beauty of sport, and the 2,900 athletes who trained for years in the pursuit of Gold. So it is in that spirit and in their honor that our Olympics Wrap-Up is about the records set and achievements in Beijing.

Career Olympic Records

Speed Skater Ireen Wüst of the Netherlands cemented her status as an Olympic Legend. This year she became the first athlete - Winter or Summer - to win an individual Gold Medal at five different Olympics (2006, 10, 14, 18, 22). She also holds the career records for Speed Skating gold (6) and total medals (13), and she is the most decorated Dutch Olympian of all time. Incredibly, she is also both the youngest Dutch Olympic gold medalist, and the oldest speed skating gold medalist in history.

American Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won Silver in Monobob and Bronze in 2-woman, bringing her career total to five medals. That makes her the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history and the most decorated female Bobsledder ever.

*Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images*

Beijing 2022 Achievements

Age is just a number. German Speed Skater Claudia Pechstein became the oldest Winter Olympian ever. She turns 50 on Tuesday. She’s also the only women to compete in EIGHT Olympic Games.

New is good. In the seven new Olympic events, Team USA won three Gold Medals, plus another two Silvers.

All they see is Gold. Norway extended its own record for most Gold Medals at a single Winter Olympics with 16. That’s almost 15% of all golds in Beijing.