No international spectators allowed at Beijing 2022 Olympics

Great Wall of China. Photo: Julien Mercier

BEIJING, China — The International Olympic Committee (IOC), on Wednesday, announced that in conjunction with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), only spectators who are residing in China’s mainland will be allowed to purchase tickets in an effort to “help deliver safe and successful” Games.

This news comes as a letdown to many potential spectators who reside in Park City. Athletes who live work and train in Park City will undoubtedly make up a large part of the Games and their friends and especially their families have been hoping, for years, to have the chance to cheer them on in the stands at an Olympics or a Paralympics.

The Tokyo 2020 Games set the precedent in global spectatorship restrictions due to the pandemic to which the Beijing 2022 Olympic Committee has now also succumb. 

In a statement, the IOC said, “All parties feel for the athletes and the spectators from around the world, knowing that the restriction on spectators from outside mainland China had to be put in place in order to ensure the safe holding of the Games this winter.”

Furthermore, these tough travel protocols also apply to the multiple Park City qualified contributors to Olympic and Paralympic, officiating, production, and worldwide broadcast and print distribution as ” all activities are being assessed and optimized to focus on essential aspects of Games delivery. Stakeholders will apply this principle for their plans and delegation composition. In line with this principle, the IOC Executive Board decided to cancel the accompanying guest category for all stakeholders.” 

Procedures will be put in place to administer daily COVID testing for all national and international participants and the workforce.

Athletes and participants will need to be fully vaccinated to enter China for the Games or else serve a 21-day quarantine. 

The Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Committee had already, over the past several months, uninvited international personnel who were slated to assist in the planning and execution of its mandatory world cup competitions commonly called ‘test events’.