Siblings happy to have volunteered at Beijing Winter Olympics

The conclusion of the recent Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb 20 also marked the end of the volunteering stint of Armenian twin brothers Vahan and Hayk Gehamyan, both of whom are Fudan University undergraduates.

The siblings, who can speak Armenian, Mandarin, English and Russian, served as translators for Team Armenia during the Games and also performed tasks such as being coordinators between delegations and organizers, and offering assistance to athletes.

Despite the hectic work schedule, the brothers enjoyed their time in the Olympic Village.

"We exchanged volunteer badges with people from different backgrounds in the village as a symbolism of international friendship and something to remember in the future," Hayk said.

Vahan and Hayk also made friends with their neighbors in the Olympic Villages — athletes from Finland and Ukraine —  and cheered for these athletes when they were competing.

"It's a great honor to serve as Olympic volunteers. We're impressed by the charm of winter sports, such as the elegance of freestyle skiing and figure skating," Hayk said.

"Moreover, we saw people from across the world living under the same roof. It showed how the Olympic spirit of solidarity shines throughout the games and beyond, which reminds us that people worldwide belong to the same human family," he added.

Upon completion of their quarantine after the Games, the two brothers will be back on Fudan's campus to continue their studies. Due to the pandemic, they have been away from the campus for two years.

Hayk said that the siblings were drawn to China as they wanted to experience the country's fast economic development and culture. "We're glad we made the decision to come here," he said.

Xu Shuwei contributed to this story.