Bank of ChinaVisaBoosts, skiing race popularity king sets rhythm for Winter Olympics
12Month21morning, China's most popular mass-participation ski race——The 6th China Sports Venue Association“Between Venues”series event and the Bank of ChinaVisaCredit Card Cup Alpine Target Ski Open kicked off with great energy at Beidahu Ski Resort in Jilin City. This was also the global premiere of the Alpine Target format.
After4hours of intense competition blending skill and strategy, theXBIONICteam ultimately won first place in the public group with a time of2hours,4minutes, and16seconds; Yin Laoye Shaanxi Noodles claimed first place in the parent-child group with a time of2hours,3minutes, and21seconds. Both teams will advance directly to the finals to be held next year in December at Genting & Wanlong as the top finishers of this stop.3The finals were held in September at Genting & Wanlong.
This edition of the Alpine Target Ski Race isjointly organized by the China Sports Venue Association and the Chinese Ski Association, co-branded by Bank of China, the official partner of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and the International Olympic Committee’sTOPpartner,Visawith exclusive operation by Huatidongshi (Beijing) Sports Culture Technology Co., Ltd. The event also received strong support from brands such as Anta, Yili, and Baoruitong.Exclusively operated by Huati Dongshi (Beijing) Sports Culture Technology Co., Ltd. The event also received strong support from brands such as Anta, Yili, and Baoruitong.
Bank of ChinaVisaTeams up with Inclusive Finance to Get 30 Million Families on the Snow
Mr. Feng Jinhu, Secretary-General of the China Sports Venue Association; Mr. Gu Haoning, Deputy Director of the Market Development Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee; Ms. Sheng Qi, Deputy General Manager of Bank of China Card Center;Visathe company’s Global Vice President and General Manager of Customer Relationship Management Department China, Mr. Yin Xiaolong; and Mr. Yang Jian, Deputy Governor of Bank of China Jilin Branch, attended the opening ceremony.?Mr. Yang Jian attended the opening ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, Ms. Sheng Qi unveiled the core“secret”——of this year’s event to the participants—the competition map.
Family Group Map
Public Group Map
It is understood that this open competition adopts a limited registration system, capped at 300 spots. However, the first stop of this year’s event achieved an impressive start, with pre-registrations exceeding21,000 people. The final over 300 participants came from all over the country, including Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Beijing, Yunnan, and other regions, as well as contestants from Singapore, Canada, and other countries.
To encourage 30 million families to participate in winter sports, Bank of China andVisateamed up to launch a special discount on event registration. Any holder of a Bank of ChinaVisacredit card who registers on Bank of China's Colorful LifeAPPplatform will receive a discount of 100 yuan per person on the participation fee. This initiative has been welcomed by skiing enthusiasts. It is understood that this inclusive measure will continue throughout the season.
How does the most popular event“set the tone for the Winter Olympics?
At the opening ceremony, guests such as Feng Jinhu, Secretary-General of the China Sports Venue Association, and Gu Haoning, Deputy Director of the Market Development Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, attended and delivered speeches.
Feng Jinhu, Secretary-General of the China Sports Venue Association
“This helps us promote China’s winter sports culture to the world and showcase China’s vitality in winter sports.” Feng Jinhu pointed out in his speech, adding that as the event will cover southern cities in innovative formats, they are actively working together to serve the Beijing Winter Olympics and implement the goal of 300 million people participating in winter sports.”
Gu Haoning, Deputy Director of the Market Development Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, said that creative, low-barrier, and competitive-intellectual mass skiing events like this are more likely to be welcomed by the public. He hopes there will be more such events in the future that can truly drive 300 million people to participate in winter sports and create a positive social atmosphere for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Gu Haoning
The Alpine Target Skiing Open is a rising star among mass skiing events in recent years, ranking among the top in terms of single-stop participation size and highly sought after by skiing enthusiasts across the country. The rules are based on “Alpine Skiing+Team Orienteering,” with teams of three, including public and family groups. The event not only tests physical fitness and skiing skills but also emphasizes teamwork and collaboration, injecting new energy into mass skiing competitions with its blend of competition and strategy.
China Original Worldwide Popularity
In terms of participant composition, over one-third of this year’s contestants are returning players from previous editions, with teams coming from all over the country. Why do skiing enthusiasts from various regions favor this event? Shan Ge (online alias), last year’s championship team member who served as a checkpoint setter this year, was moved by the participants’ words during his rounds: “We don’t care about winning or losing; we just think this event is challenging and fun.” He said, “Although the barrier to entry isn’t high, the process is not easy. Participants need to collaborate as a team, strategize, especially on the day of the event when heavy snowfall in the morning reduced visibility. This competition is a battle with oneself—you have to overcome yourself first, and that’s the charm of the event.””
According to the event organizing committee, this year’s competition consists of five stops, with subsequent events to be held next year. The dates for each stop are:1Month11Day, Heilongjiang Yabuli Stop;1Month25Day, First Overseas Stop in Finland—Suomu Stop;2Month8Day, Shaanxi Aoshan Stop;3January7, Hebei Yunding&Wanlong Station.
It is worth noting that this year’s event, at the invitation of the Finnish government, will see the Alpine Target Skiing Open Finland Suomu Station make its debut on2020Chinese New Year's Day as the closing event of the “China-Finland Winter Sports Year” in Suomu, Finland. This marks China’s first original mass-participation skiing competition to be “exported” overseas. In addition, countries such as Canada and Japan also plan to introduce this new type of skiing event. In the future, the alpine skiing competition will becomea high-level international event.
To lower the barrier to entry for skiing and encourage more people to embrace winter sports, the Chinese Association of Sports Venues, the Chinese Ski Association, the event organizers, and partners including Bank of ChinaVisa credit cards, have launched the “Mass Winter Sports Inclusion Program” and the “Winter Sports Seed Program” starting from the Beidahu Station. The Inclusion Program offers per capita3000yuan in winter sports consumption subsidies to the public; meanwhile, the Seed Program introduces public welfare initiatives such as free entry subsidies for university students. At the Beidahu Station, multiple universities including Jilin University, Northeast Electric Power University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Hebei Institute of Physical Education sent teams to compete.