"Spring has come for the development of winter sports in China."
On the evening of the 20th, Zhao Yinggang, Deputy Director of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Sustainability Advisory Committee, said in Nanjing that the preparation for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is "heating up" China's ice and snow sports industry.
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On the 20th, the Asia-Pacific Outdoor Industry Exhibition opened in Nanjing, showcasing numerous ice and snow sports equipment and activities. Zhao Yinggang made the above remarks while attending the "2019 Asia-Pacific Sports Industry Summit."
On July 31, 2015, Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou, successfully won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In Zhao Yinggang's view, China has a tradition of engaging in ice and snow sports, but is not a traditional ice and snow sports country. China's ice and snow sports industry started late, has low barriers to entry, and holds great potential. With the Winter Olympics entering the "Beijing cycle," China's ice and snow sports industry is entering a fast-track period of development.
Zhao Yinggang cited the surge in the number of skating and skiing venues as an example. He said that in recent years, it has been the most rapid development period for skating and skiing rinks in China, with numbers hitting record highs—334 skating rinks and 738 ski resorts. These venues have shifted from being solely winter-oriented ski operations to year-round management, and from single-format businesses to "bloom[ing] across the board" diversified formats.
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The development of mass skiing in China clearly reflects the path of ice and snow sports "from north to south" and "expanding westward and eastward." Zhao Yinggang observed that the northeastern region has a strong foundation and capabilities in ice and snow sports, while the southern regions are witnessing rapid growth in their ice and snow sports industries, with explosive increases in participant numbers. Currently, with the accelerating pace of Winter Olympics preparations, the integration and personnel exchanges between northern and southern China's ice and snow sports industries have entered a golden period.
Last year, China's General Administration of Sport issued the "Implementation Outline for Participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics" and the "Implementation Outline for 'Engaging 300 Million People in Ice and Snow Sports' (2018-2022)." According to the plan, by 2022, China aims to compete in all events at the Beijing Winter Olympics, popularize mass participation in ice and snow sports, and achieve 300 million participants.
Building ice and snow sports corridors, bringing ice and snow into schools, parks, and commercial districts... In Zhao Yinggang's overview, mass skiing activities across the country are thriving. There is strong momentum of support from social forces in areas such as ice and snow venue construction, event operations, apparel and equipment supply, and the hosting of sports expos. "The vision of 'engaging 300 million people in ice and snow sports' is gradually becoming a reality."
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