The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics proved golden for host nation China as it bagged 15 medals, including nine gold medals, to break its previous record, while propelling new stars onto the world's sports stage.
Traditionally strong in ice sports, China finally hit the big time on the snowy slopes, with teenage superstar Gu Ailing winning three medals in three freeski events, 17-year-old prodigy Su Yiming nabbing two more in snowboarding and Team China capturing medals in all three aerials competitions.
Gu Ailing of Team China wins the gold medal in the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, February 18, 2022. /CFP
The duo's stunning achievements have further spurred a skiing boom in the world's second-largest economy, where over 300 million Chinese people have already engaged in winter sports since Beijing won the bid to host the Winter Games in 2015.
Norway topped the medals table with 37 medals including 16 golds – the most gold ever won by a single country at one edition of the Olympics. It was followed by Germany and China in an unprecedented third place.
Su Yiming of Team China wins the gold medal in the men's snowboard big air final at the Big Air Shougang in Beijing, China, February 15, 2022. /CFP
New events were added to the Winter Games program – including freeski big air, women's monobob and several mixed team events – and they proved a hit with athletes and fans alike.
A number of sports records were also broken. Sweden's Nils van der Poel and Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands set world records in speed skating 10,000m and short track speed skating 1,000m respectively.
Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 1,000m short-track speed skating final at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China, February 11, 2022. /CFP
In figure skating, Team China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong scored record points in the pairs' short programs on their way to winning gold, while speed skater Ireen Wuest of the Netherlands became the first athlete ever to win individual gold medals at five different Winter Olympics.
One of the biggest stars of the Winter Games meanwhile turned out not to be an athlete at all: Beijing Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda encased in a suit of ice, danced in the stands during competitions and the plush toy version sold like hot cakes in official stores, with people queuing for hours to get their hands on one.
Volunteers greet people during the Lantern Festival at the Beijing 2022 Medals Plaza in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, February 15, 2022. /CFP
The beloved Olympic tradition of exchanging pins also helped foster interactions and cultural exchanges between participants from around the world.
Last but not least, foreign guests had rave reviews for the thousands of friendly and smiling volunteers in blue and white snowsuits – many of them students – who manned bus stops, press centers and competition venues, providing invaluable help to disoriented journalists and athletes and helping to make these Winter Games a success.
(Cover: China's Sui Wenjing (L) and Han Cong celebrate after winning the gold medal in the figure skating pairs skating final at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, February 19, 2022. /CFP)