Hockey honcho homes in on Olympic excellence

A native of world-renowned winter sports destination Innsbruck in the Austrian Alps, Springfeld played hockey professionally until injuries cut short his playing career, leading him into managerial roles with the IIHF, mainly in charge of the sport's promotion in Asia.

Springfeld is also personally invested in China. In 2013 he married Wang Hui, a Chinese ice hockey referee, who a year later gave birth to the couple's son, Wang Xiaolong, aka Justin.

"To work for China is really an opportunity for me to give something back because of what China gave me with the family," he said, adding that his supportive wife has played a big role in his career success.

"One of the reasons the IIHF suggested that I work in China is the understanding I have of how to work with people here.

"In China, everybody is really working hard for one goal with directions from the top to the bottom, which makes it very efficient for work such as Olympic preparations... failure is not an option at all."

Wang Hui is a former pro hockey player from Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, who hopes to referee at next year's Games.

She said working alongside her husband as Beijing becomes the world's first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics is a thrilling prospect.

"It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Wang, who must first undergo an IIHF evaluation to decide if she can officiate at the Games.

"We support and draw motivation from each other.

"He's a very conscientious man who makes detailed arrangements in his work. He's put in a lot of effort in his current job, and so have I. Hopefully, we both can make our roles count in helping to deliver a successful Olympic Games."