Back in July last year, the International Olympic Committee announced a change to the Olympic motto, adding the word "Together" to its old 125-year-old "Faster, Higher, Stronger" banner. It was meant to signify the importance of standing together 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 permitted for athletes, Games personnel, and media -- all Olympic participants will be kept totally apart from the general population. Once outside the airport, Olympic participants will enter what organisers are calling the "Closed Loop System", which is not so much a bubble as a series of bubbles, connected by dedicated shuttles. These vehicles will whisk them between approved hotels and venues, as well as to the Olympic village, all accessible only to credentialed participants.
