Games to fuel winter sports boom

Beijing 2022 to further boost Chinese market, say global federation chiefs

Citing state-of-the-art facilities and huge exposure gained by hosting the Games, leaders of international winter sports federations have hailed the 2022 Winter Olympics as a catalyst to take China's ice and snow sports sector to the next level.

With the Beijing Winter Olympics kicking off to worldwide attention, expectations have surged among the international winter sports community that organizers' efforts in upgrading facilities and engaging the public will massively elevate the profile of winter sports in China.

"In a country with 1.4 billion people, China's potential in snow sports knows almost no boundaries," Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski Federation, said in an interview presented by IDG Asia before the opening of Beijing 2022.

"I am therefore pleased that its development has been declared a priority in the country. The figure of 300 million (Chinese taking part in winter sports) is impressive and ambitious. It shows the will to take the sport to a new level and bring it closer to the people.

"The Winter Olympics offer a great opportunity to further awaken interest and ignite passion for the disciplines."

Eliasch was among four international winter sports governing body leaders who shared their thoughts and insights on Beijing 2022's effect on popularizing their sports in China during a series of online dialogues presented by IDG Asia, organizer of the World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo.

Even with the Games just beginning, the vision of Eliasch and his counterparts is already taking shape, as evidenced by the fact that, according to an official report, 346 million Chinese people have taken part in winter sports and recreational ice and snow activities since Beijing won the bid in 2015 to host the Games.

That figure, which accounts for about a quarter of China's population, means the country represents a huge untapped market in businesses such as event management, grassroots training and equipment manufacturing for global winter sports brands and organizations.

"From this tremendous growth, the winter sports industry across the globe will greatly benefit because of the high demand for infrastructure, equipment and expertise," International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said in his opening speech for the 139th IOC Session in Beijing on Thursday.

"This is not just an expectation. This is already happening now during the preparations for these Olympic Winter Games, where much of the technology and know-how have been provided by companies from traditional winter sport markets."

As a highlight of the increasing exchanges between China and the rest of the world in the sector, the winter sports expo has annually attracted over 500 international brands from Europe and North America since its debut in 2016 to showcase the latest products and solutions, including artificial rinks, ski simulators and resort development planning.

The bustling scenes at ski resorts around Beijing and ice rinks at shopping malls across the city in recent years also bear witness to the public's soaring interest in winter sports at the grassroots level.

For those winter sports that Chinese audiences are not familiar with yet, there is no better event than the Olympics to entice new fans.

"The Olympics present new possibilities," said Olle Dahlin, president of the International Biathlon Union. "I see China as one of the most important countries now that we try to together develop our fantastic sport.

"I think now with a couple of new venues (built for the Olympics), and also the knowledge that you build up around our sport, it gives only a lot of possibilities here."

As a relatively late starter to many snow-based sports, such as biathlon, Alpine skiing and bobsleigh, China has taken advantage of preparations for the Winter Olympics to improve infrastructure for such disciplines. The country has built state-of-the-art venues, including the National Biathlon Center and the National Sliding Center, in mountain regions connected by a high-speed railway linking Beijing's downtown area.

Post-Games planning for using such venues for tourism and leisure activities－in addition to bidding for more international competitions－has been involved throughout the design and construction of these facilities.

The development of these permanent Olympic projects, supported by a complete transport network, is expected to draw tourists and winter sports enthusiasts from home and abroad after the Games, according to organizers and venue owners.

A case in point is the National Sliding Center, which will host bobsleigh, skeleton and luge at Beijing 2022. After the Games, the center will set up a start gate at the midway point on its 1.9-kilometer track for qualified pilots to drive tourists down the slower section to experience an exciting ride.

"That is a good thing because in our sport you can experience that. And then we bring interest, tourists and economy, because the Games have been not just a boost in terms of sports, but also a boost in terms of tourism value," said Ivo Ferriani, president of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.