Winter Olympics closing ceremony LIVE: Team GB women win first gold medal in curling as Beijing Games end

Despite a gold for the women’s curling team at the National Aquatics Centre on Sunday morning, and the silver earned by the men in the same event on Saturday, Team Gb have ultimately fallen short of their medal target out in Beijing.

The failure to meet its broad medals target in Beijing is sure to raise some serious questions relating to support and funding in the weeks and months ahead. UK Sport set a target of three to seven medals in Beijing and Team GB delivered only those two in curling.

You can read the full breakdown and analysis of what went wrong here:

A Russian figure skater threatened to dazzle before a shocking truth emerged, a Rocket Man also ruled the ice, and a final-day surge ensured the last weekend was all about Eve.

You can read our rundown of the five biggest moments from the Beijing Winter Olympic Games here:

It is important to remember, of course, that we are only a matter of days away from the Paralympic Winter Games beginning in Beijing.

The Paralympics begin on Friday 4 March and will run until Sunday 13 March.

Milan Cortina will be the host of the next edition of the Winter Olympic Games.

The event will kick off on Friday 6 February 2026, in the Dolomite mountain range.

That will be the fourth time Italy has hosted an Olympic Games, and the first since Turin held the Winter version in 2006.

Another choir of Chinese children is singing once again, as the snowflake symbol which has hung in the arena since the beginning of the ceremony is lowered to the ground.

At the same time, the Olympic flame is extinguished, bringing to a close a Games which has seen a fortnight of excellent sporting action hampered by political tensions and diplomatic crises.

It has been a busy 19 days.

Thomas Bach ends his speech by thanking the Chinese for hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, and declared the Games closed.

“We must thank our gracious Chinese hosts,” he says. “With the great success of the Chinese athletes, the positive legacy of these Games is ensured. We welcome China as a winter sports country.”

“Now I have to mark the end of this unforgettable Winter Olympic experience. I declares these Games closed.”

Bach also discussed the athletes whose careers have been halted by Covid-19 in his speeech, sayign he is “heartbroken” that they cannot be in the arena with their fellow competitors.

“We call on the international community to give equal access to vaccines to everyone around the world.”

This is an uncharacteristically political speech so far.

IOC President Thomas Bach is addressing the crowd now, and says the spirit of the athletes in the arena is a lesson to politicians around the world.

“You embraced each other even if your countries are divided by conflict,” the German says. “You overcame these divisions, demonstrating that in this Olympic community we are all equal. Regardless of what we look like, where we come from or what we believe in.

“This unifying power of this Olympic Games is stronger than the forces that want to divide us,” he adds. “You give peace a chance. May the political leaders around the world be inspired by your example of solidarity and peace.”

The Italians take control of the ceremony briefly now as a montage of boats in Venice and jets flying around the Dolomites signals their hosting of the 2026 Games.

Milan and Cortina will be the venue for the next Winter Olympics in 2026.

President of the Beijing Organising Committee Cai Qi and International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach will now give a speech each.

Two children are now rolling a giant, hand-made Earth across the floor of the arena, the ball cracking the augmented reality ‘ice’ as it goes.

This is apparently a statement on the fragile nature of the environment and the dangers of clime change.

A worthy message, though perhaps not one the hosts have yet to get fully on board with themselves.