Q2: Austria has successfully held two Winter Olympic Games and one Youth Winter Olympics. What are your expectations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games?

A2: We hope the Austrian team will be as successful as in Pyeongchang or Sochi, with Austria among the top 10 nations in the medal table. A medal total of 14 to 17 seems realistic according to the results of the past weeks and months. But at the end the number of medals is not the most important thing, enjoying sports together with athletes from around the world according to the Olympic spirit should prevail.

The sports venues in Beijing and Zhangjiakou are meeting the highest international standards and despite severe restrictions in place due to the pandemic I believe China is well-prepared to host exciting and successful Olympic Winter Games.