Jubilation in China As Legendary Actor Jackie Chan Carries Olympic Torch Atop Great Wall

Jubilation in China As Legendary Actor Jackie Chan Carries Olympic Torch Atop Great Wall

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:55 PM
  • Jackie Chan remains a movie icon and now, the legend has thrown his weight of support behind the Beijing government
  • The city will host the Winter Games from February 4 to 20 and Jackie Chan was spotted helping to carry the Olympic torch
  • The exercise will hold for three days due to COVID-19 and athletes will engage at the event in temperatures around -11 Celsius (12 Fahrenheit)

Ahead of the Winter Olympic Games scheduled from February 4 to 20 in Beijing, a legendary and comic actor, Jackie Chan, joined other athletes in carrying the torch.

A number of Chinese Olympic medalists were spotted along with Jackie Chan as they took turns carrying the flames along the Great Wall.

Due to COVID-19, the exercise has been shortened to hold for three days as the Winter Games is believed to be much more modest than the globe-spanning relay for Beijing's 2008 Summer Games.

Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan spotted carrying the Olympic torch along the Great Wall of China. Photo: Noel Celis
Source: Getty Images

Reuters reports that Table tennis Olympic gold medallists Ma Long and Wu Jingyu, a two-time gold medallist in taekwondo, were among those carrying the red-and-silver spiral torch along the Badaling section of the Great Wall, where the Thursday morning temperature was a bracing -11 Celsius (12 Fahrenheit).

Jackie Chan loves Beijing

The 67-year Hong Kong action film star Jackie Chan has continued to support the Beijing government as his Chinese name, Chen Gangshen, was identified in the official press statement.

Chan told reporters via Gulf News:

"I woke up at 4 a.m. This is my fourth Olympics. I'm very happy. I'm also cold!"

Badaling, the section of the wall most often visited by tourists, is 70 km (45 miles) northwest of central Beijing in the Yanqing district, near the Olympics sliding and Alpine skiing venues.

It was built around 1500 A.D. during the Ming dynasty.

Who is Nigeria’s sole athlete at Winter Games

Meanwhile, Samuel Ikpefan will be Nigeria’s sole representative at the Winter Olympics as he will be competing in the alpine skiing and cross-country event for the first time.

In 2018, Nigeria made headlines when three female athletes namely Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga qualified in skeleton and bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Four years later, Ikpefan will be the first Nigerian athlete to don the green and white colours in the Alpine and Skiing event in Beijing.

Ghana’s Akwasi Frimpong ruled out of Winter Olympics

Sports Brief earlier reported that Ghanaian athlete Akwasi Frimpong could miss the Winter Olympics after contracting COVID-19 while in Germany where the qualification is ongoing.

Akwasi Frimpong broke the news on his social media handle, revealing how devastated he is as he is set to miss the competition in January.

In a quote on Twitter, Frimpong confirmed he will miss the Winter Olympic Games.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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