Yang Yang, chairman of the Athletes' Commission of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) attends a press conference at the Main Media Center on Feb. 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)
China's fulfillment of engaging 300 million people in winter sports will benefit the world, says China's first Winter Olympic gold medalist Yang Yang.
BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- By hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics, China has not only achieved its commitment of engaging 300 million people in ice and snow sports, but also provided new opportunities for the development of ice and snow sports in the world, said Yang Yang, vice president of World Anti-Doping Agency.
Yang, also chairman of the Athletes' Commission of Beijing 2022, believes that the participation of 300 million people in winter sports will not only benefit China, but also the world. "Globally, there are new opportunities for international winter sports organizations. At the competition level, Chinese athletes were unfamiliar with some sports, but they will compete in all disciplines at Beijing 2022, which is very important for international winter sports federations."
The growth of winter sports in China will also boost the global market. A perfect example would be Chongli, in co-host city Zhangjiakou, where one can find the skiing gear of brands from all over the world.
"The development of China's ice and snow industry and the growth of the winter sports population have brought development possibilities and opportunities to the world's enterprises," Yang said.
An 11-month-old baby girl named Wang Yuji practises skiing at Thaiwoo Ski Resort in Chongli District of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province on Nov. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)
With the improvement on all aspects at domestic ski resorts such as Chongli, the former Olympic gold medalist thinks the Olympic venues in Beijing and Chongli will become new destinations for winter sports tourism after Beijing 2022, especially for tourists in Asia to experience the best Winter Olympic venues.
In the meantime, Beijing has been focusing on delivering sustainability and preserving the Olympic legacy from the beginning of its Olympic bid, with many of the Olympic venues from the 2008 Summer Games transformed into venues for the Winter Games for year-round use.
Staff members walk outside the Main Media Center for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Feb. 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)
"As a dual Olympic city, Beijing has converted the Summer Olympic venues into Winter Olympic venues, which is a good example for future Olympic host cities and is in line with the International Olympic Committee's development goals for future Olympics," Yang noted.
Yang added that with more and more ski resorts built in China, many foreign teams have been involved in resort operations, becoming part of the overall development of winter sports in China.
At the same time, by staging the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, China has also cultivated a number of qualified operation and management personnel, who will become the main force for future development of ice and snow sports in China and the world, passing on their experience to future Winter Olympic hosts.
