IOC president Thomas Bach thanks Chinese people for warm welcome

Thomas Bach, IOC President makes a speech during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04 in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach uses his official speech to thank the Chinese people for welcoming the Winter Olympics so warmly.

Bach's messages go down well with the crowd who cheer enthusiastically.

The 68-year-old also addressed the Covid-19 pandemic and thanked scientists for going "above and beyond" to make the Games possible.

The IOC has come under fierce criticism in regards to China's human rights record and Bach told the stadium, and the millions around the world watching, that the Olympics stood for a world with "no discrimination whatsoever" and urged people to "give peace a chance."