2022 Beijing Olympics: Why the big air venue is in the middle of smokestacks and a steel mill
If you've seen the event, you've noticed the venue's ... odd surroundings
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1 min read
It is hard not to notice that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic big air event has a rather unique backdrop. The ski jump was constructed with what is seemingly a nuclear plant and smokestacks in the background, which makes for a weird image.
For those who have not yet seen it, take a look at the scene from Beijing:
According to USA TODAY Sports, the venue is not actually a nuclear facility, but instead a "former industrial park where they used to mill steel."
The New York Times gave more insight on the area, writing, "The venue was constructed at the site of a 100-year-old former steelworks of Shougang Group, which had another connection to the Olympic Games: It was shut down before the 2008 Summer Olympics, because it was a source of the air pollution that once choked the city."
According to the Times, the area will eventually be turned into "a complex of office buildings, cafes and sports facilities."
Many athletes do not seem to have a problem with it and some even like it. Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud said, "It's really cool to have a venue that's accessible. You can come in with your sneakers."
"It's definitely cool being in a stadium vibe. That's not typically a thing," the sole American in the women's final Darian Stevens added.
The backdrop also makes for some pretty cool photos out of the event.
Not everyone watching likes it, however.
Snowboarder Paul O'Brien tweeted, "The very best of our beautiful planet is everywhere in winter sports, and this is where they host the Olympics? ️Not watched anything so far that made me wish I was out on a mountain, and that ain't right."
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