Extensively trained volunteers ready to serve with a smile
Beijing 2022's well-prepared volunteers are confident of providing professional services and delivering the warmest of welcomes to all participants at the Games.
Some 19,000 volunteers dressed in blue uniforms will be stationed in and around the venues to provide information and translation services, assist people with disabilities and handle any emergencies. Half are specialist volunteers who have professional knowledge, skills and expertise in specific areas.
The performance of volunteers plays a critical role in the operation of world-class sporting events, as well as helping participants from around the world learn more about China. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will be held from Feb 4-20, and the Winter Paralympics from March 4-13.
It has not been easy to make it onto the Games' volunteer team, with more than a million people, including over 2,000 with disabilities, applying for roles. About 95 percent of them were between 18 and 35.
Candidates had to pass a strict selection process and interviews before they could join the team.
In November, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games sent a thank-you letter to those who were unsuccessful in their bid to become the volunteers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought great challenges to many aspects of the preparation work, and the committee adjusted requirements for volunteers in consideration of epidemic control and prevention, the letter said.
"Although you weren't selected as a volunteer for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, every applicant is an excellent promoter of the Olympic spirit and volunteerism," the committee said in the letter.
Among the successful candidates, the youngest is 18 while the eldest is 63. All volunteers were required to attend a series of training courses, including general training, vocational training, venue management training and on-the-job training.
Jiang Yuxin, who will serve at curling venue the Ice Cube in the Beijing competition zone, said he was surprised to see people who worked as volunteers at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics training volunteers for the 2022 Winter Games.
Jiang, a law student from Peking University, trained in venue operations and learned about the sport of curling and how to serve people with disabilities. He took part in test events in October.
"Beijing 2022 will surely make young people feel proud of the country and fall in love with winter sports," Jiang said.
He added he hopes that Beijing 2022 volunteers will impress the world with their enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication.
Dong Jiachen, a volunteer from Peking University who will also serve at the Ice Cube, said volunteer work helps her connect with others and the wider society, giving her an invaluable sense of accomplishment.
"I will try my best to be a Beijing 2022 volunteer and solve problems efficiently and make visitors from home and abroad feel the warmth of China's young people,"Dong said.
Li Wanghua, a Hebei Normal University student, said she signed up immediately when the organizing committee began recruiting volunteers.
"The professionalism and passion of the volunteers at the 2008 Beijing Olympics are deeply imbedded in my memory, although I was only a primary school student back then. It's an honor to have the opportunity to emulate them," she said.
Li, who will serve at the Zhangjiakou competition zone's medal plaza, said the training she received exceeded her expectations. As the competitions in Zhangjiakou are all snow events held outdoors, volunteers like Li received cold-resistance training to prepare them for working long hours in the chilly weather, the 23-year-old explained.
"Volunteers are irreplaceable links to ensure the smooth running of the Games. It has become clearer than ever for me that we will have to shoulder great responsibilities," Li added.
Zhang Lina, deputy head of the volunteer department of the organizing committee, said young volunteers are facing unprecedented challenges.
"They have to learn how to cope with the stress caused by epidemic control measures and working in cold weather. Those conditions are even new to the organizers," she said.
All volunteers are required to enter the closed-loop management system, where they will only be able to move between Games venues on dedicated transport.
Zhang said the volunteers' jobs can at times seem trivial and repetitive, so she hopes they can learn to perform under pressure.
"Attention to detail is also important for volunteers because they will directly serve foreign athletes, reporters and guests," she said. "What's more, they can help the world better understand China."
Nicknamed the "Flying Spectacles", sprinter Hu Kai, who competed in the 100m and 4x100m relay for China's national team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has been working at the general office of the Beijing 2022 volunteer department.
"Without a doubt, the passionate volunteers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics impressed the world. They became the best representatives of the Chinese people who wanted the world to see a modern China," Hu said.