Turkish athletes' wonderful glimpses of Beijing Winter Olympics feast fans' eyes

ISTANBUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkish athletes in the Beijing Winter Olympics have been posting numerous photos and videos on their social media accounts, feasting the eyes of their fans on their wonderful experiences in the Chinese capital.

Having about 50,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram, Turkish ski jumper Fatih Arda Ipcioglu told Xinhua that he has kept his fans updated as many of them are eager to learn more about the Olympic Games, the atmosphere, and high-tech gadgets and features.

"They are all curious about what it's like, and they are very impressed by the posts I share. I receive a lot of feedback," the 24-year-old said, adding he has been trying to answer floods of questions under his posts.

Entertainment facilities in the Olympic Village, what Ipcioglu called "fun zone," captured the most attention.

"It's a place where the athletes go and play with the high-tech toys, having a roller-coaster experience, diving, and going to space by wearing VR glasses," he said.

His fans also marvelled at a robotic disinfection tool in the cafeteria, the Turkish athlete added.

A total of 678 dishes have been offered in a rotation with some featuring special options for the Chinese New Year, according to the operation team for Beijing Olympic Village.

Turkish alpine skier Ozlem Carikcioglu, 28, said the Chinese people working in the Olympic Village are "extremely hardworking, helpful, and polite."

A sneeze guard has been installed on each table of the athletes' cafeteria to shield against any droplets during dining, and the waiters and waitresses would spray the place to reduce the last bit of chance of infections.

"They never miss it. And when you drop something on the ground, they come and pick it up immediately before you do," she told Xinhua in an interview.

Ipcioglu also spoke highly of the COVID-19 preventive measures. "The safest place (in the world in terms of the pandemic) is China, thanks to the incredible measures," he said.

These athletes' photos posted on Friday night from Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium on the Olympics' opening ceremony also created a big hit with their fans.

Turkey's short-track speed skater Furkan Akar shared a photo of him with the Turkish flag on Twitter before the Turkish team started parade for the opening ceremony.

"Our flag will be gloriously fluttered," said Akar, who carried the flag together with cross-country skier Aysenur Duman during the parade.

Carikcioglu posted group shots on her Instagram of her being with the athletes of different nationalities, under the hashtag #strongertogether.

Turkey has sent seven athletes to compete in short-track speed skating, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and ski jumping in the Beijing Winter Olympics that run from Feb. 2 to 20.