Back in July, the International Olympic Committee announced a change to the Olympic motto, adding the word “Together” to its 125-year-old “Faster, Higher, Stronger” banner. It was meant to signify the importance of standing in solidarity. But as Beijing readies itself to host this year’s Winter Olympics, its focus is on keeping people apart.
Landing in Beijing right now is like entering a fortress. At the Capital International Airport – the only port of entry for athletes, Games personnel, and media – Olympic participants will be kept apart from the general population. A high wall snakes throughout the terminal designated to handle Olympic traffic, guaranteeing separation from the moment participants arrive until they depart for home.
Outside, participants enter the “Closed Loop System”, a series of bubbles, connected by shuttles that will whisk them between approved hotels and venues and the Olympic village.
Those travelling to mountain venues outside Beijing will do so via high-speed trains and pristine highways, freshly built for this giant, complex event. The…
