The Olympic flame was lit in the brazier overlooking the “Bird's Nest” stadium, the “Bird's Nest” in Beijing, officially kicking off the competitions of the 2022 Winter Games.
Two athletes, including an Uyghur, Diniger Ylamuijang, were the last of the 1200 torchbearers who carried the torch in the last three days in the areas involved in the Olympics.
21-year-old athlete Diniger Yilamujiang is part of the Chinese cross-country team and will compete in this edition of the winter games. She was born in the Xinjiang region and is part of the Uyghur ethnic group, Turkic speakers of Islamic religion subjected to a severe regime of control by Beijing. The issue of the repression of minorities was decisive in inducing the US and other countries to diplomatically boycott the Games.
Great emotion for the Italian athletes who paraded as the 90th delegation, the penultimate to enter the stadium. The Azzurri were led by Michela Moioli, reigning Olympic champion in snowboardcross and nominated standard-bearer - she would have been at the closing ceremony - in place of the injured Sofia Goggia, expected in China in the coming days.
Together with the Lombard, about 50 Italians paraded representing curling, figure skating, alpine skiing, short track, skeleton, snowboard and speed skating, and 6 officials, led by the head of mission and secretary general of Coni, Carlo Mornati. Each athlete paraded wearing a tricolor cape, superimposed on the classic podium uniform, designed by Giorgio Armani as a tribute to the flag.
Italy was the penultimate to parade, before the host of China, since it will be the nation that will organize, with Milan Cortina 2026, the next Winter Games.
(Unioneonline / vl)
