Capital's school kids get taste of winter sports

Real legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games may be creation of new generation of young athletes

Schoolchildren zoomed around on roller skates, passing the puck on an artificial ice rink and practicing cross-country skiing skills on roller skis on a brisk afternoon at the Yangfangdian Central Primary School in Beijing's Haidian district.

In one of the classrooms, photos commemorating the school's connection with the Olympics and trophies won at numerous competitions were on display.

Zhou Chenguang, the sports teacher for the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, is one of the teachers who helped make all of this happen. He has taught at the school for 32 years and is an avid fan of the Games.

"Our physical education classes are about enjoyment and competition, and ultimately, they've taught our children about the Winter Olympics and generated a passion for winter sports," said Zhou, 52. "By knowing more about sports, our children have a greater chance of competing in the real Games in the future."

In 2016, Zhou introduced hockey lessons to the primary school's PE classes.

"Demonstrating the popularity of winter sports at schools in Beijing should not just be a slogan. We must let students play real winter sports and learn the rules," he said.

Students from the fourth grade and above can participate in winter sports classes, but Xu Hengyu, a 10-year-old fifth grader, began to learn cross-country skiing on roller skis by herself when she was in third grade.

"I saw some senior class students practicing and thought it would be fun to do," Xu said.

"When I got home, I asked my father to buy me a pair of roller skis and started to practice in our neighborhood."