Building for the future
Athletes from the worlds of track and field, gymnastics, weightlifting and even acrobatics were evaluated.
The 2022 preparations have also been boosted by China's bobsled and skeleton teams qualifying for the Olympics for the first time in Pyeongchang.
Although failing to advance to the final run, the country's two-man bobsled team of Li Chunjian and Wang Sidong, both former track and field athletes, are confident their training as sprinters will give them an edge on the ice.
"The first time was only about learning," Li said after their third run at Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang on Feb 19. "We've learned that a lot of the leading racers in this event came from other sporting backgrounds, which makes us believe in our strength and potential."
The victory of South Korean pilot Yun Sung-bin in skeleton, the first Olympic gold medal in sliding sports won by Asia, has likewise boosted the confidence of Chinese racers.
China's national skeleton team coach Jeff Pain, who won a silver medal for Canada at the 2006 Turin Games, said recruiting competitors with an athletics background is both smart and practical.
"It's essentially about body shape and the ability to run fast," said Pain, a former varsity track and field athlete at the University of British Columbia.
Without enough talent in surfing, climbing, skateboarding and BMX freestyle riding, four sports that will debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games, the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) last year launched a progressive talent selection program to identify and develop athletes across events from home and abroad.
The exceptional core strength, balance and body coordination of some professional athletes in gymnastics, long jump, martial arts and acrobatics make it easier for them to shift to new events compared to amateurs.
"The level of amateur participation now is far behind the Olympic qualification standard given the short time we have before Tokyo 2020," said Huang Qiang, secretary-general of China Roller Sports Association.
