STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE SUCCESSFUL BID FOR THE 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WINTER SPORTS IN CHINA

HOU HAIBO

China Sport Information Center Email: [email protected]

Abstract - By using the methods of literature review, statistical analysis, expert consultation and analytical comparison, this paper studies the influence of ’s successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics on winter sports in China. It points out that the 2022 Winter Olympics has put winter sports development in China on a fast track, generating more public interest and government support. In the meantime, this paper makes a few suggestions, including strengthening personnel training, perfecting the official industry-approved quality standard and improving the quality of service in winter sports.

Keywords - Winter Sports, China, 2022 Winter Olympics, Influence.

I. BACKGROUND popular in China, leading to a relatively low competitive level in winter events. China has broken In July 2015, Beijing and co-host city Zhangjiakou, in into the top 10 of the medal surrounding Hebei Province, won the right to host the tally only once. Statistics show imbalance in China's 2022 Winter Olympic Games. In the past two years, winter sports development -- ice sports are much the latest developments of competitive winter sports, stronger than snow. Eleven of the 12 golds and 45 of mass winter sports and relevant sports industry in the 53 total medals have come from ice competitions. China have attracted a great deal of domestic and Short track in particular has become overseas attention. China’s main source of medals. Compared with the sporting powers in the medal tally, fewer winter II. METHODS events qualify China for the Winter Olympics and its medal haul is more narrowly distributed. By using the methods of literature review, statistical analysis, expert consultation and analytical comparison, this paper studies the influence of Beijing’s successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics on winter sports in China, and does some thinking about how to further the development of ice and snow sports in the country.

III. Results

3.1 Influence of the Successful Bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics on the Development of Competitive Winter Sports in China

Table: China’s Medal Distribution at all the Previous Winter 3.1.1 China’s Achievements at the Winter Olympics Olympics Since its Winter Olympics debut in 1980, China has 3.1.3 Measures China Has Recently Taken to remoulded itself from a winter sports minnow to a Boost the Level of Its Competitive Winter Events. competitive force. Claiming its first-ever Winter Olympic medal in Albertville in 1992 and its Given the problems facing the development of its first-ever gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, China has competitive winter sports, China has taken proactive bagged a total of 12 gold, 22 silver and 19 bronze measures to boost the level of its competitive winter medals in the past 10 Winter Games. events in recent years.

3.1.2 Problems Facing China’s Competitive 3.1.3.1 Optimizing the Layout of China’s Winter Winter Sports Sports Because of its natural conditions and the public’s Winter sports in China has always been "strong exercise habits, the development of summer sports in ice and weak in snow". Since Beijing was awarded and winter sports in China has been uneven. Winter the 2022 Winter Olympics in 2015, the country has sports facilities are inadequate and winter events less been aiming to compete in over 90 percent of the 102

Proceedings of ISER 78th International Conference, Hong Kong, 27th-28th September 2017 35 Study on the Influence of the Successful Bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics on the Development of Winter Sports in China medal events at the games. To reach this goal, China Winter Sports Industry. has built national teams of bobsled, , skeleton, Medals are not the be-all and end-all of China's effort snowboard and in recent years, raising to promote winter sports. The country aims to the number of national winter sports teams to 22. popularize winter sports to a scale large enough to China hopes to have more athletes compete in more benefit people of all stripes, and is willing to devote events at the next two Winter Games, and is trying its the resources necessary to make it happen. best to help the athletes improve their abilities and General Administration of Sport of China issued in performance. November 2016 “the Development Plan for Winter Sports (2016-2025)” and “the National Plan for the 3.1.3.2 Searching for Talent from Other Sports Construction of Winter Sports Venues and Facilities and Regions (2016-2022)”. The plans also involve seven other China is now searching for talent all over the country, ministries, including the Education Ministry and the beyond those northeastern provinces already known National Development and Reform Commission. for winter sports. China also decides to draw summer Under the plan, the government will use revenue athletes in track and field, Chinese martial arts, roller from the sports lottery and other funds to build more skating, gymnastics and basketball to winter sports. venues, set up sports associations, and organize General Administration of Sport of China, China’s competitions and festivals for winter sports. Winter top sports body, is also hoping to draft overseas sports venue developers will be offered reasonable athletes of Chinese origin to represent China in areas and flexible policies in tax reduction and land where the country lacks athletic prowess. acquisition. By 2022, the number of skating rinks in Searching for talent from other sports and regions is a China will be no less than 650 (including 500 major reform in the development of competitive newly-built), and the number of ski resorts should sports in China. Following the law of the reach 800 (including 240 newly-built). Ski tracks will development of sports and that of preparation for the measure 3,500 kilometres and amount to 100 million Olympics, China has found a new way of square metres. About 300 million people are developing competitive sports and preparing for the expected to participate in winter sports and the winter Olympics. sports industry is projected to be worth one trillion yuan (US$149.4 billion) by 2025. 3.1.3.3 Strengthening International Cooperation and Exchanges Since Beijing and Zhangjiakou were selected to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, China and some dominant winter sports powers have strengthened cooperation and exchanges in preparing the Olympic Games and developing winter sports.

China is seeking help from the Czech Republic as it looks to improve at and . The first agreement on sports cooperation between the two countries was reportedly drawn up during President Miloš Zeman's trip to China in September 2015. Czechish experts are to teach Chinese athletes and their coaches are to watch the training process of Chinese teams. Such exchanges and cooperation between China and Finland have also been intensified. At the 2017 hosted by , cross-country skier Man Dandan claimed the first gold medal for China in this Winter Games, thanks to the guidance of her Finnish coach Mikko Olavi Virtanen. Until January 2017, China had hired over 30 foreign coaches to help its national teams, Fig.1. Plan for the Development of China’s Winter Sports especially the newly-founded teams. At the same time, Source: China Daily

China has sent a lot of teams to train abroad to learn 3.2.2 There Has Been a Surge of Enthusiasm for expertise not yet available at home. Winter Sports Among the Chinese Public

Beijing's successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic 3.2 Influence of the Successful Bid for the 2022 Games has ignited the enthusiasm for winter sports in Winter Olympics on China’s Mass Winter Sports China. There are now more than 200 skating rinks and Winter Sports Industry and 600 ski resorts across China, and about 30 3.2.1 The Government Has Taken Proactive million people participate in winter sports and related Measures to Promote Mass Winter Sports and the activities.

Proceedings of ISER 78th International Conference, Hong Kong, 27th-28th September 2017 36 Study on the Influence of the Successful Bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics on the Development of Winter Sports in China As for skiing, there were 646 ski resorts in China in Ski Resort reached 42,000, a year-on-year increase of 2016, representing a 40.43% increase from 2014. 30 percent. More than 30 percent of these resorts are located in the northeast, but the national strategy of expanding 3.2.4 There Has Been an Increase in Investment. to the south and west is witnessing more and more ski In 2015 and 2016, 108 and 78 new ski resorts were resorts in other regions in the country. built respectively, a respective year-on-year increase of 23.48% and 13.73%. Domestic companies are investing heavily into skiing, with Vanke investing more than 40 billion yuan in the Songhua Lake Ski Resort in northeastern China. Some foreign companies plan to bring their projects to China. They are looking forward to working with Chinese investors and distributors, and are considering establishing factories in China. MND Group, a French ski-resort equipment maker, agreed in March 2017 a joint venture deal with state-owned China Coal Zhangjiakou Coal Mining Machinery to make equipment for the Chinese and Asian markets. Finland wants to work with China by sharing its skills

Fig.2.Distribution of the 646 Ski Resorts(2016) in producing artificial snow and ice in an Source: 2016 China Ski Industry White Book environment-friendly way. The Finnish company Snow Secure is already cooperating with the 2022 In 2016, 11.33 million people took part in 15.1 Olympics Organizing Committee in China. million ski trips, with 1.33 visits to ski resorts per capita. The per capita figures were 1.30 in 2015 and 3.2.5 The Chinese Winter Sports Industry Uses 1.27 in 2014, showing a continuous rise over the past Modern Technologies to Enhance the Winter three years. Sports Experience. Another factor likely to have a significant impact on the future of China’s ski industry is the growing popularity of digital accessories and virtual training programmes. It is believed, for instance, that virtual-reality technology will allow for safe ski training to be provided well away from the slopes. In the meantime, GPS monitoring systems are proving a huge boon in terms of boosting on-site safety. Online transactions of the ski industry totalled 27.3 million yuan in China in 2016, more than five times Fig.3. Overview of Number of Ski Resorts and Skier Visits in 2015, including ski tickets, ski classes, winter (10k) camps, hotels booking, and etc. Source: 2016 China Ski Industry White Book

3.2.6 Development Challenges Exist 3.2.3 Ski Tourism Has Entered a Boom Period. While the market is growing, China’s ski industry A surge in the popularity of snow sports across China faces numerous problems. The lack of official quality has opened up significant opportunities for ski standards and a shortage of properly trained staff and tourism. Zhangjiakou is transforming into a popular support facilities are the most prominent. Most ski ski and holiday destination for ski enthusiasts from instructors are typically local residents, who are surrounding regions and countries. Currently, there employed on a part-time basis and lack any official are six ski resorts operating in Zhangjiakou, making qualification. This problem has been further the city a leader in China's national ski industry. Its compounded by a similar shortage of experienced Chongli district has a population of 126 thousand, managers and technical operators. With qualified among which 30 thousand are working for the ski personnel in demand, many managers flit from one industry directly or indirectly. During the 2017 Spring company to another, while professional snowmaking Festival, Chongli received over 259 thousand visitors , technicians and snow-plow drivers are almost achieving tourism revenue of 182 million yuan. impossible to find.

In China's northwestern region, more and more CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS families are beginning to spend spare time on winter sports. The Xinjiang Sports Administration has taken The 2022 Winter Olympics has put winter sports steps to provide a better environment for people in development in China on a fast track, generating the region to take part in winter sports. During the more public interest and government support. Since 2017 Spring Festival, tourist visits to the Silk Road

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