Podiums keep athletes safe

"Mascots and bouquets will continue to be awarded to athletes during victory ceremonies after each of the final sessions at the Games as usual, while medals for events taking place in Beijing's downtown area and the Zhangjiakou zone will be presented at designated medal plazas, respectively," said Gao Tian, deputy director of Beijing 2022's culture and ceremonies department.

As is Winter Olympic tradition, medal winners usually attend two ceremonies-a victory ceremony at the competition venues right after the finals to receive souvenirs and bouquets, and another one later on the same evening or the next day where they will be awarded the bronze, silver and gold medals on an open-air stage, called the Medal Plaza, cheered on by fans on-site.

Cultural performances and live music are usually played prior to the medal ceremonies to warm up the crowd.

At Beijing 2022, organizers have set up two medal plazas-one in between the iconic Bird's Nest and Water Cube at the Olympic Park in the downtown for all the ice sports and another in Chongli district of Zhangjiakou for the majority of snow events.