The Beijing Winter Olympics end today. The athletes should be commended for their energetic performances in a difficult environment, in which measures against infection were still in place. At the same time, however, they also were an event in which mismanagement and confusing decisions left an unpleasant aftertaste.
Japan's athletes earned a record number of medals, far exceeding the nation's 13 medals claimed at the previous Pyeongchang Games.
Miho Takagi nabbed one gold and three silvers in women's speed skating events. Her career total of seven medals, including those earned at the previous Games, is a remarkable feat that will go down in Olympic history. She invigorated Japan together with Ryoyu Kobayashi, who took gold and silver in individual men's ski jumping events.
