Getty The Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be hosted at the Beijing National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest.
Athletes from 91 countries have descended upon Beijing, China for the XXIV Olympic Winter Games. The global sporting event will kick off with its Opening Ceremony on February 4, 2022, in the Beijing National Stadium.
After weeks of figure and speed skating, skiing, bobsledding, ice hockey, curling and more, the games will conclude with its Closing Ceremony on February 20, 2022. Here is what you need to know about the farewell to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games:
XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES’ CLOSING CEREMONY DESCRIPTION: “After two weeks of competition, Beijing 2022 will come to an end with the Closing Ceremony (which will also take place at the Bird’s Nest), at which point the Olympic flag will be passed on to the Mayors of the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina-D’Ampezzo, the hosts of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games,” according to the description for the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Olympics.com.
XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES’ CLOSING CEREMONY DATE: The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China will reach its conclusion with its Closing Ceremony on February 20, 2022.
XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES’ CLOSING CEREMONY TIME: According to The Washington Post, China is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone. As a result, the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will broadcast live at 7 a.m. Eastern time, per the NBCOlympics.com schedule.
As with the Opening Ceremony, the event will be shown in an enhanced primetime presentation at 8 p.m. Eastern time. It will be reaired again at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time.
XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES’ CLOSING CEREMONY SCHEDULE: In between the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games’ three broadcasts, NBC will air additional Olympics coverage. Based on the NBCOlympics.com schedule, those events are as follows:
- 7 a.m. Eastern time: “Closing Ceremony Live from Beijing”
- 11 a.m. Eastern time on Peacock: The “Winter Gold Daily Olympic Recap” will “Recap the day that was and preview the day to come at the 2022 Winter Olympics with highlights, interviews and features,” according to NBCOlympics.com
- 2 p.m. Eastern time: “Cross Country & More, Women’s 30 km” will provide “Coverage of the women’s 30km race in Cross-Country Skiing and the top Olympic Figure Skaters showcase their skills during the gala,” according to NBCOlympics.com
- 7 p.m. Eastern time: The “Beijing Gold Defining Moments” is “A one-hour special looking back at the defining moments of the 2022 Winter Olympics,” according to NBCOlympics.com
- 8 p.m. Eastern time: “Closing Ceremony Winter Olympics”
- 11:35 p.m. Eastern time: “Closing Ceremony (re-air) Winter Olympics”
XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES’ CLOSING CEREMONY CHANNEL & STREAMING SERVICES: The Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will air on NBC. The network is the Olympics’ official broadcast partner.
The ceremony can be simultaneously streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.
XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES’ CLOSING CEREMONY VENUE: The Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be held at Beijing’s National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest.
China broke ground on the venue in 2003 in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics also in Beijing, reported Reuters. It was used for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of those games. While NBC Sports notes that it was used for Track and Field events at the time, as well as the men’s 2009 gold medal soccer game, it will not host any sporting events this year.
HOST OF THE XXV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES: Italy will host the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The International Olympic Committee accepted a joint bid from Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, NPR reported in 2019.
The country previously hosted the 1956 Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin.
“We can look forward to outstanding and sustainable Olympic Winter Games in a traditional winter sports country. The passion and knowledge of Italian fans, together with experienced venue operators, will create the perfect atmosphere for the best athletes in the world,” the outlet quoted IOC President Thomas Bach.
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