If you’ve been keeping up with the 2022 Winter Olympics, you might have spotted the industrial-looking towers next to the Big Air Shougang Olympic Park. While several social media users have claimed that this year’s Olympians are competing next to a nuclear power plant, that’s not actually the case. Here’s how we fact-checked it.
I’m at the nuclear power plant. I’m at the Olympic ski jump. I’m at the combination nuclear power plant Olympic ski jump. pic.twitter.com/SrFRlf958f
— Meg Hunter-Kilmer (@MegHunterKilmer) February 8, 2022
Try a reverse image search
When it comes to fact-checking viral images, a good place to start is with a reverse Google image search. This can be a great way to determine if a photo has been digitally altered, if it’s outdated or used in the correct context. Uploading the image to Google Images brought up several articles with similar images, including articles from CNN, USA Today and The Associated Press.
What are multiple sources saying?
According to USA Today, skiers aren’t competing next to a nuclear power plant. The venue was built on the site of a now-closed steel mill, and the towers viewers pointed out were originally cooling towers. The article goes on to say that the venue hosting the freestyle skiing big air competitions is located in the Shougang Industrial Park in downtown Beijing, which has been renovated to become a hub for tourists.
According to The Associated Press, the steel mill closed in 2008 ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics “to clean up its image, as well as its air.” Now, the old mill is home to the “world’s first permanent, city-based big air facility.”
Our Rating
Not Legit. The Big Air Shougang venue is on the site of an old steel mill, which closed in 2008 — not a nuclear power plant.
