2022 Olympics bodes well for winter sports
Smooth progress with the ongoing work in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, in preparation for hosting part of the 2022 Winter Olympics bodes well for economic benefits to endure beyond the closing ceremony.
With frigid temperatures curtailing most outdoor activities in North China, the flurry of activity at ski resorts and new construction sites in Zhangjiakou’s Chongli district has brought vitality to the hilly region, where many events of the 2022 Olympics will be held.
As a co-host for the Games along with Beijing, Zhangjiakou has to date begun planning and construction of 65 major projects among a total of 76, well ahead of the time frame set by the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, Wu Weidong, mayor of Zhangjiakou, said in Beijing on Wednesday.
“Construction for all the venues has been going smoothly and in accordance with the highest international standards, while preparations for Games-related services in accommodation, security, transportation and healthcare are progressing well,” Wu said.
Already a burgeoning skiing destination before Beijing won the bid in 2015, Chongli will host several snow sports events at eight competition and noncompetition venues located at some existing resorts and around the newly built Prince Ski Town.
Some skiing events will also be staged in Yanqing district, northwest of Beijing.
All the competition venues will be ready by the end of 2019 for a series of testing events, according to the local government.
At the existing Genting Resort in Chongli, construction of the Olympic halfpipe and slopestyle courses for snowboarding and freestyle skiing has been completed.
The International Ski Federation is now running its World Cup series for snowboarding and freestyle skiing at Genting.
“Our technical experts are extremely satisfied with the progress and the quality of the facilities that have already been made,” Sarah Lewis, secretarygeneral of the federation, told China Daily.
While the Games-related facilities take shape, Zhangjiakou has also geared up to develop a diverse economy involving tourism, manufacturing, exhibitions and training centered around winter sports in order to make sure the Games’ economic benefits endure.
“It’s critical for the Games to leave a positive impact on the local economy, so we are taking all postGames development plans into consideration as early as possible,” said Li Hong, a vice-mayor of Zhangjiakou.
The city is also building two industrial parks in which 19 foreign ski equipment manufacturers and service providers have already signed investment deals totaling 9.6 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) with local partners.
To better accommodate the growing public demand for more accessible skiing experiences, the city plans to have 30 ski resorts by 2025 — up from seven large-scale facilities currently — with 600 trails able to cater to 20 million visitors a year, Li said.
“The extremely important thing is that the program of creating the entire industry and recreational activities has been implemented at such an early stage, which means the legacy is happening before the Games,” said Lewis.