The Olympic flame has been extinguished, bringing down the curtain on the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, but the passion still lingers from the sports gala that has enlivened and inspired the world amid the pandemic. After all 109 medal events had been decided, the closing ceremony was held on Sunday at the National Stadium in Beijing, the first ever city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The Olympic baton now has been passed to the Italian cities Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, which will host the 2026 Winter Games. The 2022 Winter Olympics stands out as it both provided a stage fo…