Major sporting occasion, massive display of national accomplishments, or opportunity for China to showcase the success of its zero-Covid approach, the Beijing Winter Olympics officially begins on Friday as an amalgamation of all three. The opening ceremony at the Bird’s Nest in front of a small audience also presents China’s President Xi Jinping with an opportunity to burnish his own image at home and abroad, said analysts, but that could be easier said than done, despite his determination to deliver a “streamlined, safe and splendid Games” . Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said on Thursday the Beijing Olympics would “change the scale of winter sports forever”, but he has had to repeatedly defend his organisation’s decision to make the Chinese capital the first city to host both a summer and winter Games. And this year’s Olympics were already taking place against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic before the international tensions between China, the US, and others spilled over into the sporting arena. There were 55 new Covid-19 infections among Olympic Games-related personnel on Wednesday, 29 of which were detected at the airport, with the rest among those in the “closed loop” bubble that separates all event personnel from the public. Since January 23, there have been 287 positive tests among Games-related personnel from a total of 610,000 tests. China’s strict pandemic control measures, which lie in stark contrast to those in force at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, were always likely to be a feature of the Games, and infections among athletes and officials have already disrupted some plans. Hong Kong skier Audrey King was only allowed out of quarantine on Thursday, after testing positive on arrival in the Chinese capital five days earlier. Fellow skier Adrian Yung was deemed a close contact, leaving short-track speed skater Sidney Chu as the city’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. That some of those cases are already inside the “closed loop” highlight the difficulty China has had in what is already a tightly controlled environment. Still, in addressing the 139th International Olympic Committee Session on Thursday, Xi said the eyes of the world were turning to China “and China is ready”. Bach stressed the politically neutral nature of the Games, and said that in the two years leading up to the Games he had seen “the dark clouds of the growing politicisation of sport on the horizon”. But no matter what Bach, China and others may say there is no separating the two in Beijing. Qi Fabao, a regiment commander for the People’s Liberation Army who was involved in the deadly skirmishes with Indian soldiers last year, was chosen to run a leg of the torch relay in the Chinese capital, and protests against China’s hosting of the Games are planned for Washington, New York and London. Then there are the more than 30 heads of state and world leaders who have opted to attend, including Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg who was the first foreign dignitary to arrive in Beijing on Monday, followed by Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso and Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni who both arrived in Beijing on Thursday. IOC president to meet Peng Shuai in Beijing Olympics ‘closed loop’ With prime ministers and presidents from the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and others staying away, Russian leader Vladimir Putin heads a smaller turnout of leaders mainly from developing countries on friendly terms with China. Putin’s presence means the spotlight will be on the friendship between the Russian leader and Xi, which has the added dimension of coming against the backdrop of the continuing tension in the Ukraine. Locally, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said this week she was skipping the opening ceremony to supervise the city’s fight against Covid-19, but her Macau counterpart, Ho lat-seng, will be in Beijing. Observers said while the West’s absence highlighted the tough geopolitical challenges facing China, Xi was expected to ride on the momentum of the Winter Olympics to push forward his development agenda for northern China and prepare the country for a gradual opening up when the Covid-19 pandemic retreats. According to China, it has encouraged some 300 million to take up a winter sport, which the IOC has been quick to promote as a legacy of the Games. But success for China is not limited to what happens politically, the country’s athletes are tipped to have their best Games ever, with analysts suggesting the team could win six golds and 13 medals overall. In Eileen Gu, the American-born freestyle skier who has opted to represent China, the host nation has a true global star to call its own who transcends her sport and could win as many as three events. The sporting arena may not escape the political one, though, as human rights activists say several athletes could boycott the opening ceremony, although they are unlikely to express any views publicly. China has already warned that it may punish “any behaviour or speeches that are against the Olympic spirit, and especially against Chinese laws”.