Fireworks light up the sky over the National Stadium during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images
The Beijing Games came to a close Sunday with a ceremony at the Beijing National Stadium.
Why it matters: These were the second Olympic games to take place during the pandemic and were conducted within the confines of China's "closed loop" system designed to keep COVID out, the strictest-ever protocols created for a global sporting event.
- Dwindling case numbers as the Games went on indicate that the "closed loop" largely worked, though the strict procedures posed difficulties for some athletes competing, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
In photos
