2018 World Winter Sports Expo kicks off in Beijing, with AI playing key role
The annual World Winter Sports Expo kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, with the organizers hoping it will boost the popularity of winter sports in China.
The expo, which started in 2016 after Beijing won the 2022 Winter Olympics bid, is considered a place to catch a glimpse of winter sports before the season arrives.
The expo will last until Sunday, and the organizers expect 150,000 people to visit the four-day event.
Officials from major international sports federations, including those for curling, ice hockey and skating, are also participating in forums at the expo.
“We are not only promoting winter sports as sporting events, but also as a lifestyle,” said Xu Zhou, a senior official with International Digital Group, which organized the expo.
The official added that the ongoing expo is a platform for domestic organizations to connect with international entities to promote winter sports.
AI has played a key role at the expo as virtual reality technology can help people remotely experience the venues and stadiums of the 2022 Olympics.
Most of the 2022 venues previously hosted the 2008 Summer Games, with the National Speed Skating Oval being the only new stadium to be built in downtown Beijing for the 2022 Winter Games.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Summer Olympics and the first year of a new Beijing Olympiad.
Hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games makes Beijing the first and only city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
China has pledged to have 300 million people participate in winter sports by the year 2022, and more and more young people have joined the efforts.