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Home News FISU Acting President takes part in prestigious event leading up to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

FISU Acting President takes part in prestigious event leading up to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

FISU 23 November 2021

At the invitation of His Excellency, Ambassador WANG Shihting, many guests from politics, business and sport met at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland to get in the spirit of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Included at this event was FISU, represented by Acting President, Leonz Eder. At the event, Ambassador Wang emphasised the many similarities between Switzerland as a traditional winter sports country with a great medal record at the Winter Olympics, and the People’s Republic of China as an emerging winter sports nation. The Director General of the Internatinoal Olympic Committee (IOC), Christophe de Kepper, conveyed the greetings of IOC President Thomas Bach and wished the organisers in Beijing a good final sprint in the last preparations for the Winter Olympic Games. He also wished team Switzerland and their athletes the best of luck for their competitions. In his speech, the President of Swiss Olympic, Jürg Stahl, expressed that the Winter Olympic Games, despite Covid 19 restrictions, would be a great attraction for the athletes and that very well organised, exciting and attractive competitions could be expected.

 

In a panel session titled “Beijing Winter Olympics in my eyes” held during the event, Olympic downhill ski champion and piste builder Bernhard Russi and FISU Acting President, Leonz Eder, expressed their expectations of the Olympic Games in Beijing. Eder emphasised the pioneering role of the FISU, which had entrusted the People’s Republic of China and the Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC) with ground-breaking tasks through the organisation of the Beijing 2001 Summer Universiade and the Harbin 2009 Winter Universiade. These events had a direct impact on the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and the upcoming Winter Olympic Games also in Beijing.

 

The event was also accompanied by performances from Ang Yi Rui and Ang Yi Wang, playing traditional Chinese instrumental music, while the Alphorn Academy of Switzerland captivated the audience with Swiss folklore. Mélodie Zhao also gave a brilliant solo guest performance on the piano before the music video for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, made by Swiss and Swiss Chinese artists, was launched in the presence of high political representatives of the People’s Republic of China in Switzerland, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations (Geneva office) and President of Swiss Olympic, Jürg Stahl.

 

s janmohamed byline