Sports
| Jan 3, 2022

Cultural heritage on full display for Beijing 2022 Olympic, Paralympic Winter Games’ medals design

/ Our Today

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Reading Time: 5 minutes
The front designs of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 medals. (Photo contributed)

On October 26, 2020, the medals for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 were unveiled at the “Together for a Shared Future – 100 Days To Go” countdown ceremony for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Medals are an important part of the design elements of the Winter Olympic Games. The medals’ design not only reflects the culture and spirit of the host country, but also encapsulates the innovative ideas and inspiring creativity of the artists.

The medals for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 are composed of five concentric rings and a centre. The design is based on the Chinese ancient jade concentric circle pendants.

The five concentric rings signify the Chinese cultural connotation of “the unity of heaven and earth and the unity of people’s hearts”, and represent the Olympic Spirit bringing people together and the splendour of the Olympic Winter Games being shared all over the world.

The shape of the medals is simple and classic, which mirrors the Beijing 2022 Games principles of “streamlined, safe and splendid”, echoing the jade-inlaid medals of the Summer Games in 2008 as well as showcasing Beijing as the first “Dual Olympic City” to host both summer and winter Games.

The five Olympic rings are engraved in the centre of the front of the medals, and the words “XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022” are engraved around it. The rings are concave, which echoes the traditional jade pendant design. The shallow carved designs on the rings are all based on traditional Chinese patterns. The ice and snow patterns illustrate the characteristics of the Winter Olympic Games, and the cloud patterns convey auspiciousness.

The emblem of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is engraved in the centre of the back of the medals, and the full Chinese name of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 (北京2022年第24届冬季奥林匹克运动会) is engraved around it. There are 24 points engraved on the rings, similar to an ancient astronomical map, which symbolise the vast starry sky, the harmony between humans and nature, and the stars like athletes’ brilliant achievements at the 24th Olympic Winter Games. The name of the medal event will be engraved on the outermost ring on the back of the medal.

The medal ribbon is woven utilising the traditional mulberry silk method. The ice and snow pattern is printed with the emblem of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the visual identity of the Games, the words “Beijing 2022” and other elements. The red ribbon reflects the cultural characteristics of the Chinese Spring Festival and extends the festival’s warm wishes to the athletes.

The medal box is made of lacquer and bamboo, highlighting the characteristics of Chinese culture and following the “Green Olympics” sustainability initiative.

Based on the principle that the two Winter Games are equally wonderful, the medals of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are inspired by the same concept and use the same design. The centre of the front of the medals is engraved with the logo of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and surrounded by the words “Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022” in English in engraved letters and Braille beads.

The emblem of the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is engraved in the centre on the back of the medals, and the full Chinese name for the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is engraved around it. There are 13 points engraved on the rings. The name of the medal event will be engraved on the outermost ring on the back of the medal.

The Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 medal ribbon and medal box also follow the design of the Olympic Winter Games ribbon and box.

The front of the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 medals. (Photo contributed)

Gao Tian, deputy Director-General of the Beijing 2022 Culture and Ceremonies Department, said that for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, medals are unique design elements mirroring the cultural characteristics of the host countries. The Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games medals are named “Tong Xin”, meaning ‘together as one”. On the one hand, the name is related to the inspiration for the design of the medals, which comes from the

ancient Chinese jade concentric circle pendants. For the medals, there are five concentric rings.

On the other hand, “Tong Xin” also signifies the Chinese cultural connotation of “the unity of heaven and earth and the unity of people’s hearts”. It symbolises the Olympic Spirit of bringing people together from all over the world to participate in and share the splendour of the Winter Games.

Gao Tian said that it is meaningful to release the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games medals at the ceremony for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 100 Days to Go countdown because it signifies that the preparations for the Winter Games are about to complete.

As one of the most important design elements of the Winter Games, medals promote the Olympic Spirit and symbolise the glory of athletes. It is the most glorious moment of the Games for an athlete to be awarded a medal.

Beijing 2022 unveils the design of the medals for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games on October 26, 2021, exactly 100 days before the Games begins. (Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games)

The medal design’s unveiling at this important milestone also indicates that Beijing 2022 is ready to welcome athletes from around the world to Beijing and Zhangjiakou to display their indomitable spirit and compete for the glory of their country.

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