One of the Chinese athletes chosen to light the Olympic cauldron and mark the official start of competition on Friday is reportedly of Uyghur heritage, The New York Times reports.
The decision to feature the athlete — Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a cross-country skier — in such a quintessential opening ceremony ritual "confronted head on one of the biggest criticisms of China's role as host," the Times writes.
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The "provocative choice" to feature Yilamujiang aside, the "climactic moment" was also an homage to China's Olympic history in that it featured a man — Zhao Jiawen — and a woman working together, adds the Times.
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