In many ways, the 2022 bid, which he helped write, was more a signal that Beijing hoped to host again in the future. But when Oslo pulled out of the running in 2014, Beijing wound up with its second Olympics in two decades. These Games feel like a gift for many in China, and the government is using the opportunity to get 300 million people to take up winter sports. Then, suddenly, an American model who also happens to be the world’s best female freestyle skier announced she would compete for China, bringing the possibility of three gold medals herself. Many, Ruffolo said, are moved.
