Q: The Winter Olympics is taking place as the world still grapples with a dangerous pandemic that has closed off international travel for most people. Do you think that gives them a special significance?

Q: Covering the Olympics as a journalist must be very different from competing at the games. Are you enjoying your new role or do you miss the excitement of competing as an athlete?

Q: You won medals at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012. These were both hailed as outward-looking sporting events celebrating friendly international competition and co-operation. Do you think that has changed in the last 10 years?

Q: There have been calls from the United States and some of its allies, including Britain, for a “diplomatic boycott” of the Olympics because of allegations Washington makes about China’s policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Do you think the US has any grounds for its stance on the Winter Games or do you see it as part of the wider hostility to China termed the “new cold war?”

Q: What do you make of this diplomatic boycott — has it affected the mood in China, or among athletes competing? As a journalist covering the event, how do you think it is perceived internationally beyond the West?

Q: Are these games proving a success for China in terms of its international reach and ties to other countries in your view?