Hockey honcho homes in on Olympic excellence
Family life and 2022 prep go hand in hand for one Austrian expat
Happily settled into family life in China, Austrian Harald Springfeld is determined to pay back his adopted home in his role as Beijing 2022’s chief ice hockey advisor.
Less than eight months out from the Winter Olympics, Springfeld is busy overseeing all aspects of preparations for the Games, including facility readiness, operational tests and staff training.
With a successful test event in April under his belt, Springfeld, known as Harry to his Chinese colleagues, has drawn confidence from the world-class facilities, the efficiency of the local operational team and the host’s resolve to overcome the COVID-19 challenge.
“If you ask us can you organize the Olympic Winter Games next month, we would say yes,” Springfeld told China Daily last week at north Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium, which along with Wukesong Arena in the west of the capital will stage next year’s hockey tournaments.
“Major improvements to make? Really not much. Just to perfect a few of the last pieces that we need to have once we have more practical experiences.”
To prepare for another round of test events that could potentially allow access to foreign athletes in September, Springfeld and his team of 10 Chinese staff have been reevaluating and inspecting operational details at the two venues, such as the flexibility of the rink dashboard, dressing-room supplies and laundry operations.
However, amid all the technical and logistical details of the preparations, Springfeld is keen to stress where his main focus lies.
“My real job is not to prepare the facilities, I’m preparing the people to run the Games,” said Springfeld, who first came to China in 2011 as an International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) official.
“To let my Chinese colleagues understand what the requirements are, what they need to fulfill, what kind of regulations they need to follow ... So everything I’m doing is really to focus on the people rather than on the event itself, because this is the key to success.”
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.”