On February 2, the front page of the “Olympian”, a special edition of the English-language newspaper “China Daily” for these Olympic Games, reads: “Golden Vision: How President Xi's leadership is delivering 'fantastic, extraordinary, and excellent' Winter Games.” That's how it is in the Chinese dictatorship: The state media announces "fantastic, extraordinary and excellent" winter games because of the leadership of the head of state and party leader Xi Jinping - two days before these winter games are even opened.

Christopher Becker

sports editor.

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Christopher Meltzer

Sports correspondent in Munich.

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Now, two weeks later, the Beijing Olympics are almost over.

On the front pages of the "Olympian" you could see athletes in action every day.

These are the images and stories that the Chinese organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are spreading in China and around the world.

But what about the pictures and stories that you won't find in the "Olympian"?

What about the moments that reveal a lot about these games in China?

Observations from the three Olympic zones.

Two realities

Beijing.

Every day, until the brilliant conclusion on Thursday, the spokespersons for the Olympic organizers meet at eleven in the morning in the main press center.

Then there are Mark Adams from the IOC and the spokesperson for the Chinese organizing committee BOCOG, Yan Jiarong or Zhao Weidong.

Both sides often have guests with them.

The Chinese always switched on Huang Chun, from where actually, the FAZ remains unclear until the end, probably because the reporter wasn't paying attention at first.

Huang Chun is in charge of the Covid measures and has the appearance of a mature man who knows what he is doing.

Often he doesn't get a chance to speak, but at the beginning of each round he waves in a friendly manner and he has "his eyes on the ball", as the Anglo-Saxon says.

Huang Chun never falls asleep, even though sometimes he doesn't say anything for an hour.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Huang Chun too can witness the unfolding of a meeting of cultures that coexist in the cramped confines of an Olympic media center, yet are worlds apart.

The Western and Japanese journalists are interested in Peng Shuai, Uyghurs, athletes isolated because of Covid findings and their provision of food, internet and training equipment, suspected doped Russian figure skaters, canceled award ceremonies, dealing with the Taiwan Olympic Committee, Chinese for the IOC Taipei means China's lack of natural snow and surplus of artificial snow (an issue that will become less important as the Games progress), how Japanese reporters should question Hong Kong athletes about the suppression of freedom of expression,

This list is not exhaustive, but makes it clear what Western and Japanese journalists are less interested in: the Chinese New Year, the Chinese Lantern Festival, sweet rice balls, the influence of calligraphy on the design of Olympic jewelry, traditional Chinese medicine, the number of Beijing Ducks roasted by the "Master Roast Chef" in the Olympic Village, the other very rich and tasty cuisine, statements by Juan Antonio Samaranch junior on the quality of the Olympic Village and the number of Olympic records and the influence of the Chinese competition venues on this value.

All of these topics, which are by no means conclusive, are of great interest to Chinese journalists. In any case, they get detailed answers to the relevant questions, which seem to be well prepared.

Mr. Zhao also appears at times as a connoisseur of anecdotal Olympic history with a soft spot for the 1920s.

of the past century.